Ntozake Shange’s 1976 Obie Award-winning choreopoem “for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf,” directed by Desean K. Terry at The Last Acting Studio, follows several Black women as they share personal stories centered around love, heartbreak, trauma, identity, sexuality and survival. From left: Aliysa Shareef, Serenity Calhoun, Ryn Stafford, Sequoiah Blaire and Alise Willis in rehearsal for The Last Acting Studio's "for colored girls who have

Brian Yorke and Tom Kitt’s Tony Award-winning 2009 musical “Next to Normal” follows the Goodman family, who look like the perfect family from the outside, but peeling back layers reveals a family struggling with the grief of losing their son Gabe (Dillon Klena) and how that loss has affected each of them differently. From left: Jonny Perl (Dan), Sophia Roth (Natalie), Catriona Fray (Diana) and Dillon Klena (Gabe) in "Next to Normal" at Hudson Backstage Theatre. Photo by Rache

Bruna Fachetti in "The Hour of the Star" at Broadwater Black Box Theatre (Photo by James William) Bruna Fachetti’s “The Hour of the Star” — adapted from Brazilian author Clarice Lispector’s novella of the same name, translated by Benjamin Moser — enjoyed its world premiere recently at the Broadwater Black Box Theatre, well directed Alex Tietre. The story follows Macabéa, a poor young orphan who is practically invisible to the world around her. She moves through life without q

Scene from Brian Henson's "Puppet Up!" (Photo by Omar Gaieck) You don’t have to have grown up with “Sesame Street” or “The Muppet Show” to enjoy Brian Henson’s “Puppet Up!” — an improv show with puppets who do whatever the audience tells them with the help of their talented handlers. And I mean anything. A recent show at the Montalbán Theatre — where the show continues through next weekend — began with one puppet doing a crossword puzzle while getting a rather vigorous colono

From left: Jeff LeBeau and Tim Cummings in “Grangeville” at Ruskin Group Theatre (Photo by John Perrin Flynn) When Luke Skywalker crash-lands his X-wing on the planet Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back, the swamp he finds himself stuck in is dark, murky and constantly simmers with a tension that hints at dangers lurking beneath the surface. Viewed through the lens of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey (as the Star Wars films have been), Luke’s arrival on Dagobah is a retreat to

MTM Myrtle Beach 2026 Cast: Ingrid Cole, Nancy Slusser, Stacey Harris, and Anise Ritchie Though it’s been 25 years since Jeanie Linders’ “Menopause The Musical” first performed in a small theatre in Orlando, talking about “the change” in women’s lives is still such a whispered event that the show continues not only to entertain but inspire. Performing at Laguna Playhouse through this weekend, the well-polished musical features four women of a certain age who meet while shoppi

From left: Jalynn Steele, Jessica Crouch and Carly Sakolove in "Mamma Mia!" at the Ahmanson Theatre (Photo by Joan Marcus) For over 25 years, “Mamma Mia!” has rocked audiences around the world through the driving disco rhythms of ABBA's music, with a story by Catherine Johnson and songs by ABBA alum Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus, plus some by Stig Anderson. Center Theatre Group's current production at the Ahmanson Theatre fully delivers on the raucous spirit of this belove

Mandy Rubeli’s “Dinosaurs” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival follows Claire (Hailey Hudson), who comes home to find an actual dinosaur inside her apartment. After calling her best friend Hayden (Devin Stone) for help, Claire begins to realize that the dinosaur may be connected to unhealed abuse she experienced when she was thirteen. As the story unfolds, Hayden, Claire and the dinosaur decide to track down and confront her abuser before the space-time continuum collaps

“White Elephant” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival is a reading of a comedic mystery by Ryan Copple about a brother and sister who believe they have pulled off the perfect crime by murdering their mother to protect their inheritance. Things take a turn when the sister receives an unexpected gift: the murder weapon. From there, the story becomes less of a “whodunnit” and more of a “who knows it?” The set features eight chairs placed at either side of the stage. Christma

Scene from "Trickster" at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026 “Trickster” by David Bridel is a creative mix of myths, stories, movement and music that explores the chaos, humor and mystery “the Trickster” brings into our lives. Performed by six actors and a live musician, the show uses shadows, physicality and imagination to create an experience that is funny, strange and engaging all at once. All the performers commit to the physicality and absurdity of the Trickster spirit. Thei

Cast and crew of "The Pearl" & "The Trick" at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026 “The Pearl” & “The Trick” are two plays written by Joe Praml that explore greed, loneliness, and emotional and moral indifference. “The Pearl” follows a family waiting for their grandmother to die, but instead of grieving, they seem more interested in what they can get from her. When a valuable black pearl is discovered inside Grandma, the play becomes a dark and funny look at how selfish people can

“Something Anxious” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival presents two one-act plays within an hour connected through tone, tension and the feeling of being trapped in situations that are both funny and unsettling. First up, “Anxious Attachment,” leans into technology, isolation and escape, while “Something Ancient” shifts into apocalyptic family dysfunction. Together, both plays create an evening that is simple in structure but effective in execution. “Anxious Attachment,

Dara Kosberg in "Homecoming" at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026 “Homecoming” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival is an autobiographical one-woman show by Dara Kosberg that follows what happens when she receives a phone call from her father telling her that her mother is dying and she needs to fly home from Australia. What follows is Kosberg navigating the unhealed parts of herself while reflecting on the complicated and superficial relationship she had with her mother

“Fulfillment” follows Claudio Parrone, Jr. (also the play’s writer), an aspiring actor living on the East Coast who realizes he has hit a ceiling and decides to move to Los Angeles to chase his dream. Once he makes that decision, his reality begins to shift, sending him on a journey of self-discovery, acceptance and understanding what fulfillment truly means beyond the dream itself. The ensemble cast does a wonderful job landing comedic moments while still balancing emotional

From left: Jose Eduardo Moreno (Damon) and Michael Dukakis (Nick) in "Punish Me" at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2026 Written by Michael Dukakis based on true events, “Punish Me” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival and performing at the Hudson Backstage Theatre, is about narcissism and manipulation with high stakes for the protagonist. The set resembles a modest Los Angeles apartment, providing just enough detail to establish the world without distracting from the story. Th

“Playback” by Jessica Fisher at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival is about a woman who shares negative information about her ex-boyfriend during a podcast and the controversy that ensues. Set design is lovely, simple and gives the production exactly what it needs to tell this story, with four mics, two blue solo couches, one long orange couch sitting on top of a rug and a minibar on the left-hand side from the audience’s point of view. The design feels clean and intention

Impro Theatre’s second annual tribute to Rod Serling’s “Night Gallery” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival focuses on three sci-fi/horror stories. Its “A Haunting Revue II” features stories about an adopted extraterrestrial in “Birds of a Feather,” a mysterious big brother in “The Lateness of the Hours” and workplace creepiness in “The Flight or Flight Response.” Though set design is minimal, each vignette has its own distinct visual identity. Lighting helps elevate the

From left: James Hayden Rodriguez (Ken) and Rob Nagle (Rothko) in "Red" at Laguna Playhouse (Photo by Jason Niedle) What do artists talk about when they talk about art? That is the subject of John Logan’s play “Red,” assuredly directed by J. Scott Lapp at the Laguna Playhouse through June 28. Specifically, middle-aged artist Mark Rothko (Rob Nagle) talks to his young assistant Ken (James Hayden Rodriguez) about art (mostly his own), philosophy, myth and the color red. The fir

From left: Alexandra Fatovich and Karlie Smith in "Hollywood Treatment" at Santa Monica Playhouse (Photo by Alec James Gould) Written and directed by Lara and Greg McCarthy, “Hollywood Treatment” at Santa Monica Playhouse is a dark comedy centered on Dr. Manwick, a therapist trying to help her clients work through their problems while barely keeping control of her own. As the play moves through her weekly client sessions, it explores love, relationships, ambition, mental heal

Written by Shak Kanish and directed by Fabiana Medici and Chris Prinzo, “Melt” is a new play about college-student actors Eli and Ryan rehearsing a play written by their professor, performed on June 11 at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Set design is simple but effective. A blue couch, red theatre seats, a locker, and small table help establish a college environment and give the characters a clear space in which to exist. Lighting design is one of the stronger tec