LA Theater Review

Darkly Funny 'Chinglish' Is a Comedy of Blunders

David Henry Hwang’s 2011 play “Chinglish,” in a co-production by Berkeley Rep and South Coast Rep guided by original Broadway director Leigh Silverman, is a tragicomic masterpiece.

Loud but Never Dull, ‘Backbeat’ Rocks

“Backbeat,” an adaptation of the 1994 film from Glasgow Citizens Theatre, at the Ahmanson, depicts the birth of the Beatles through the travails of onetime bassist Stuart Sutcliffe.

'Triassic Parq' Needs to Go Further

“Triassic Parq,” a rock musical spoof of “Jurassic Park” at Chance Theater, is pleasingly wacky and off-kilter but only fitfully funny, requiring a more over-the-top approach.

'Walking the Tightrope' Is a Sweet Summer Dream

In its West Coast debut at 24th Street Theatre, Mike Kenny’s diaphanous memory play “Walking the Tightrope” may be geared for young audiences, but it’s a special treat for all ages.

'Smoke and Mirrors' Elicits Wonder Through Magic

In “Smoke and Mirrors,” at the Road Theatre Company, magician Albie Selznick mixes a fun evening of illusions and sleight-of-hand with a semiautobiographical coming-of-age story.

‘Cassiopeia’ Charms Both the Brain and the Senses

David Wiener’s haunting “Cassiopeia,” about the connection of two disparate souls, is getting a beautifully rendered and performed world premiere at the Theatre @ Boston Court.

'Giving Up Is Hard to Do' Is Eminently Relatable but Hardly Unique

“Giving Up Is Hard to Do,” Annie Abbott’s autobiographical solo show at the Victory Theatre Center, mines humor from tragedy but tells a too-familiar tale, limiting its appeal.

'Around the World in 80 Days' Presents Verne With Verve

In International City Theatre’s highly satisfying version of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days,” adapter Mark Brown and director Allison Bibicoff utilize just five actors.

'This Vicious Minute' Explores the Dark Side of a Sunny World

In “This Vicious Minute,” an autobiographical solo show at Elephant Stages, Ben Moroski tells an unexpected story about being an all-American boy who commits self-harm as a cutter.

'The Snake Can' Lacks Freshness and Heft

Kathryn Graf’s “The Snake Can,” at the Odyssey Theatre, surveys midlife dating through a trio of female friends, playing like a distinctly watered-down “Sex and the City.”