‘Awake and Sing!’: Still Going Strong by M.R. Hunter

It has been 80 years since the Group Theatre premiered Clifford Odets' first full-length play, 'Awake and Sing!,' a family drama set in a Bronx apartment during the Great Depression. The critical success in 1935 bolstered both the playwright and the company's reputation for creating socially conscious, character driven works under the then nouveau Stanislavski method of acting. Although the Group Theatre lasted only a decade and later Odets would eventually stand trial at the HCUA (House Committee on Un-American Activities) for joining the Communist party, tarnishing his standing among Hollywood's elite, (many of these former members of the Group Theatre), Odets' 'Awake and Sing!' has remained in the repertoire of great American plays.

In Los Angeles, another milestone has passed, and with it, a revival of not only Odets' gripping tragicomedy, but of director Elina de Santos and many of the original cast members themselves in the 20^th anniversary of the smash hit production at the Odyssey. From this original staging two artists stood out, cementing their own reputations in L.A.: de Santos and Marilyn Fox, esteemed actress and Artistic Director of Pacific Coast Repertory in Venice. It seems for anyone with the right vision and chutzpah, Odets, (buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale), is a career-maker all these years later....

Dramatizing History: “The Princes of Kings Road” by M.R. Hunter

Much of history leads one to the invariable musings of what ifs—a queried playground for writers to slip and slide down in its endless jungle gym of imaginings. This is no easy feat. Writers tend to magnify contexts, characters and relationships in order to best tell their story, sometimes, regardless of its truthfulness. But too little embellishment leads to didacticism.

Screenwriter and TV writer Tom Lazarus tackles a rare gem of L.A. lore between a pair of architectural giants, Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra, whose contributions can still be seen throughout the city, their modernist preeminence peeking out among the mishmash of stucco, siding, or gabled gaffes, let alone the industrial heave of 1970s featureless utilitarianism. Rising to prominence, both men were born and educated within miles of each other in Vienna, before coming to America—Schindler working under the famed Frank Lloyd Wright, and Neutra invited by his then friend Schindler to join him and his wife in their new home on Kings Road in West Hollywood. Both became naturalized citizens, and both took Los Angeles by storm with their forward-thinking structures created with both function and aesthetics to work in harmony...

Summertime Sensation: “To Kill a Mockingbird” at Theatricum Botanicum by M.R. Hunter

Summer is the season of Scout. In the "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama, a six-year old girl in overalls chases after her older brother Jem, while their widowed father Atticus Finch valiantly defends Tom Robinson, a black man charged with the rape of a young, white woman. On July 11, 1960, Harper Lee's novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird" was published, earning a Pulitzer Prize for its Southern Gothic style, and vivid characters caught in a slow boil of prejudices and racism. Two years later, a wider audience followed along with Scout in the film adaptation starring Gregory Peck as Atticus. To this day, the acclaimed solo novel has never been out of print.

It's summer, 55 years after the initial publication of "To Kill a Mockingbird." On July, 14, 2015, Harper Lee's much-anticipated sequel will undoubtedly fly off the bookshelves by eager readers, following this time, an adult Scout returning to her small town to make peace with her childhood through the differing eyes of maturity and a country in the zenith of the civil rights movement.

This season, Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum brings the beloved characters of Scout (Lily Andrew) and Atticus (Richard Tyson) to the stage. It is only providence that this play adaptation happens to coincide with the timely publication of Ms. Lee's sequel as the play was selected before the release of this literary jaw-dropping news. It is also providence, (albeit a far uglier one), that our country is still very much divided on issues of race, justice and civil rights both mortally and ethically. Lee's novel was slightly ahead of its time, and may have contributed to the growing awareness in America regarding segregation, racism and the results of these...

The World’s a Stage at Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga by M.R. Hunter

If all the world's a stage, then Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum must be a sliver of utopia. Nestled in the verdant canyons of Topanga, the outdoor theater run by three generations of Will Geer's immediate family members has been offering a respite from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune for over 40 years. Their annual repertory season includes the fan-favorite "A Midsummer Night's Dream" along with another of Shakespeare's plays and staged classics as well as contemporary plays and experimental work in their 99-seat intimate stage area, all surrounded by trees, gardens and a sense of otherworldliness by its natural environs.

“Recorded in Hollywood” Spotlights L.A. Music History by M.R. Hunter

In 1948, John Dolphin, a black businessman from Detroit, relocated to Los Angeles and made music history when he opened a record store on Vernon near Central Avenue called "Dolphin's of Hollywood." Unable to procure a space in Hollywood due to racism, Dolphin, also known by the nickname "Lovin' John," decided to bring Hollywood to South Los Angeles. What he accomplished before his murder in 1958 was more than just selling records, he became a major influence in the transitional period of rock n' roll and R & B, creating his own labels and introducing a hungry generation to artists like Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Little Richard, James Brown, B.B. King and Tina Turner among many others.

Dia de los Muertos Comes to Life at 24th STreet Theatre by M.R. Hunter

For well over a decade, Debbie Devine and her husband, Jay McAdams of 24^th STreet Theatre have been making the Day of the Dead come to life at their theater. Located Downtown, near USC, just off the 10-Freeway, Dia de los Muertos is one of their annual events that literally stops traffic with its free block party featuring live music with this year being headlined by Louie Cruz Beltran and his Latin Jazz Orchestra. While the theater is open to the public, the main attractions are in the parking lot across the street with food vendors, face painting in the traditional calaveras makeup, (black-ringed eyes set in a white face), and arts and crafts featuring bright flowers (luminarias) and painted sugar skulls.

One of the most popular activities is the graveyard where visitors can paint on a cross to memorialize loved ones. Meeting McAdams in preparation for this event, he described how the community comes together in this special day of remembrance. He recalled one year in particular when he saw a couple sit down beside gang members working on a cross of their own. The couple painted a memorial to their child while the gang members made a tribute to their friend who had been shot earlier that year. Neither party disturbed the other. McAdams says both were able to share and experience their grief in a creative but respectful way. The graveyard becomes a colorful backdrop to the festivities and is a favorite of the event.

Artistic Director, Devine realized there was a need for this holiday to be observed in their neighborhood when as she was striking a set on Oct. 31, she saw how much the streets came to life. At first, 24^th STreet Theatre recognized Halloween with the traditional spooky psychics, candy and costumes until she realized the holiday that needed to being recognized was actually Dia de los Muertos, and soon a tradition at the theater was born. All these years later, families from all over the area come to celebrate and take part in the free festivities which keeps growing and drawing a bigger crowd and notable performers each year.

Make Dia de los Muertos extra memorable by being a part of a tradition at 24^th STreet Theatre.

Sunday, Nov. 2 from 6 – 10 p.m.
24th STreet Theatre
1117 West 24th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 745-6516 or www.24thstreet.org
Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/24thST
Follow us on Twitter: @24thST
Hashtag: #24thDDLM
ADMISSION: FREE

“Visionary Man”: A Soulful Tribute at the Hudson by M.R. Hunter

The name J.B. Murray probably doesn't ring any bells of recognition. Born in 1908, Murray was a tenant farmer raising eleven children in a small town in Georgia and like most people of color in the area, could not read or write. At age 70, however, he experienced a vision from God which instructed him to paint, and create what was called "spirit-script," a wild scribbling he deciphered through a glass of well water, in effect making it holy. This otherwise simple man with no formal training, connections or money would become a respected American folk hero with his art work shown across the country. He died in 1988 having become a significant artist.

It's an impressive biography for a man who preferred to live without electricity in a shack. The world premiere musical at the Hudson adds color and life to J.B. Murray with a soulful libretto supported by a somewhat uneven but passionate cast. The story itself is worth seeing and themes of faith, persistence, hope and serendipity unfold quite lovingly and believably.

“The Way You Look Tonight” is a Ménage of Laughs by M.R. Hunter

Emmy Award-winning writer Peter Lefcourt's world premiere stirs up romantic relations between a pair of divorcees rekindling their passions, much to the surprise of themselves and their oblivious partners. Light-hearted, sometimes saucy and farcical, the humor doesn't always manage to override the unbelievable plot twists, but most of the pleasure is in the ride itself.

Imaginatively directed by Terri Hanauer, this quatuor or unlikely foursome accompanied by a narrator, "call him Ishmael," are a contrast of opposites, which of course lends to the comedy. The characters come with enough baggage to illicit a few good chuckles based solely on their caricature qualities one finds in successful sitcoms. Lefcourt takes great pains to setup the wild romp when the exes agree to a dinner while showing off their newly minted arm candy trophies.

Long Live the Queen: Ellen Geer as “Lear” by M.R. Hunter

Shakespeare's women are not shy about donning on a codpiece when necessary, but gender-reversals can bode uneasy misgivings and critical doubt from the outset as to how successful the sex-switcheroo might pan out. The title character of King Lear is not one so easily redressed given the patriarchal overtures and the blustery folly of a man steeped in ego and arrogance.

Having seen both Harry Groener and Dakin Matthews in the preeminent Antaeus production 4 years ago, I was a bit skeptical about this version starring the incomparable Ellen Geer as Lear. I didn't go charging up the hill to see it on opening weekend. It took awhile to mull the idea over. Queen Lear? I'm no purist, yet whenever gender trumps the integrity of a story, let alone a title character, it's been my experience that usually the idea is about provocation rather than insight.

I was wrong.

Theater the Way It Should Be: “The Brothers Size” at the Fountain Theatre by M.R. Hunter

Following last year's widely acclaimed "In the Red and Brown Water," the second installment of Tarell Alvin McCraney's "Brother/Sister Plays" trilogy at the Fountain is impactful and stunning. One does not need to have seen the first play as each is a standalone piece relating to the themes of African Yoruba mythology, interpersonal relations, struggle, locale and McCraney's signature style of vocalizing the stage directions as a reminder that THIS is a theatrical art form.

And it is definitively theater—not pseudo-theater plaguing many underwritten, uninspired or creatively hesitant new plays as of late. McCraney's stories work on the stage because he writes FOR the stage instead of the other way around. From the melodic dialogue with its poetic underpinnings, mythological symbolism, multilayered characters filled with pathos, hubris and complexity, "The Brothers Size" is one of those rare gems of contemporary playwrighting that gives hope to the future of the craft. Being able to tell a story is a privilege most people enjoy. The art of storytelling however is a very exclusive ability and when it unfolds in such a way to leave one breathless and clamoring for more, then a certain respect must be paid to its talent.

McCraney infuses his work with folklore from Yoruba, located in southwestern Nigeria which made its way to the southern states of the U.S. This play is set in the rural Louisiana bayou in elder brother Ogun Henri Size's home and his auto shop. Younger brother, Oshoosi has just come home after being paroled from jail, struggling to adapt to his newfound freedom. Elegba, Oshoosi's friend infiltrates the tenuous relationship with his own secret agendas only Ogun can sense as he watches his brother fall into a seduction of good vs. evil, inevitably setting him free.

“The Human Spirit” at the Odyssey Has A Lot of Heart by M.R. Hunter

Nelson Mandela's death earlier this year elicited a worldwide outpouring of genuine admiration for a revolutionary but peaceful leader who after being imprisoned for 27 years, went on to become the first president of South Africa and championed tirelessly for a transition from a racially divided apartheid country to one working for progressive change. For all that Mandela was able to achieve, the roots of prejudice, fear, hate and political corruption are still ever present in the embittered colonized African countries. While it may seem another world away, the people still struggling to mend the fences and bloodshed after half a century of tyranny continues to affect us all.

This is Carole Eglash-Kosoff's primary mission with her play "The Human Spirit" based on her nonfiction book published in 2010 recounting the unlikely heroes of four women who banded together to make a difference in the community. These women nicknamed the "Mamas" comprised of two segregated locals (the charming Allison Reeves and exquisite singer Rea Segoati), a South African nun (Zuri Alexander) and a white Jewish sympathizer (Lisa Dobbyn). They invited great risk to ensure medication, basic essentials and food reached those who were in most desperate need of them and due to apartheid, were the ones least able to have access. Their journey and refusal to acquiesce under pressure, imprisonment and physical harm captures the enduring strength of compassion and fearlessness in the worst of times.

LACMA's World of Color – Expressionism, Mobiles, California, Futbol, and the Metropolis by M.R. Hunter

Bringing together some of the greatest painters of the early 20^th century from Bonnard, Cézanne, Gauguin, Marc, Matisse to lesser notable names as Cuno Amiet, Heinrich Campendonk, and Edouard Vuillard along with a smattering of rare pieces by van Gogh into its recent exhibit running through September 14, one can see the fluidity of the expressionist movement and how it related from the work itself to the artists themselves in an open dialogue.

“Backyard” Isn’t For Pussies at Atwater Village Theater by M.R. Hunter

Let me open with a disclaimer: this show has copious amounts of violent and graphic situations, sex and comedy. In short, it's a real winner for those who have a high tolerance for gore. For sensitive audiences who can't stand the sight of blood, self-inflicted pain, or oral copulation, I recommend you see something else. "Backyard" isn't for pussies. That being said upfront, I will now tender my review to everyone who, like me, enjoys a theatrical brawl, KO style.

Mickey Birnbaum's examination of backyard wrestling has less to do with the realities of this teenage pastime and instead uses the topic as a symbol of society's penchant for anger, disillusionment and peacocking. In a lower middle class suburb on the border of Mexico near San Diego, a family "earns their blood" when they practice and stage a recorded wrestling match complete with ridiculous characters: The Destroyer, King of Tears, Hellgirl, The Traveler, The Mantis, and Komodo Dragon. The premise sounds a bit shaky and at times the storyline wanes from the absurd to the gratuitous to the downright silly but Birnbaum manages to always up the ante just when it seems nothing more could possibly be explored in this serrated cut vein dramedy.

In lesser hands, the script would still entertain but it could pose as a dangerous enterprise for any less capable theater company or actor lacking health insurance. The toll and demand on the ensemble is extraordinarily high as they whip around, belly flop, whack, kick, and pummel and grapple each other on a padded floor or the occasional pinball ricochet against a mattress. There are moments when the choreography hugs dangerously close to being too real but this cast proves sturdy and flexible enough to take the blows like champions. This alone is almost worth the price of admission, but the jaw-dropping humor and colorful characters combined gives this play real heft beyond shock value alone. Is it shocking? Oh, yes, and exhilarating.

“Gruesome Playground Injuries” is a Hard Pill to Swallow by M.R. Hunter

Rajiv Joseph's dark romantic comedy is a typical boy meets girl story with a twist: every defining moment boy spends with girl is marked by his injuries requiring trips to the school nurse's office, later a hospital, until he ends up incapable of bringing on more self-harm. The relationship that spans 30 years between them is as gauzy as bandages, wobbly as crutches, consistent as an IV drip and as constrictive as a wheelchair. They connect on the physical plane of pain and act as salves to their emotional hurts brought on by their choices and by each other.

It's an interesting concept but the lack of verisimilitude in the artificial setup undermines this grisly courtship with heavy-handed symbolism and an unsatisfying lack of resolve or epiphany. Further exacerbating the superficial appeal is the playwright's inscrutable demand of setting up scenes in a non-sequential order. The injuries, primarily inflicted by the white knight's brave but foolish boyhood antics such as jumping off the school roof on his bike or lighting firecrackers too close to his face are uncomfortably juxtaposed by mortal accidents like being struck by lightning.

This irony is lost in the tenuous cohesion of a timeline connecting these incidents by etching an age and a theme onto a small chalkboard. Towards the final two scenes, Joseph is forced by his own hand to collapse the chronology into a final conclusion riddled by query, vague sentiments and a lack of closure both for the characters point of view and the audience. It is frustrating because there is a lot of promise to the premise too orchestrated perhaps to escape its conceit.

“Pray to Ball” Makes a Bank Shot at the Skylight Theatre by M.R. Hunter

It isn't often when sports are realistically performed onstage. Spatial limitations along with unpredictable physical coordination generally rules out taking such dramatic risks, but Amir Abdullah's rousing play successfully incorporates the game of basketball into its enlightening drama concerning a friendship tested when one coverts to Islam.

The risky endeavors in terms of the subject matter and required athletic improvisation combined make for a rewarding payoff and an engaging storyline about two rising star NCAA players at University of Miami, Lou (Abdullah) and Hakeem (Y'Lan Noel) who seem to have the world by the tail. As they are surrounded by fans, groupie girls, and potential professional offers, the duo revel in their instant stardom until an unexpected loss forces Hakeem to reexamine his life and beliefs. A flyer inviting him to the Muslim Student Association sparks his interest and newfound discovery in Islam.

Lou rejects and undermines his best friend's efforts as Hakeem's budding faith grows under the guidance of an on-campus counselor and his Muslim tutor, Tamana (Ulka Simone Mohanty). The tension leads to frustrations both on and off the court, heated exchanges and seemingly impossible reconciliation as the men drift further apart until a career-changing accident takes one of them out for the season.

Go! National Theatre Live Screenings at L.A. Theatre Works by M.R. Hunter

Whether you're a theater lover or not, National Theatre in London reliably mounts the best productions in the world bar none. Unless you're flitting across the pond a few times a year, the chances of witnessing these outstanding, ground-breaking shows are slim. The NT productions are the kind of quality we can learn and be inspired from as artists regardless of our discipline. Unfortunately, some folks are reticent about attending a "screening." Theater purists for a lack of better word, reject the idea that a screening can be just as good as watching something live. Let me assure anyone with these misgivings of their error. It is as good and the cinematic quality put into these screenings allows even further appreciation, not less of both art forms (theater and film). These stagings will NOT be touring in the U.S. so there isn't much in the way of opportunity to see these shows unless you go to the screening (which is limited in its run and venues across the country).

“Fat Pig” is a Safe but Fair Revival at the Hudson Mainstage by M.R. Hunter

There's been an uptick in revivals for Neil LaBute's plays what with last year's L.A. Theatre Works' staging of "Reasons to Be Pretty" followed by the sequel "Reasons to Be Happy." "Fat Pig" now playing at the Hudson is a slightly tweaked version from its 2007 Los Angeles premiere at the Geffen Playhouse but in the intimate space the play still holds up, edited or not, and typifies the playwright's keen if not brutal insight into current sociological attitudes and conflicting mores.

The interest in LaBute most likely stems from his appalling yet accurate portrayal of Gen X'ers trying to maintain an uneasy balance between vapidity and a modern-age pragmatism that circumvents attachment and feeling in the quest for personal freedom, happiness or simply gain. Unlike some of his other works which takes an almost cynical tone amid a sparring showdown, "Fat Pig" is at its heart a tender love story wrought by outside influences and societal judgment.

Calling All Playwrights! Skylight Theatre Offers a Home for New Voices to Shine by M.R. Hunter

Like any art, theater is in a constant state of evolution. It enjoyed preeminence before the talkies appeared a century ago. Everything changes. Newspapers struggle against the internet, critics who once wrote essays and books on the state of theater let alone verbose reviews are reduced to a mere doubling of Twitter-sized word counts and a diminishing of their importance. Actors are not so nearly eager to dive into a six-week run at the expense of a better paying gig. The trickledown effect has been enormous and palpable. One role has remained the same, the playwright. Without him/her, there is no show excepting improvisation. Yet, much in how theater has been indelibly altered by technology and dwindling, less-than-captive audiences, so too has the playwright suffered the slings and arrows of theater's hegemony by lack of accessibility.  

For a playwright to find a foothold between his/her script and the stage door one has to crack the door, or in this case, a window to let opportunity and development shine its way through.  Artistic Director Gary Grossman of the Skylight Theatre Company (previously known as Katselas) is determined to offer a place for playwrights to experiment, hone, fail or succeed. Having produced over 300 plays and over 50 world premieres, Grossman is fearless in his conviction: emerging playwrights are the future of theater. Finding and developing raw talent is his goal. It is a lofty mission in the face of flagging audiences, competing revivals (where everyone knows at least the play is good) and word of mouth. In a city rife with writers like Los Angeles, the demand is great but the supply, up until the company's rebranded vision, has been poor with few options beyond the Fringe Festival or workshops. A playwright haven is an oasis.

"Recall" Needs a Recall by M.R. Hunter

The theater can rise up to meet almost any genre, but the realm of science fiction, no matter how psychological, is a difficult milieu to navigate. The Visceral Company rises to the challenges of Eliza Clark’s derivative, barely entertaining script with creative flourishes in its set, solid performances from some of the ensemble and a sensibility for the visual and suspenseful.

Unfortunately, director Dan Spurgeon and set designer Chris Bell can’t save a faulty play by a writer with a smattering of TV credits and too many positive reviews that are frankly undeserved.

Why? The play doesn’t offer anything new. It’s a cross-haired attempt at pre-cog recognition ala “1984,” “Minority Report” and similar storylines in both the sci-fi and horror genre. Fans of these tropes might enjoy seeing a play with valid quality elements as opposed to a blockbuster movie or Netflix night in but that’s about the most one can say in the positive realm of this play.

Not a Typical One-Man Show: Pat Kinevane in "Forgotten" by M.R. Hunter

One-person shows can seem a lot like enduring a 90 minute therapy session…only the audience isn’t the one getting paid for their time. At best, the performer may entertain, enlighten or stimulate thought like any other production, but in the worst of scenarios, there’s more navel-gazing, ego-stroking and basking in the glorious limelight of someone’s own scripted biography.

Irish actor Pat Kinevane is none of the latter and better than the former. He’s the real deal both as an artist, a writer and an activist using the stage to broach conversation about the unspoken. His two plays “Forgotten” and “Silent” running in a limited three-week engagement at the Odyssey Theatre touch on the absurdity of life, loss, aging and loneliness—in effect, humanity.

I had the privilege to interview Kinevane for EyeSpyLA during his “Forgotten” run in 2011 (Read interview HERE). His concerns for the elderly, lack of support as well as the psychological and emotional toil pivoted between his contemplative observations, frustration and witty candor. Much like his personality, “Forgotten” which follows the lives of four seniors in a nursing home is keenly astute and literarily sublime, but brimming with dollops of humor as he engages and flirts with the audience.