COMING TO A STAGE NEAR YOU.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Writer Summer can be a dark few months for stage hounds. Many of the top companies shut down before bringing in the quality goods each fall, leaving the nonmovie set sweating through the umpteenth outdoor production of Shakespeare's ``A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare written sometime in the 1590s. It portrays the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors, their interactions with the Duke and Duchess of Athens, Theseus and Hippolyta, and .'' Still, all is hardly lost. L.A.'s summer of stage, 2002, brings us several intriguing offerings. Acclaimed playwright Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (b. 16 October 1962) is a playwright, screenwriter, and director born in the Bronx, New York City, New York. He began writing in high school, later graduating from the NYU Playwriting Program. finally pays us a visit with the West Coast premiere of his drama ``The Waverly Gallery'' opening this month at the Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic theatre located in Pasadena, California. History The Playhouse's history began in 1917 when actor/director Gilmor Brown began producing a season of plays at an old burlesque house, which he renamed the Savoy. . The musical Reprise re·prise n. 1. Music a. A repetition of a phrase or verse. b. A return to an original theme. 2. A recurrence or resumption of an action. tr.v. ! series gets ambitious with a production of Stephen Sondheim's megacast musical ``Follies'' playing a two-week engagement at the Wadsworth. If you're intrigued by the classics, there's Travis Preston's take on ``King Lear King Lear goes mad as all desert him. [Brit. Lit.: Shakespeare King Lear] See : Madness ,'' which asks audiences to follow the action around several locations within the Brewery Arts Complex downtown. Shakespeare Festival/L.A. imagines ``Romeo and Juliet'' as a battle between rival record labels. Alfred Molina, meanwhile, returns to the Odyssey Theatre with the Circus Theatricals company in a version of Chekhov's ``The Cherry Orchard cherry orchard focal point of the declining Ranevsky estate. [Russ. Drama: Chekhov The Cherry Orchard in Magill II, 144] See : Decadence .'' Speaking of stars, you can also catch Valerie Harper and Tony Roberts kicking off the national tour of ``The Tale of the Allergist's Wife'' at the Ahmanson and Hilary Swank in the L.A. Theatre Works radio version of ``The Credeaux Canvas'' at the Skirball Cultural Center  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . . Perhaps most intriguing is the opening of ``The Guys,'' Anne Nelson's two-character post-9/11 drama about a firefighter who has lost men and the editor who helps him write eulogies. The first cast at the Actors Gang engagement, beginning July 10, will be Helen Hunt and Tim Robbins. Opening at local theaters: Today ``Proof,'' David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a mathematician's daughter. Wilshire Theater, through June 16. ``Solos in Harmony VI: Faith, Hope & Clarity,'' Blue Sphere Alliance at the Lex See yacc. 1. (tool) Lex - A lexical analyser generator for Unix and its input language. There is a GNU version called flex and a version written in, and outputting, SML/NJ called ML-lex. , through July 10. Wednesday ``Jump Kiss: An Indian Legend,'' Autry Museum of Western Heritage, through June 23. ``The World Goes Round,'' East West Players, through June 30. Thursday ``Mandy's Yearbook,'' Met, through July 13. ``Tennessee in the Summer,'' Laurelgrove Theater, through July 27. Blank Theatre Company's Young Playwrights Festival, through June 30. Friday ``The Life of the Land,'' Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, through Sunday. ``Murdering Marlowe,'' Malibu Stage Company, indefinitely. ``King o' the Moon,'' La Mirada Theatre, through June 23. ``Epic Proportions,'' West Coast Ensemble, through July 28. ``She Stoops to Conquer She Stoops to Conquer is a romance by the Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in 1773. The play is a great favourite for study by English literature classes in Britain. ,'' Pasadena Shakespeare Company, through July 14. ``Uncle Vanya,'' Pacific Resident Theatre, featuring Orson Bean, through June 30. ``Fat Chance,'' Blue Sphere Alliance at the Lex, through July 6. ``Beirut,'' Theatre/Theater, through July 27. ``Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies,'' Zoo Theatre, through July 14. ``The Winter's Tale,'' Knightsbridge Theatre, Pasadena, through July 7. Saturday ``The Cherry Orchard,'' featuring Alfred Molina and Stephanie Zimbalist. Circus Theatricals at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, through July 28. June 12 ``Orson's Shadow,'' L.A. Theatre Works at Skirball Cultural Center, through June 16. June 13 ``Stranger,'' Theatre/Theater, through July 20. ``Voice of the Hero,'' Flight Theatre, through July 21. June 14 ``The Farce of Quixote,'' part of the International Hispanic Theatre Festival, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, through June 16. ``The Madness of Esme and Shaz,'' Celebration Theatre, through July 21. ``Napoli Milionaria,'' Road Theatre Company, through Aug. 24. Third Annual Directors Festival, Open Fist Theater, indefinitely. ``The Poseidon Adventure,'' Tamarind tamarind (tăm`ərĭnd), tropical ornamental evergreen tree (Tamarindus indica) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), native to Africa and probably to Asia, but now widely grown in the tropics. Theatre, through Aug. 3. ``Where Do Babies Come From?,'' Elephant Theatre, through July 20. ``King Lear,'' all-female version, presented by the Center for New Theater at Cal Arts, Brewery Arts Complex, through June 23. ``Titus Tartar,'' City Garage, through July 21. June 15 ``Follies,'' Reprise! at the Wadsworth. Featuring Patty Duke, Vikki Carr, Harry Groener, Bob Gunton and Donna McKechnie. ``Leviathan leviathan (lēvī`əthən), in the Bible, aquatic monster, presumably the crocodile, the whale, or a dragon. It was a symbol of evil to be ultimately defeated by the power of good. '99,'' Ray Bradbury relocates ``Moby-Dick'' to outer space. Raven Playhouse, through June 30. ``Lifting Cherry and G,'' Elephant Studio, through July 21. ``Jane Eyre,'' California Artists Radio Theatre, at Beverly Garland Hotel. June 16 ``Cantinflas,'' Bilingual Foundation of the Arts Readers Theatre, through June 18. June 18 ``Mira'm,'' part of the International Hispanic Theatre Festival, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, through June 20. ``Your Mother's Butt and Other Acts of Inspiration,'' West Coast Ensemble, through July 17. ``The Ivan Project,'' MET Theatre, through July 24. ``Cats,'' Wilshire Theater, through June 23. June 19 ``Oscar and Felix: A New Look at the Odd Couple,'' John Larroquette and Joe Regalbuto star, Geffen Playhouse, through July 21. June 20 ``All Hallows Eve,'' Highways Gallery and Performance Space, through June 23. June 21 ``Carousel,'' Morgan-Wixon Theater, through Aug. 11. ``Master Harold ... and the Boys,'' International City Theatre, through July 14. ``Gumsimao,'' Playwrights Arena, through July 21. June 22 A.S.K. Theater Projects eighth annual Common Ground Festival, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX North campus, through June 23. ``The Lonesome lone·some adj. 1. a. Dejected because of a lack of companionship. See Synonyms at alone. b. Producing such dejection: a lonesome hour at the bar. 2. West,'' Celtic Arts Center, through July 28. ``Crossings,'' Cornerstone Theater Company Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, examines the journeys of Catholic immigrants as part of the company's Faith-Based Cycle, St. Vibiana's Church, through July 7. June 26 ``The Tale of the Allergist's Wife,'' Valerie Harper, Tony Roberts and Michele Lee star in Charles Busch's comedy, Ahmanson Theater, through Aug. 11. ``The Credeaux Canvas,'' L.A. Theatre Works at Skirball Cultural Center. Play by Keith Bunin features Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe, through June 30. June 28 ``The Tempest,'' Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival at California Lutheran University Mission statement The University's mission statement is as follows: "California Lutheran University is a diverse, scholarly community dedicated to excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. , through July 21. ``The Waverly Gallery,'' drama by Kenneth Longergan, directed by Bruno Kirby, Pasadena Playhouse, through Aug. 11. ``Three Grooms and a Bride,'' Coast Playhouse, through Aug. 4. ``Noise,'' Armory Northwest. June 29 ``Animal Farm,'' George Orwell's novel adapted by Peter Hall, Theatricum Botanicum, through Sept. 29. ``The Wood Demon,'' Arroyo Repertory Theatre, through Aug. 3. June 30 ``Lament for the Moths: The Lost Poems of Tennessee Williams,'' Laurelgrove Theatre, through Aug. 18. July 5 ``Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers die as teenagers. [Br. Lit.: Romeo and Juliet] See : Death, Premature Romeo and Juliet archetypal star-crossed lovers. [Br. Lit. ,'' Shakespeare Festival/LA, at Pershing Square through July 20, at South Coast Botanic Garden The South Coast Botanic Garden is a 352,000 square metre (87 acre) garden in Palos Verdes, California, USA, about 16 km (10 miles) south of Los Angeles International Airport. , July 25-Aug. 4. July 7 ``The Toynbee Convector convector: see heating. ,'' California Artists Radio Theatre at the Beverly Garland Hotel. July 9 ``South Pacific,'' featuring Robert Goulet, Wilshire Theater, through July 21. July 10 ``The Guys,'' revolving cast, two-character drama about post-9/11 firefighters. The first cast will feature Tim Robbins and Helen Hunt. Actors Gang, through July 28. July 11 ``Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. First published in 1600, it was likely first performed in the winter of 1598-1599,[1] and it remains one of Shakespeare's most enduring plays on stage. ,'' Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival at California Lutheran University, through Aug. 4. ``Doctor Chi,'' Highways, through July 14. July 12 ``Ray Bradbury: Past, Present and Future,'' Court Theatre, through Aug. 12. July 13 ``Don't Dress for Dinner,'' Eclectic Company Theatre, through Aug. 18. ``A World I Never Made,'' Third Stage, through Aug. 18. July 14 ``Stories After Dark,'' dramatic stories written and read by Los Angeles writers, Skirball Cultural Center. July 18 ``Macbeth,'' Sacred Fools Theater, through Aug. 24. ``Goose & Tomtom,'' Garage Theatre Co., Edison Theatre, through Aug. 11. July 19 ``Laura Comstock's Bag-Punching Dog,'' Circle X Theatre Co., through Sept. 29. ``Parallel Lives,'' Edison Theatre, through Aug. 10. ``Suburbia,'' Sanford Meisner Center for the Arts, through Aug. 25. ``Live From New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of ,'' 3rd Street Theater, through Aug. 25. July 23 ``Cirque Piqnique,'' Sacred Fools Theater, through Aug. 21. July 25 ``The House of Bernarda Alba,'' Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a small thrust stage with 745 seats at the Los Angeles Music Center built by Welton Beckett and Associates. It has presented innovative plays since 1967. The world premiere of Angels In America was produced here. , through Sept. 1. July 26 ``Peter Pan,'' Cabrillo Music Theatre at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza is a performing arts and administrative center located in Thousand Oaks, California. It was built in 1994 on the former site of "Jungleland" at a cost of $63.8 million. , through Aug. 4. July 27 ``Someone Waiting,'' Theatre 40, through Sept. 16. ``The Madwoman of Chaillot Madwoman of Chaillot delightfully pixilated old woman manages to exploit the Parisian exploiters. [Fr. Lit.: The Madwoman of Chaillot, Benét, 618] See : Eccentricity ,'' Theatricum Botanicum, through Oct. 19. ``California Scenarios,'' Noguchi Sculpture Gardens, through Aug. 4. ``Communicating Doors,'', Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, through Sept. 15. July 30 ``Jackie Mason: Much Ado About Everything,'' Wilshire Theatre, through Aug. 4. July 31 Marcel Marceau, Geffen Playhouse, through Aug. 8. Aug. 2 ``Inside Out,'' West Valley Playhouse, through Sept. 1. Aug. 4 ``The Music Man,'' featuring Eric McCormack and Kristin Chenoweth, Hollywood Bowl. Aug. 5 ``Collected Stories,'' Theatre 40, through Sept. 4. Aug. 9 ``True West,'' Santa Clarita Repertory Theatre, through Sept. 7. Aug. 10 ``You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown This article is about the stage musical. For the 1985 animated television adaptation, see You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (TV special). You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ,'' Colony Theatre Company, through Sept. 8. Aug. 17 ``Reunion'' Chautauqua Chau`tau´qua 1. a meeting, usually held in the summer outdoors or under a temporary tent, providing public lectures combined with entertainment such as concerts and plays. It originated in the village of Chautauqua, N. Y. Theatre Alliance at Egyptian Arena Theatre, through Sept. 22. Aug. 23 ``Fedunn'' Murray Mednick drama, Odyssey Theatre, through Sept. 25. ``Grasmere,'' Chautauqua Theatre Alliance at Egyptian Arena Theatre, through Sept. 22. Aug. 30 ``Blue,'' featuring Phylicia Rashad. Pasadena Playhouse, through Oct. 13. Sept. 2 ``A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' Theatricum Botanicum, through Oct. 20. CAPTION(S): 7 photos Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Phylicia Rashad in ``Blue,'' opening Aug. 30 at the Pasadena Playhouse. (2 -- cover -- color) Fran Bennett in ``King Lear,'' opening July 20 at the Brewery Arts Complex. (3 -- cover -- color) Stephen Kunken, Tasha Lawrence, center, and Chelsea Atlman in ``Proof,'' today through June 16 at the Wilshire Theater. (4 -- cover -- color) Tony Roberts, Valerie Harper, center and Michele Lee in ``The Tale of the Allergist's Wife,'' opening June 26 at the Ahmanson Theatre. (5) Alfred Molina and Jill Guscoine in ``The Cherry Orchard'' at Circus Theatricals, opening Saturday. (6) Mary Lou Rosato, left, Marissa Chibas, Fran Bennett and Joan Macintosh in ``King Lear'' at Brewery Arts Complex, June 14. (7) Phylicia Rashad in ``Blue,'' at the Pasadena Playhouse, Aug. 30. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion