KCRW's Opening the Curtain

An American Classic

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:58:33 EDT

"Joe Turner's Come and Gone" at the Taper not only does honor to Mr. Wilson's words and legacy, but gives us a hint at how his plays are going to age and grow.

Breaking Boundaries or Thank God for Repressive Gender Roles

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:25:02 EDT

If you're a fan of the formally daring and witty, you need to see Theatre Movement Bazaar's riff on Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

Sleeping with the Help

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:52:05 EDT

Neil LaBute's adaptation of August Strindberg "Miss Julie" is going to be a tough ticket to get in the Geffen's small space. So, like they say on TV, 'act now.'

Trailer Park Ulysses

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EDT

There's something about "Annapurna," Sharr White's play starring Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman at the Odyssey Theater, that's satisfying like comfort food.

Why?

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:26:27 EDT

Two brothers. Foreign born. They are angry. Maybe at the government. Maybe not. Sounds disturbingly like Boston, right?

Trust the Actor

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:41:42 EDT

Actor Brian Finney's performance in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness at the Actors' Gang shouldn't be missed.

Theater Journalism: Size Matters

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:16:31 EDT

In theater/journalism, size matters!

The Value of Consequences

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:36:14 EDT

"The Nether," Los Angeles playwright Jennifer Haley's world premiere at the Kirk Douglas Theater, is seductive. It's a play about complicated ideas.

Balancing Shaw

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:16:31 EDT

The Antaeus Company makes a valiant effort with their production of "Mrs. Warren's Profession" revealing both the charms and challenges of Shavian style.

Defined by Disability?

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:14:20 EDT

"Tribes" is a complicated play about language, meaning, listening and deafness whose tragedy is one of unrealized promise, of not taking the next step in the conversation.

Horsing Around

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:43:10 EDT

Calling Cavalia's "Odysseo" a horse circus doesn't quite do it justice. Think Cirque du Soleil meets equestrian event.

And Some Things Change...

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:17:08 EDT

While death is the catalyst for the play, at its heart "Walking a Tightrope" is sweet tale of a grandfather trying his best and a little girl growing up.

Showcasing the Dark Side

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:12:13 EDT

Playwright Gary Lennon?s new play, "A Family Thing," at the Echo Theater Company, features people showcasing the dark side of themselves, a sort of wish fulfillment...

The Black Art of Dramaturgy

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:37:42 EDT

It's easy to see what attracted Boston Court Theater to playwright David Wiener's play, "Cassiopeia."

Remembering John

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:18:43 EDT

The company that created "Ganesh versus the Third Reich" is, in their own words, "a company driven by an ensemble of?actors perceived to have intellectual disabilities."

A Company's Growing Pains

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:54:42 EDT

Anthony Byrnes reviews Theatre Movement Bazaar's latest piece, "Track 3," which tackles Chekhov?s "Three Sisters."

Damn Ephemerality!

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:30:55 EDT

Now typically when I talk about the ephemeral quality of theater, it?s
something I?m celebrating. It?s part of what makes theater so magical
and essential. Theater can?t be repackaged in a ?best of? box set or
re-released in 3d. You need to be there in the room or . . . well . . . you missed it.

And that?s the flip side to that magic.

Financial Times

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:08:16 EDT

It?s been a tough couple of years, a sort of family recession for Nora. Looking back, it all started when her husband left his job. He couldn?t find another. Really there was nothing out there. Then he got sick, really sick. There were some major medical bills to be paid. Nora didn?t know what to do. She had to find a way to get the money. She had to save her husband. But how?

Theater for a New Year

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:40:33 EDT

Best of 2012

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:29:48 EDT

Anthony reflects on ten plays that made LA's life richer in 2012.

Six Voices

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:21:44 EDT

Take a break from the holiday chaos and treat yourself to the Fiasco Theater Company's production of Shakespeare's "Cymbaline" at the Broad Stage.

Listen

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:05:45 EDT

Nothing brings out family dysfunction quite like the holidays, does it? That's where Jon Robbin Baitz's play, "Other Desert Cities," at the Mark Taper Forum begins.

Listen

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:05:45 EDT

Nothing brings out family dysfunction quite like the holidays, does it? That's where Jon Robbin Baitz's play, "Other Desert Cities," at the Mark Taper Forum begins.

We, The Audience

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:33:07 EDT

Remember the last time you fell in love with a really good book?

A Commercial Formula

webmaster@kcrw.org (Anthony Byrnes) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 20:05:12 EDT

Take the best tunes from a director who turns out films with great soundtracks, cast talented singers with great pipes and you've got Rockwell's "For the Record."