Jon Gentry in "Black Bastard" at Santa Monica Playhouse (Photo courtesy Jon Gentry) “Black Bastard” is a compelling one-man show written...

From left: Tanner Hake and Cheyenne Washington in "Wilhelmina" at Hollywood Fringe Festival (Photo by Griffin Scillian) Written by...

Linzy Beltran in "El Mago Loco" at Hollywood Fringe Festival (Photo by Jill Petracek) At the end of a recent performance of “El Mago...

From left: Andres Velez, Jack Stehlin, Emily Yetter, Jade Sealey and Ahkei Togun in "Lear Redux" at Odyssey Theatre (Photo by John...

Michelle Krusiec (Afong Moy) in "The Chinese Lady" at Chance Theater (Photo by Doug Catiller) Written by Lloyd Suh based on a true story,...

From left: Beejan Land and Ann Sonneville in "Love's End" ("Clôture de l’amour") at the Odyssey Theatre (Photo by Cooper Bates) Having...

From left: Taha Mandviwala, Anna Leigh Gortner, Shiloh Goodin and Toussaint Jeanlouis in "Life of Pi" at the Ahmanson Theatre (Photo by...

From top: Nicholas Clary (Alexander) and Andrew Byron (Aristotle) in Alex Lyras's "Aristotle/Alexander" at Company of Angels (Photo courtesy Aristotle-Alexander) Though Alexander the Great’s conquests of Persia and part of Asia circa 330 BCE still make him a household name almost anywhere in the world, most of us don’t think about his teachers. Alex Lyras's play “Aristotle/Alexander” explores that influence — Alexander’s mentors here shown to be Aristotle and, in a different

From left: David Nevell (Carney) and Kasey Mahaffy (Alfie) in "A Man of No Importance" at A Noise Within (Photo by Craig Schwartz)...

From left: Teagle F. Bougere (James Baldwin) and Eric T. Miller (William F. Buckley, Jr.) in "Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley" at Ebony...

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on May 1, 2025. Bruce Nozick in International City Theatre’s “The Violin Maker.” Photo by Jordan Gohara. The actions of a single person can ripple outward to affect many — sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. International City Theatre’s “The Violin Maker” tells the story of how Amnon Weinstein, by intention and by chance, became a person who has uplifted thousands through h

DeWanda Wise (Sade) in "Furlough's Paradise" at Geffen Playhouse (Photo by Jeff Lorch) Stories about African American women often explore...

From left: James T. Lawson II (David Baldwin), Julio Hanson (James Baldwin), Raquel Rosser (Maya Angelou) and Nick Gillie (Miles Davis)...

Jeanne Syquia (Jane) in A Noise Within's "Jane Eyre" (Photo by Craig Schwartz) Whether or not you are a fan of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847...

From left: Hugh Bonneville (Uncle Vanya) and Melanie Field (Sonya) in Shakespeare Theatre Company's "Uncle Vanya" (Photo by DJ Corey...

Isaac Cruz (Manny) in "Adobe Punk: A Punk Rehearsal in Real Time" at Margo Albert Theatre (Photo by Rob Aft) "Adobe Punk: A Punk...

Scene from Rogue Artist Ensemble's "Schlitzie: Alive and Inside" (Photo by Bryce Darlington) Artists and storytellers love to look back...

From left: Joe Ngo (Chum), Abraham Kim (Rom), Kelsey Angel Baehrens (Sothea), Jane Lui (Pou) and Tim Liu (Leng) in East West Players' "Cambodian Rock Band" (Photo by Teolindo) East West Players’ “Cambodian Rock Band” essentially tore up the stage of the David Hwang Theater in Los Angeles while wrapping up its extended run last weekend. An explosive blend of music and storytelling both humorous and harrowing, Lauren Yee’s play as directed by Chay Yew is the kind of performance

Maegan Mandarino describes her new solo show “Big Hair: A Rad and Wild Love Affair” as “a musical dramedy about the short-lived love...

Brandon Gill (Booth) in "Topdog/Underdog" at Pasadena Playhouse (Photo by Jeff Lorch) What if your family legacy is fraught with...