Archive for October, 2008
The Gift of Poverty
We’ve heard the quote before. Roberto Benigni shouted it from the stage with childlike exuberance when he won his best actor Oscar for “Life is Beautiful”. It’s a notion that gets bandied about all over the world and down through the ages. The Gift of Poverty. But what the hell does it really mean? Well, [...]
Royally Raw Theatre
Now this is what we’re talking about! Caution: turn down volume if at work. Or at least wear headphones. Or, hell, just turn it up and let the fucker rip! Hee hee.
“Money Shot” a 75% “Sweet” on the Lemon Meter – UPDATED
MONEY SHOT – BITTER – 75% SWEET For anyone who lived at the Alexandria Hotel in previous years, a night of harsh language and depravity was the standard. Now the same sort of material can be seen in a play that makes you laugh before you cringe. Ed Fuentes – blogdowntown BITTER It’s been all [...]
The Bursting of the American Theatre Bubble
Say what? I didn’t realize there was an “American Theatre Bubble”. That’s cuz I just made it up. Not in a vacuum, mind you, but in response to Charles McNulty’s interesting article in the LA Times. In his desire to explore the state of our economy and how it connects with the state of our [...]
A Challenge from a “Stranger”
Check out Brendan Kiley writing a manifesto of sorts in Seattle’s “The Stranger”, declaring the ten things American Theatre needs to do now to remain vital for the next generation of artists and theatre-goers. Here are my capsule reactions to each and how I believe they pertain to Los Angeles: 1) Enough with the goddamned [...]
Legitimizing Los Angeles Theatre Continued
Matt Wells from NeedTheater offers some helpful links for LA theatre companies to get in touch with regional theatres: Check out http://nitc.freeforums.org for info on NITC (National Indie Theater Collective) which had its first conference in January (hosted by needtheater at CalArts). And there’s all sorts of more established theater networks that small LA theaters [...]
So Over the Ovations
And you? Check out Don Shirley (ex-LA Times critic now reviewer for LA City Beat) lashing out at the Ovation Awards. The man makes some good points. Especially this little nugget: Why are only 12 voters required to see a qualifying show – and why is each voter required to see only 25 shows? Because [...]
Legitimizing Los Angeles Theatre
Impossible, you say? The whole TOWN is illegitimate! People come here from other places so that they can obtain something that will allow them to LEAVE! Fine. I’m talking about legitimizing Los Angeles Theatre. Now before I go on, understand, I find a good chunk of the theatre that is born and bred here in [...]
A Bitter Lemons Experiment
In the interest of trying to display the potential of this site as a one-stop-shopping spot for the Los Angeles Theatre Community – following the “Rotten Tomatoes” model (we’re working on it, people, just bear with us!) – as well as providing some extra added bonus publicity for Rouge Machine’s production of “Razorback” (see my [...]
“Money Shot” Achieves Depravity
The “Guys” from “Money Shot” from left to right; Dante Walker, James Jordan, Shawn Colten and Gregory Myhre. Photo by Jon-Sesrie Goff If you’re looking for hope, redemption, a light at the end of the tunnel, don’t go see “Money Shot” written by Daniel Keleher, directed by Justin Huen and produced by Theodore Perkins. It [...]
Blowing My Own Horn
Hey, it has to happen now and then, right? I am, after all, “active”. And I do, after all, have this lovely virtual public forum at my disposal. So…let the trumpets sound! A short film I wrote, directed and produced (gasp) is being screened at the 2008 Donkaphant Festival at the Skirball Center, October 29th. This [...]
“Razorback” Needs Some Sharpening
Richard Fancy and Laura Gardner squaring off in Rogue Machine’s “Razorback” The new Rouge Machine production, “Razorback” – the last in their inaugural season – now playing at Theatre-Theater through November 2nd, is a classic example of a noble, adventurous and mostly entertaining theatrical event that isn’t quite sure what it wants to be and [...]
Win-Win?
Over at the LA Stage Blog there’s this very interesting post from Charles Rund or Anonymous, it’s hard to tell, but the post is most intriguing and expands on an earlier post of mine here on Bitter Lemons. Charles calls out a particular on-line reviewer named Steven Stanley who posts overly “positive” reviews ALL THE [...]