theater

‘Other Desert Cities’ Gets L.A. Premiere With Mixed Results

“Other Desert Cities,” Jon Robin Baitz’s latest play, at Center Theatre Group, is comic and plenty political, if overwritten; a couple of key performers fail to hit the bull’s-eye.

Amateurish Musical 'Kikki & Grandpa & Baby' Is a Mess

With its shoddy script, floundering cast, and odd blend of banal ballads, jazz, and Japanese tunes, Okada Productions’ “Kikki & Grandpa & Baby” is a perplexing, unaffecting shambles.

'Totally Tubular Time Machine' Scores High on the Fun Index

“Totally Tubular Time Machine,” at Culture Club, is an interactive theatrical experience in a real nightclub that’s part musical revue, part homage to popular music, and all party.

6 Acting Lessons From 'Pippin's' Matthew James Thomas

Thomas is thrilled to star in "Pippin," which is currently in previews on Broadway and officially opens April 25 at the Music Box Theater.

‘Water by the Spoonful’ Is Warm and Generous but Unsurprising

Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Pulitzer-winning “Water by the Spoonful,” at Second Stage Theatre, is an admirable but flawed attempt to engage important issues of addiction and redemption.

4 Secrets To a Long Career from 'American Buffalo's' Freddy Rodriguez

Freddy Rodriguez talks about returning to the stage in David Mamet's "American Buffalo" and offers strategies for maintaining a long acting career.

'The Flick' Wears Out Its Welcome

“The Flick,” Annie Baker’s deliberately anti-theatrical drama at Playwrights Horizons about the banal existence of employees of a rundown cinema, can’t sustain at three hours plus.

'Foote Notes' Rings With Quiet Truths

Open Fist Theatre Company pairs two Horton Foote one-acts to create “Foote Notes,” and these intimate, flavorful works get a powerful, on-target staging from director Scott Paulin.

‘The Future Is Not What It Was’ Is Messy but Promising

Michael Rabe’s “The Future Is Not What It Was,” the inaugural production of the Kindling Theater Company, is a veritable soup of a play with intriguing hints of promise.

'One Night With Janis Joplin' Brilliantly Conjures an Icon

For anyone old enough to remember the Queen, Pasadena Playhouse’s “One Night With Janis Joplin” will make the past 40-plus years melt like a grilled cheese sandwich in a microwave.