After a very dry summer for quality theater offerings in Los Angeles, I am happy to report that there a number of outstanding shows are now playing on our local stages, each of which I highly recommend
Now playing at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City is "CLAY," a one person hip hop musical that began its theatrical life in Chicago. "Clay" is written and performed by the enormously talented Matt Sax, who gives a multi-faceted performance that harbors well for his future as a performer. One person shows commonly leave me cold and disappointed because the form usually lacks a sense of real theatricality. Such is not the case here, as Matt Sax creates a fully realized musical play - he simply plays all of the roles. It takes some time for this show to get moving, but I am convinced that is intentional. By the end of the show you are left both musically and emotionally rewarded. Unless you have a total aversion to the hip-hop musical form, I highly recommend that you catch this show now, before it and its talented writer/performer leave town with this exceptional work. You can catch "CLAY" through October 14.
Fresh and unconventional theater is also to be found at UCLA Freud Playhouse until October 14 in the form of the National Theatre of Scotland's offering of "BLACK WATCH," which is part of the new season of UCLA Live Peformance Series. Prior to seeing this show, I have never seen a depiction of war on stage that has worked for me as theater, so I did not expect much from this show. Instead, this play about the Scottish Black Watch military crew's actions in Iraq offers an insightful and probing look at violence, the military mentality and the folly that is the current war in Iraq. This is a loud and very physical show, but those attributes help establish the right mood and setting for this work. The cast imported from the UK is solid, with a particularly exciting performance by Emun Elliot as Fraz. Catch this show before it travels to its next stop in New York City.
More traditional in form, the West Coast premier of another Chicago-originated play entited "AND NEITHER HAVE I WINGS TO FLY" is now playing through November at the Road Theatre Company in NoHo's Lankershim Arts Center. I saw and fell in love with this wonderful play a few years back at the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. I believe there were hopes that this play would be taken to Broadway (or at least off-Broadaway) from Chicago, but much to my dismay, that never came to fruition. No matter. This is a fine play that is as good as or better than any drama currently playing in New York. I am also happy to report that the Road Theatre production is top-notch, and brings this stirring drama to life. A special treat is to see the playwright, Ann Noble, playing the lead role of Eveline; she infuses her poetic language with a multi-layered nuanced performance. The setting is a family home in County Dublin, Ireland in the 1950's, and by the end of the evening you will feel as though you are a part of the family depicted in the show. The sets, direction and acting are all of the highest quality and do justice to this solid drama. A few years back, the Road Theater presented an outstanding production of another play by Ms. Noble entitled "The Pagans." It is heartening to reoprt that this play and production is even better,
But that is not all folks. There are even more riches to be found in our local theaters right now. The East West Players production of Julia Cho's "DURANGO," can be seen at this Company's Little Tokyo theater through October 14. Like, "And Neither Have I Wings To Fly", this show provides a family drama that is touching, sincere and presented in a sensitive production that touches the mind and heart. A family road trip provides the setting for reflection, revelation of secrets and conflict that ring true. I was impressed with Ms. Cho's "Piano Teacher" earlier this year at South Coast Rep, but "Durango" is a work of even greater depth. Playing the sons that try to live up to the lofty demands of their Korean-born father, actors Jin Suh and Ryan Cusino give outstanding performaces that capture a brothers' relationship with each other, and with their father, that is painful and real.
I cannot remember any recent time in which there was much high quaity theater playing simultaneously in the LA area. I would recommend any of the above four shows without reservation. Lest you think that my ability to provide negative criticism has fallen by the wayside, I can also tell you that unless you are a masochist, you would do well to avoid the Geffen Playhouse's miscast and insipid "THIRD" by Wendy Wasserstein, and South Coast Rep's lame, limp and misdirected production of "A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC." But these theatrical misfires cannot dim the brilliance of the above mentioned shows that deserve your time and attention, both of which will be highly rewarded.
