Jeff Alan-Lee

A Young Actor Prepares provides young actors a very fun and insightful introduction to Stanislavski's complex emotional work. It is a great resource for both professional actors and educators alike. This non-fiction work provides a dramatic rendering of acting classes for both kids and teens.

The world premiere of playwright Yusuf Toropov's AN UNDIVIDED HEART receives a stunning mounting by The Echo Theater Company and Circle X Theatre Co. Director Chris Fields sure-handedly guides his talented cast through the involving story of a passionate young priest striving to do the right thing. In this case, publish an expose on the pedophilia prevalent in the Catholic church.

How far will powerful men and institutions go to keep their secrets - and who pays the price when they do? Echo Theater Company and Circle X Theatre Co. join forces to present the world premiere of An Undivided Heart by Yusuf Toropov, directed by Chris Fields and running March 16 through April 22 at Atwater Village Theatre. Two pay-what-you-want previews take place on March 14 and March 15.

EDWARD ALBEE'S AT HOME AT THE ZOO combines Albee's groundbreaking 1959 short play The Zoo Story with his acclaimed prequel Homelife, written in 2004. Together these short plays tell a more complete story of publishing executive Peter, his wife Ann, and Jerry, the volatile stranger Peter meets in the park. The production marks the first major Albee production in Los Angeles since the 2016 passing of the legendary American Playwright, with Coy Middlebrook directing a cast that includes deaf and hearing actors working in perfect unison.

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Deaf West Theatre (DWT), the performing arts organizations behind the Tony Award-nominated and Ovation Award-winning revival of Spring Awakening, reunite to bring multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo to life in an innovative and new production. Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo begins previews on March 7 and will open in the Lovelace Studio Theater at The Wallis on Friday, March 10. It will run through March 26. This production is made possible by the generous support of Meeghan and Michael Nemeroff.

The U.S. premiere of The Suitcase has extended through August 25th at Atwater Village Theater. In this darkly surrealistic yet surprisingly humorous drama set somewhere between dreams and reality, one of Poland's foremost contemporary playwrights takes us deep into the hearts of a father and son and asks us to consider what we are responsible for in the wake of enormous national tragedy. Inspired by the true story of Michel Leleu, the son of a French Jew murdered at Auschwitz who recognized his father's suitcase at an exhibition on the Shoah.

Written by one of Poland's foremost contemporary playwrights, THE SUITCASE at first seems to be nothing more than a fluff piece with things such as balloons being popped and silly songs being sung. But it will surprise you when the story takes hold with the rather comical singing Narrator (Jeff Alan-Lee) and Jackleen (Claire Kaplan) sharing the tale of Franswa Jackoh (Vincent Catellanos) who, while in the process of figuring out his life, wanders into a cafe and meets The Poet (Sigute Miller) who in turn guides him to a Holocaust Museum to seek the truth. There he meets a rather miserable Tour Guide (Alexandra Freeman) who begrudgingly points out a suitcase retrieved from one of the German "work camps." Her tune changes when Jackoh realizes the name on the case is that of his own father from whom he was separated during the Holocaust.

As the topic of guns in society becomes more and more prominent during the upcoming election season, Stephen Sondheim's controversial 1990 Off-Broadway and off-beat musical Assassins has increased in its relevancy. Rarely staged today, Assassins is an event that commands attention, and last week, we traveled to the Pico Playhouse in Los Angeles to see their version of the show, which also featured several performers familiar to Ventura County audiences.

Assassins/book by John Weidman; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim/presented by Red Blanket Productions with Punk Monkey Productions at the Pico Playhouse/directed by Dan Fishbach/thru September 27 A word or two before I start this review. In the film Judgement at Nuremberg, Spencer Tracy who plays the judge of the tribunals, states emphatically at the end that in the light of today's changing values, condoning these actions may seem logical, but it is not - or never is - right. Assassination is murder pure and simple. I will never condone it, even though I may understand the circumstances. I may laugh and enjoy Assassins and weigh the killers' motivations, but I will never accept them.

Red Blanket Productions presents the multi-Tony Award-winning musical ASSASSINS with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John Weidman based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. directed by Dan Fishbach, music direction by Anthony Lucca, and choreography by Lili Fuller. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Red Blanket Productions presents the multi-Tony Award-winning musical Assassins with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John Weidman based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. directed by Dan Fishbach, music direction by Anthony Lucca, and choreography by Lili Fuller.

On August 21 Red Blanket Productions will present a rare revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical Assassins at the Pico Playhouse in West LA. Director Dan Fishbach and actor Zachary Lutsky, who plays assassin John Hinckley, recently took time out of their busy schedules to talk about the show. It is particularly relevant this year as we recollect the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. BIOS:

Red Blanket Productions presents the multi-Tony Award-winning musical Assassins with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John Weidman based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. directed by Dan Fishbach, choreography by Lili Fuller, with live orchestral quartet conducted by music director Anthony Lucca.

Red Blanket Productions presents the multi-Tony Award-winning musical Assassins with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John Weidman based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. directed by Dan Fishbach, music direction by Anthony Lucca, and choreography by Lili Fuller.

?This is Banned is a fully immersive evening of ghosts, robots and otherwise dangerous theatre. Set in two worlds hundreds of years apart, this world premiere event written by acclaimed playwright Samantha Macher (To The New Girl, Warbride), is a brutal look at war in a dystopian future, and the haunting of firearm heiress Sarah Winchester. This is Banned is produced by the critically acclaimed A Theatre Connection and SkyPilot Theatre Company.

?This is Banned is a fully immersive evening of ghosts, robots and otherwise dangerous theatre. Set in two worlds hundreds of years apart, this world premiere event written by acclaimed playwright Samantha Macher (To The New Girl, Warbride), is a brutal look at war in a dystopian future, and the haunting of firearm heiress Sarah Winchester. This is Banned is produced by the critically acclaimed A Theatre Connection and SkyPilot Theatre Company.

A Theatre Connection in association with SkyPilot Theatre Company presents the West Coast Premiere of DETECTIVE PARTNER HERO VILLAIN by Brett Neveu. This show is directed by Jonathan Price.

Superhero's and crime noir are smashed together in the West Coast Premiere of Brett Neveu's DETECTIVE PARTNER HERO VILLAIN presented by A Theatre Connection and SkyPilot Theatre Company. As Detective Baker scrambles to find a serial killer, superhero Fantastic Phenomenon doesn't offer his usual help. Baker pursues the clues with help from his partner Warren and super villain Supernova, but is he ready to uncover the truth? A truth that expose's the realities of life and death, and the ultimate consequences of trusting those who tell us to 'keep the faith.' Runs tonight, April 18-May 24, 2014, Fridays and Saturdays 8pm.