theater

'Cymbeline' Doesn't Settle for Just a Handful of Shakespearean Tropes

In spite of a weak design, solid performances still stand out in A Noise Within’s production of Shakespeare’s problem play.

The 2nd Annual Brown and Out Theater Festival

In an admirable effort to help reduce the stigma of being different, Casa 0101’s 2nd Annual Brown and Out Festival features 11 original short plays celebrating L.A.’s Latino LGBTQ population, but with mixed results.

‘Island; Or, To Be or Not To Be’ Entertains as Artfully Imaginative Plagiarism of the Bard

In an exuberant production by New York Shakespeare Exchange, Kevin Brewer’s “Island; Or to Be or Not to Be” is both a sendup and an appreciation of what makes Shakespeare’s work so enduring.

The Characters of 'Overlooked' Turn Homelesseness into an Art Installation

Brian Nelson’s well-crafted, genuinely laugh-inducing black comedy is just the latest new script to receive a thoroughly entertaining production by the small but mighty Chance Theater company.

Depression-Era ‘Both Your Houses’ Presents Parallels to Today's Politics

This staging of Maxwell Anderson’s rarely produced 1933 drama concerning a House Appropriations Committee tug-of-war is an engaging ensemble piece with startling parallels to 2012 politics. Especially recommended for Civics class geeks.

‘Dangerous Corner’ Offers a Dinner Party Where Shocks Trump Supper

At Crown City Theatre Company, director Gary Lamb updates J.B. Priestley’s clever melodrama about the danger of refusing to let sleeping dogs lie.

Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, ‘The Water Children’ Is Funny and Thought-Provoking

Wendy MacLeod's “The Water Children” tackles the complex issue of abortion with wit and compassion in a sharp production from new theater company Goodly Rotten Apple Productions.

Tony-Winner Michael McGrath Shares His Favorite Performance

Michael McGrath, who won a 2012 Tony Award for his performance in "Nice Work If You Can Get It," is still amazed by Len Cariou's performance in "Sweeney Todd."

West Coast Premiere of ‘By The Way, Meet Vera Stark’ Tackles Race and Identity in Hollywood

With a stellar Sanaa Lathan in the title role, the L.A. premiere of “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark,” Lynn Nottage’s satire of racial identity in the Hollywood studio system, is an enjoyable fusion of comedy and comment, at least until polemic overtakes the proceedings.

Edward M. Kennedy Prize Will Honor Historical Plays

Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith and Columbia University have created a new theater prize to honor the best new play or musical inspired by American history.