Registered Critic: Patrick Chavis - LA Theatre Bites
The Story of My Life
Brian Hill hits you and keeps hitting you in the heart until the curtain closes at the end of the production. He understands the heart — or at least a portion of it — in this grounded two-hander about friendship, loss, and life now playing at the Chance Theater in Anaheim through a digital live streaming production.
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Edges
EDGES is an earlier work from the award-winning duo, and the signs of their talent are all over this script. Still, this script’s bones (structure) feel uneven, and this striped-down production shows off the flaws in the material instead of improving on it.
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I Decided I’m Fine: A Roach Play
The Attic Collective continues their streak of quality entertainment with this outstanding production.
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Frankenstein
Stunning visuals, electric performances and gorgeous choreography, combine into a truly compelling experience.
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Fun Home
When I think of fun, I think of lighthearted, easy-going excitement, and this ironically named show is certainly not something I would consider fun. It is, however, a tear-jerking and spellbinding look into one woman’s innermost thoughts and memories.
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The Father
This is a wild ride of a play. The writer Florian Zeller is a genius. The show is disarming, real and at the same time surreal.
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CANCELED - A BODY OF WATER
Body of Water is successfully told and like the other Blessing offerings I’ve viewed almost razor like in its attempt to explore an idea or concept. I gasped while watching this, so I was connected enough to feel something [for the characters on stage].
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The Water Tribe
"[The Water Tribe] left me thinking about the characters days and days after I had seen it." 8 out of 10 - A GOOD SHOW!
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Charley's Aunt
The production suffers from having too much story set up and nowhere near as much
payback in the comedy or shock department. The acting and direction seemed scattered.
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Disposable Necessities
There's some diabolical stuff going on in this play, and it's so much fun. The show's got shocks, laughs, and it leaves you with something to think about after you've left the theater. Fans of science fiction, this is not the show to miss.
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For The Loyal
The Sixty-Six Theatre Company presents you with a thought provoking and current examination of a very controversial topic with excellent casting.
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Eight Nights
Eight Nights at Antaeus Theatre Company in Glendale covers very powerful subject matter. But even the high caliber cast couldn’t get the narrative to feel more authentic.
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Key Largo
Key Largo doesn’t have any tricks or flash it just tells the story authentically. If you’re already a fan of the noir drama this might be on the best ones to come out all year.
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The Great Leap
Great straight-faced acting from Grant Chang, who’s good at playing the straight man in a comedy. Chang steals the show and is surprisingly its beating heart.
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Operation Ajax
Operation Ajax playing at The Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro based on real events is a dramatized night of political theatre that while informative, lacks a strong sense of tension to really heighten the stakes of the actors on stage.
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How the Light Gets In
E.M. Lewis and Boston Court deliver a touching and well performed production. Though at times the story wobbles a bit in the end the production comes together for a satisfying tale about the human spirit.
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The Vandal
Action wise, The Vandal is fairly uneventful, but also comes across as surprisingly lively as both the actors and the direction used is pretty effective. There are a few elements that could have enhanced this moody, dark and comedic drama.
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The Solid Life of Sugar Water
The strong acting and voice over from the cast pull you in but it’s attached to other moments that seem more interested in poetic language, then actually doing anything interesting.
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Miss Lilly Gets Boned
This is a fascinating show with great artistic direction. Even with various elements of the script being drastically different from each other, the story still successfully comes together.
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Skintight
The writer Joshua Harmon is not afraid to take chances with unlikeable characters and in that regard this play is quite brave.
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