John Zalewski News

The times they are a changin'. Travel back to the working class melting pot of Boyle Heights of the 1960s with the Latino Theater Company's upcoming production, written by LTC resident playwright Evelina Fernandez and helmed by artistic director Jose Luis Valenzuela. The world premiere of The Mother of Henry runs March 23 through April 14at The Los Angeles Theatre Center. Low-priced previews begin March 15. 

Plain Wood Productions announces its limited Los Angeles engagement for Blood/Sugar, a new solo performance about the growing diabetes epidemic created and performed by Los Angeles-based theater director and Type 1 diabetic Diana Wyenn.

ELAN Ensemble has announced its inaugural production, the world premiere of How We're Different from Animals, based on short stories from "No One Belongs Here More Than You" by Miranda July. Under the direction of Ovation Award nominee Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), the production is set to open on Friday, February 22, at 8pm and run through March 24 only at the Atwater Village Theatre.           

The times they are a changin'. Travel back to the working class melting pot of Boyle Heights of the 1960s with the Latino Theater Company's upcoming production, written by LTC resident playwright Evelina Fernandez and helmed by artistic director Jose Luis Valenzuela. The world premiere of The Mother of Henry runs March 23 through April 14at The Los Angeles Theatre Center. Low-priced previews begin March 15. 

Never has the relationship between Iago and Roderigo in Shakespeare's OTHELLO stolen the show like it does in the current A Noise Within production, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. With an outwardly nonchalant Michael Manuel as the revenge seeking villain, and Jeremy Rabb, an actor who knows comedy like the back of his hand, as his unsuspecting lackey, the situational humor in Shakespeare's tragedy comes front and center. That's right, humor.

ELAN Ensemble has announced its inaugural production, the world premiere of How We're Different from Animals, based on short stories from No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July. Under the direction of Ovation Award nominee Jonathan Mu oz-Proulx (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), the production is set to open today, February 22, at 8pm and run through March 24 only at the Atwater Village Theatre.

ELAN Ensemble has announced its inaugural production, the world premiere of How We're Different from Animals, based on short stories from No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July. Under the direction of Ovation Award nominee Jonathan Mu oz-Proulx (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), the production is set to open on Friday, February 22, at 8pm and run through March 24 only at the Atwater Village Theatre.

The 29th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Monday, January 28, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

The nominees for the 29th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were announced this week.

Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, OLD CLOWN WANTED centers on three aging clowns who compete for a job in a room with no windows and very little furniture, in which theater and circus arts are intertwined in an absurdist, cynical, tender and very funny look at aging and man's fear of uselessness in society. The entertaining and non-stop action in this new translation from the French by Jeremy Lawrence, is appropriately directed by Romanian-born Florinel Fatulescu, who has won numerous theater awards for his daring and innovative style. While the overall production seemed very Italian in nature to me, there was certainly enough Vaudevillian slapstick schtick to keep audiences laughing from start to finish.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest-running professional theater of color in the country and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, is pleased to announce an extension for the Los Angeles premiere of Qui Nguyen's Vietgone, which the New York Times has hailed as "a raucous comedy" and Rolling Stone has described as "a wild, enjoyable ride." Directed by Jennifer Chang, Vietgone began preview performances on October 18, with opening night on October 25, 2018, and now closes on Sunday, November 18, 2018 with an extension that includes four additional performances.

What do a couple of a petty criminals planning a kidnapping in a seedy Barstow motel and a gay, Latino, world champion boxer in 1980s New York at the start of the AIDS epidemic have in common?

Brooding, compelling, funny and startling. Memories unravel and dark truths are revealed in a haunting ghost story by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Daniel Talbott(Slipping) when The Echo Theater Company's West Coast premiere returns in a third and final rendition (following productions in April and July) with a third set of ensemble members. This time round, Chris Fields directs Ian Bamberg,Matthew Gallenstein and, at alternate performances,Kenzie Caplan and Mara Klein, for a Sept. 27 opening at Atwater Village Theatre. 

Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, three aging clowns compete for a job in an absurdly comic look at man's fear of uselessness in society. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble presents the West Coast premiere of Old Clown Wanted by Romanian-French playwright Matei Visniec in a new translation from the French by Jeremy Lawrence. Romanian-born Florinel Fatulescu directs for a Sept. 22 opening, with performances continuing through Nov. 4 at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A.

Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, three aging clowns compete for a job in an absurdly comic look at man's fear of uselessness in society. Odyssey Theatre Ensemblepresents the West Coast premiere of Old Clown Wanted by Romanian-French playwright Matei Vi?niec in a new translation from the French by Jeremy Lawrence. Romanian-born Florinel Fatulescu directs for a Sept. 22 opening, with performances continuing through Nov. 4 at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A.

Brooding, compelling, funny and startling. Memories unravel and dark truths are revealed in a haunting ghost story by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Daniel Talbott(Slipping) when The Echo Theater Company's West Coast premiere returns in a third and final rendition (following productions in April and July) with a third set of ensemble members. This time round, Chris Fields directs Ian Bamberg,Matthew Gallenstein and, at alternate performances,Kenzie Caplan and Mara Klein, for a Sept. 27 opening at Atwater Village Theatre. 

Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, three aging clowns compete for a job in an absurdly comic look at man's fear of uselessness in society. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble presents the West Coast premiere of Old Clown Wanted by Romanian-French playwright Matei Visniec in a new translation from the French by Jeremy Lawrence. Romanian-born Florinel Fatulescu directs for a Sept. 22 opening, with performances continuing through Nov. 4 at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition included productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. Stage Raw is a community funded professional journalism website that was created in response to the decline of arts coverage in local mainstream and alternative media.The Awards ceremony was held Monday night, August 20, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Coeurage Theatre Company, and co-directed by Jer Adrianne Lelliott, Thaddeus Shafer and Lauren Ludwig. Winners notated in red below.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest-running professional theater of color in the country and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, is pleased to announce the cast and creative team for the Los Angeles premiere of Qui Nguyen's Vietgone, which the New York Times has hailed as "a raucous comedy" and Rolling Stone has described as "a wild, enjoyable ride." Directed by Jennifer Chang, Vietgone begins performances on October 18 and runs until November 11, 2018, with opening night on October 25, 2018.

Two love stories. Two suicides. Padua Playwrights presents the world premiere of Mayakovsky and Stalin, written and directed by legendary poet/playwright Murray Mednick (The Gary Plays), opening at the Lounge Theatre on July 21.