Monday, September 22, 1997 Playhouses stage variety of cultural
performances THEATER:
By Alicia Cheak
Daily Bruin Contributor
If, like most students, you line up an hour before curtain call
for rush tickets to a performance at the Ahmanson or the Shubert
Theater, chances are the price is dirt cheap. It also means that
the seat is way in the back or in some cases several stories above
the stage. And while there may be a $10 ticket in your hand, gone
is some of the immediacy and intimacy of live theater.
On the other hand, you could be in a modest venue which seats 99
and where – instead of champagne and hors d’oeuvres at $5 a plate –
there is coffee, cookies and even Red Vines. Despite their casual
atmosphere and relative obscurity, smaller theaters also house some
of the most powerful and unique performances.
More and more recent Broadway openings ("Rent" included) have
actually begun in smaller playhouses off Broadway. There are
several hundred small theaters in Los Angeles, many with
culture-specialized repetoires. Here are seven to watch:
* * *
Bilingual Foundation of the Arts
421 North Ave. 19, Los Angeles
(213) 226-1170
Founded by stage, screen and television veteran Carmen Zapata,
this 24-year old company is situated at the former Lincoln Heights
jail and is dedicated to bringing Latino drama to the local
community. Productions are performed by bilingual Latino actors who
work in Spanish one week and in English the next.
"We started out Spanish-speaking," Zapata explains, "and
discovered that we were missing a lot of young people who didn’t
have the skill of language to understand a play which was fully in
Spanish."
Bilingual Foundation of the Arts’ (BFA) focus is to draw
attention to the varied cultures and issues of the Latin countries
through the works of Latino dramatists. The company stages at least
one classic a year, and past productions include Federico Garcia
Lorca’s "Blood Wedding" and "Yerma."
The upcoming production, opening Sept. 25, is the third play of
Lorca’s trilogy. "The House of Bernada Alba," produced, translated
by and starring Zapata, unravels in a Spanish home. The matriarch
of the house is the overbearing and extremely militant Bernada who,
because of her conservative upbringing, makes life difficult for
her five sexually repressed daughters.
"It causes a lot of conflict, a lack (of) freedom and tragedy
… all this in a house run by a tyrant," Zapata says.
BFA has won multiple awards for its contributions to the arts,
literature and education. The company hopes to bring pride to the
Latino community by staging the culture’s most powerful works.
* * *
East West Players
4424 Santa Monica Blvd.
(213) 660-0366
With the almost invisible presence of Asian Americans on stage,
screen and television, one wonders, can Asians act? The nine
individuals who created the East West Players say yes.
In a church basement one night 31 years ago, they put on their
first production, Ryonsuke Akutagawa’s classic "Rashomon." Three
characters recount the Japanese murder mystery: a samurai wife, the
bandit who raped her and the murdered husband. It is a
thought-provoking look at how reconstructions of the same event
make up a complicated web of lies and illusions.
Like the Bilingual Foundation of Arts, East West Players are
building a bridge between cultures with productions which allow
audiences to experience Asian American sensibilities.
Perhaps it is its mustard seed beginnings which makes the East
West Players’ achievement so poetic. Effort and perseverance have
allowed the company to ground itself in Los Angeles theater, earn
the recognition of local critics and secure a loyal following.
The company, presently headed by its third artistic director,
Tim Dang, has an impressive repertoire. Theater, dance, literary
and visual arts and spoken word performance are the fruit of its
multi-disciplinary philosophy. East West’s genre is also not
strictly limited to classics and contemporary Asian American works.
The company’s productions of Stephen Sondheim’s "Sweeney Todd" and
Henrik Ibsen’s "Hedda Gabler" were both well-received. The stage
has also become an important forum for Asian American actors like
John Lone ("The Last Emperor," "M. Butterfly"), B.D. Wong ("And the
Band Played On") and playwright David Henry Hwang ("M.
Butterfly").
The new season opens with "Pacific Overtures," a Broadway
musical by Stephen Sondheim about the westernization of Japan. It
is followed by the world premiere of "Big Hunk O’ Burnin’ Love," a
Thai American comedy. "Lava," set on the slopes of Haleakala, is
the third production, and the season closes with "Maid of
Orleans."
* * *
Deaf West Theatre
660 N. Heliotrope Dr.
(213) 660-4673
The tables are turned when audiences, not familiar with sign
language, sit in the Deaf West Theatre in Hollywood. On stage, the
actors sign and while the deaf audience reacts – anticipating,
chuckling or crying – the hearing person struggles to find out
what’s going on.
Established in 1991 under the guardianship of the Fountain
Theatre in Hollywood, the Deaf West Theatre set out on its own two
years later to its present locale. It was created to bring live
theater to the 2 million deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in
and around Los Angeles. Founding artistic director Ed Waterstreet
recalls that after his first experience with live theater in
college, he was forever hooked. But upon arriving in Los Angeles 11
years ago, he found within the capital of entertainment, "a
wasteland for deaf theater."
Deaf West is the fruit of Waterstreet’s ambitions because it is
the first residential theater for the deaf in Los Angeles. And like
the Bilingual Foundation’s philosophy to positively influence the
Latino community, Deaf West turns what is commonly perceived as a
handicap into a form of expression in its own right.
Plays are selected to reflect an aspect of the deaf society. In
past productions like John Steinbeck’s "Of Mice and Men," the
simple-minded Lenny and the farm hands were played by deaf actors
while Lenny’s brother, George, and the landowners were played by
hearing ones. The setup becomes a clear statement on patronization
versus authority.
Deaf West is not meant to be exclusive or isolating, which is
why provisions such as the headsets and even supertitles have been
made for hearing audiences. A recent production, "Saint Joan" had
both speaking and signing actors on stage. While this required
complicated staging, the result was a beautiful and synchronized
web of two languages.
And much of what deaf theater is lies in what is seen on stage.
Hand and finger movements are the voice of the story while headsets
provide the translations. This challenges the hearing audience to
focus on the signs and discover that through the course of the
play, they are not so incomprehensible after all.
Deaf West’s fall season begins with the children’s story "Alice
in Wonderland; Ears, Hands & Hearts." In winter, "Brilliant
Traces" hits the stage, followed by "Romeo And Juliet"
appropriately in the spring. Shakespeare in sign? That’s a feat in
itself.
* * *
Century City Playhouse
10508 W. Pico Blvd.
(310) 204-4440
After Fara Shahbazian received his M.F.A. at USC, he purchased a
struggling playhouse on Pico Boulevard, demolished it and gave it a
new face. Reborn as the Century City Playhouse (CCP), its doors
opened officially in 1996 and has been successful ever since.
Located beside the Rancho Park golf course, CCP has a contented
look to it. Two Dalmatian sculptures, remnants of the playhouse’s
opening show "Punch and Judy," serve as the theater’s affable guard
dogs.
The company has attracted many television and film actors,
including Marisa Tomei and Annette Benning. It is also extremely
busy; when they are not staging original works, there are readings,
talent showcases and even a relationship seminar every Monday.
While it may be easier to anticipate audiences’ response to
familiar plays, Shahbazian is constantly on the lookout for new
material. "If it is written well I don’t care who it is from,"
Shahbazian says of the selection process. Going through the pile of
scripts, he is constantly mindful that reputation is crucial to a
small theater. "If I don’t have a good show in my hands, I’d rather
take the loss and let the theater stay empty."
The most recent success was "the d girl" starring David
Schwimmer of "Friends" fame. An instant success "the d
(development) girl" is a look at a Hollywood relationship, focusing
on a woman who has the taxing job of script reader.
Comedian/songwriter Ron Shock’s "Storyteller" opened Sept. 11.
"Storyteller" is an autobiographical, acoustic "concert of stories"
about Shock’s wacky experiences as a cat-burglar, a professional
gambler and everything in between. In productions like this, where
Shock sits on a stool in the center of the stage and converses with
his electric guitar, that intimacy saturates the theater.
CCP is a great forum for original works. In an industry where
competition is ruthless, the small theater provides an opportunity
for playwrights to stage their works and for actors, prominent or
not, to perform them.
* * *
Gascon Center Theatre
8737 Washington Blvd.,
Culver City
(310) 204-3126
The Gascon Theatre doesn’t look like a theater. In fact, it
would be easy to drive right past it. Located inside the famous
Helms Bakery in Culver City, the theater provides rental spaces
where independent companies, which do not have a building to their
names, go to stage their productions.
But Gascon director Drew Mersmann is hoping that once the
financial situation stabilizes, the theater will begin productions
of its own. "I’m leaning toward the not-naturalistic political
works instead of the straight-forward narrative with beginning,
middle and end," Mersmann says. What exactly that means remains to
be seen. Mersmann describes it as theater with a more avant-garde
flavor than the productions currently staged in Los Angeles.
The theater is the 1994 expansion of the Westside Fencing
Center, also located within the Helms Bakery. Over the past three
years, the Gascon has become a temporary home to various occupants.
Most notable is the provocative L.A. Women’s Shakespeare Company
(LAWSC) which has staged three of their annual productions at the
Gascon: "Hamlet," "Henry V" and "Measure for Measure," all winning
rave reviews.
Playing through Oct. 5 at the Gascon is the parody "One Shoe
Off." Farrell Hirsch’s production of "Inspector General" is set for
mid-October. Spring will mark the return of LAWSC and their
sure-to-be inventive adaptation of "A Midsummer’s Night Dream."
* * *
Knightsbridge Theatre
The Braley Building
35 S. Raymond Avenue,
Pasadena
(624) 440-0821
Joseph Stachura, artistic director for the Knightsbridge
Theatre, was dissatisfied with Los Angeles productions of
Shakespeare. His solution is the now 4-year-old company which has
risen in ranks to become one of hot spots for solid Shakespeare
performances.
"A lot of companies perform Shakespeare but they’re not done
well," says Stachura, who is associated with the National American
Shakespeare Company. His actors are selected for their experience
in Shakespearean plays.
Knightsbridge Theatre is located in the heart of Old Town
Pasadena, a city which is building up an artistic community.
Performances are given only during the weekends, a quite realistic
setup since most people don’t usually go to the theaters during
weeknights.
What distinguishes this company is that it is entirely
self-sufficient. All revenues come from ticket sales, implying that
a hefty number of tickets must be sold to meet the budget. They
survive without donations because there are usually three
productions running concurrently. It also makes a big statement
about the quality of the productions.
Playing through mid-October is "Tartuffe," Moliere’s drama
recast in a contemporary setting. Sharing the stage at the same
time are Charlotte Bronte’s classic "Jane Eyre," and Shakespeare’s
comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor," with a 1940’s twist.
* * *
The Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue
(310) 208-6500
Although the Geffen Playhouse is by far better off financially
than the other theaters (having received a $5 million donation from
entertainment mogul David Geffen), it is worth mentioning because
of its proximity to UCLA and because it retains the intimacy
characteristic of small theaters. Although it boasts 498 seats, the
Geffen’s exterior fits the mold of a quaint and self-contented
playhouse.
The Mediterranean style is accented with the climbing greens
which give the playhouse an aged look. There is even a courtyard
(complete with fountain) perfect for a breath of fresh air or a
between-acts conversation.
Previously called the Westwood Playhouse, the theater led by
UCLA’s Gil Cates has hosted more than 100 productions since 1975.
These include "Little Shop of Horrors," "Jeffrey" and Steve
Martin’s clever comedy "Picasso at the Lapin Agile."
The past season has seen eclectic works ranging from Doug
Wright’s "Quills," a commentary on art censorship and sexual
repression, to "By Jeeves," Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical comedy
about a witty butler. Terrence Mcnally’s controversial "Love!
Valor! Compassion!" was third on the schedule and the season closed
on a whimsical note with the Jewish musical, "Shlemiel the
First."
The new season opens Oct. 8 with "Old Wicked Songs," a 1996
Pulitzer Prize finalist about a presumptuous piano prodigy sent to
Vienna to study with an elderly teacher. In February, Debbie Allen
brings the heroic Harriet Tubman to life in "Harriet’s Return." The
inspiring new play by Joan Meadows traces a slave’s escape from a
plantation to a safe house 27 miles away. "Harriet" is followed by
Frank Langella in "The Father" which is about a calvary captain
driven insane in a power play within a marriage.
On a lighter note is the special December presentation of Mabou
Mines’ "Peter and Wendy," in which actress Karen Kandel portrays
all the roles of J.M. Barrie’s beloved characters – from Captain
Hook to Nana the dog. There is an unannounced fifth play slated for
June, but it is really an open spot for any productions which might
pop up unexpectedly. In a March interview Cates commented, "There
are things that happen, things you can take advantage of that would
otherwise be difficult without that gap."
Currently with 9,000 subscribers, the coming season will see the
playhouse packed with theatergoers. Even impoverished students will
have the best of both worlds – an intimate theater setting and rush
ticket prices.
GENEVIEVE LIANG/Daily Bruin
The Geffen Playhouse, located in Westwood, is one of Los
Angeles’ small theaters.