Johnny Morran
by Mina Diamos
Playwright John Ireland takes us to the Starlite Lounge, our typical neighborhood bar around the corner, in the bitter sweet story of Johnny Morran at the Two Roads Theatre. The play opens to an empty room, jukebox playing and Frank behind his bar setting up for another slow night. He speaks to the audience about the tears and laughter having played here in turn throughout the years. Jaded and wise, Frank provides the staging for the players we are about to meet.

First, Skinny Alice, the fallen woman who has seen better days and is not skinny anymore, sways in nursing her martini and spouting ugly and disappointing memories of her lost youth. In her desperation to see Johnny she drops hints of the importance he plays in the lives of the regulars at the Starlite Lounge. Waiting till Alice leaves, our hero, Johnny Moran enters, a bandage over his left ear, and in obvious need for libation. We next meet Tinker, whose offensive behavior is not well received, but does provide a bit of gassy humor. He comments on Johnny's ear, and here we note a hint of what's to come as Johnny insists it's "just a little sun damage."

Johnny's influence on those whose lives he touches becomes the focus of the play. He helps Lanny, the waitress, face her issues with her boyfriend, Bob. He raises Phil out from the depths of insignificance by convincing him that he can be whatever he wants to be, which also worked for Lulu, the Starlite's cook who finally appreciates her own value.

There are some beautiful moments in this play and wonderful lines delivered by Johnny as he sees life as "time and ice cubes melting," and that there is “nothing as lifeless than an empty bar." John Ireland makes the dialogue sound like poetry endearing our main character to the audience as well as to his drinking buddies.

Galen B. Schrick is moving and accurate as the dissipated Johnny who faces death with a brave and angry humor. Talented Barbara Gruen is truly convincing as Skinny Alice. Seasoned actor, Steven Shaw plays Frank the bartender with complete confidence, making the audience part of the show, only stopping short in offering us cocktails. This well selected cast which also includes Matthew Walters, as Tinker, Lisa Ehrenerg, as Lulu, Christine Sloane, as Lanny, David Farkas, as Phil, John Cragen, as Bob and newcomer, Rachael Lyerla, as The Girl, give credence to this wonderful production by writer and director, John Ireland. He has written a memorable play, and I hope to see much more of his splendid work.

Doreen Gray
A Hollywood Story
by Michelle Malik
Doreen Gray, A Hollywood Story is a striking combination of classic Oscar Wilde literature and Hollywood folk lore, the stuff that hardboiled noir was built on. Brad Kahn co-writes with Jacqueline Stewart and directs this unsettling “exposure” of a beautiful face with an ultimately ugly soul at the Raven Playhouse.

Gorgeous creature Doreen Gray (Kindy Barr), the timeless face of Hollywood maintains her status of ingénue into her forties. The camera loves her and so does the mass market. She is a studio commodity.

Doreen uses her clout to get the little perks of fame. She “keeps” a lover, Hollywood hopeful Guy (Bobby Hundley) in an apartment but is appalled to find out that he actually wants a career for himself. Guy tries to get his piece of the pie by blackmailing her with photos of Doreen in a compromising position. The gal who makes her living playing the girl next door can’t afford the bad publicity. Sal (Jeff Haas) her big shot, no nonsense agent tries to bail her out of her fix, labeling Guy as just another scumbag loser in a long line that they will have to pay off. Lily (Candyce Columbus), Guy’s ambiguous agent sees that the John Wayne-worshipping Guy doesn’t go quietly.

The plot thickens when a long-absent mentally ill sister, Mary (Fran Maddocks) threat-ens Doreen’s life with a gun, but more pointedly threatens Doreen’s career with evidence of her shameful, sordid past. In a series of dreadful events to follow, the picture of lovely Doreen Gray is blackened. One night, Carl (W. Wayne Thornton) her loyal, pining photographer for twenty years really brings out a side no one has ever seen before and it’s not pretty.

Jeff @The House Going Offline and Coming Alive
The Web show that has been described as both "weirdly compelling" (Playboy magazine) and "one of a kind" (New Zealand's NetGuide) Jeff @ The House, www.jath.com, is leaving the web and coming to Los Angeles to help raise support and awareness for the victims of domestic violence.

Continuing in its tradition of performing annual benefit shows around the country, Jeff @ The House will perform 4 live shows at The Complex in Hollywood, with all proceeds going to North Hollywood's Theatre of Hope for Abused Women. The internet show chronicles the life and exploits of Jeff Favre, a struggling writer who has propelled himself to international internet fame as the host of a show drawing thousands of viewers each day. Favre has interviewed the famous (everyone from pop stars to film critics) and the unusual (everyone from a fantasy baseball addict to a woman who writes names on rice). And he made history by being the first (and possibly only) person to auction off an at-home rock concert on ebay.com.

Like the web show, Jeff @ The House's live show will feature guest performances by different local acts, including Deborah Peral (creator of the cabaret show Chick Singers and writer for TV's Designing Women) and Jeff Norman (NBC's Spy TV).

Jeff @ The House will be performed at 8pm, April 4, 11, 18 & 25 at the Complex 310-559-9920. - BC

Twelfth Night
Shakespeare in Tinseltown
by Don Grigware
Lonnie Chapman’s Group Repertory Theatre (GRT) does reputable work. A show produced at this theatre is usually an event to savor. Of course, all groups are entitled to one that misses the boat every now and then. Patricia Lee Willson did not stick with the traditional title Twelfth Night as composed by William Shakespeare, but added on a second title of her own creation Shakespeare in Tinseltown. As I sat watching the production I could not decide whether I was watching the Twelfth Night or an original play about a stock company of film actors in 1940’s Hollywood.

The program said written by Shakespeare. The words sounded like Shakespeare yet the actors were playing in some broad style of comedy which made the language seem unimportant. As I left the theatre at the end of the play I heard one audience member comment “This is the best Shakespeare I have ever seen.” “How sad!” - was my reaction – “that you have to go to this extreme to have not an appreciation, but a mere acceptance of Shakespeare.”

The production is not all bad. There is original music composed by John R. Keller (Feste), which has popular appeal and fits Shakespeare’s idea of entertainment. It can also boast of some fun dueling. One actor remains totally sincere to her character and that is Natalie Lee (Viola/Cesario), who speaks the Bard’s language with utter conviction. Richard Tirrell as Sir Toby, Diane Frank as Maria and Eric Hudson as Sir Andrew are also to be lauded, for their comic efforts.

However, because too much of the action is played for laughs too much of the time at top notch speed, their scenes of comic relief – as Shakespeare intended – tend to get lost amidst all the other sight gags and physical shenanigans.

Philip Mc-Keown steals his two priceless scenes as Malvolio, particularly his seduction of Olivia in full Carmen Miranda drag. Nonetheless, handing him an Oscar at play’s end is going too far and is just another example of how overblown this production becomes. Miss Willson’s intent seems unclear. Does she want to do Shakespeare or a sendup? At present it’s too much of a mixed bag!

Love Trek
by Steve Roeser
Love song lovers aged 19 to 99 cannot fail to thoroughly enjoy the revue Love Trek: From Puppy Love to Dog House at the Jewel Box. "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "A Nightingale Sang" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" are just a few of the songs that Lisa and Jim handled beautifully in their sweet, sincere and seemingly effortless vocal style.

Blanchette, whose physical resemblance to classic comedian John Belushi probably never goes unnoticed, also did a very funny Neil Diamond bit.

Jim, Lisa and Marjorie will be reprising Love Trek at the Jewel Box on Wednesday, April 10th. Frankly, I hope they will be presenting it every month (if not every week), somewhere, for at least the next 50 years.

Strokes of Genius, Too
by Steve Roeser
The Playwright's Spotlight focuses on new works by Ester Hersh, Javi Mulero and Matt Rosler, a trio of one-acts presented under the title Strokes Of Genius, Too! at Hollywood's Jewel Box Theatre on Cahuenga (where it crosses the 101 Freeway). Having opened March 9th, these short pieces will be presented every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through April 13th.

Hersh's "Disconnected" (directed by Mark Baker) finds three adult brothers (Ken Cosby, Jonathan Harrison and Craig Johnson) - one of whom is adopted and mildly antagonized by the other two - in crisis.

The situation and dialogue are mostly humorous, due to the unwitting immaturity of boys who are reluctant to face having to become men. But truth is revealed in their lack of understanding that their missing mother has already accomplished her task of raising them (however inadequately), and that she, too, is entitled to a life of her own.

Mulero's "Madness To The Method" and Rosler's "tiebroken?" are both aided tremendously by the presence of the remarkable Marcia Loring playing, in each instance (what else?), an actress. Having worked with some of the greatest film makers ever, including John Cassavettes, Blake Edwards, Otto Preminger and Fellini, Loring brings the same high standards to her stage roles.

"Madness To The Method" (directed by Kevin Kennedy) finds her in catty competition with a younger actress (Jody Ammerman) who is her polar opposite, as the two of them try to make sense of the Off-Broadway production they are rehearsing. Ty Donald-son (with Tim Abell as the alternate in the role) plays the frazzled director over-seeing their "lesbian, Shakes-pearean musical."

As Verna in "tiebroken?" (dir-ected by Rosler) Loring's competition is Esther (Helen Siff), as they battle the frustration of present-day seniors life in Miami Beach, vying for the mind and/or heart of Russell (King Stuart). This light bedroom farce sees Esther attempting to sway Russell with her cooking skills, while Verna seeks to gain advantage via her womanly allure. Aaron Fors appears as Ricky (with Teddy Swigert the alternate), the obnoxious, attention-starved kid performer.

On March 10th, real-life married couple Lisa K. Wyatt and Jim Blanchette presented a delightful hour of song and humor, under the musical direction of the outstanding Marjorie Poe on piano.

More Theatre
by Archie Rothman

7 short plays - starring 7 stars - add up to Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads at the Tiffany.

This all began with the revue Beyond the Fringe in 1960 with Alan Bennett making his stage debut with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller. Bennett continued to write with such hits as The Madness of King George, A Private Function, Prick Up Your Ears and his most recent hit The Lady in the Van. In 1989, Alan Bennett began his first series of Talking Heads solo dramas broadcast by the BBC. This Talking Heads festival includes four pieces from the first series and three never-before staged solo dramas. Three pieces are performed at each performance. All pieces were directed by Michael Engler.

First “The Hand of God” with Brenda Wehle is about a lady’s antique shop who came into that business because she loves beautiful things. But it is “The Hand of God” that provides her downfall, followed by “A Chip in the Sugar” with Daniel Davis who plays a middle-aged man who still lives with his widowed mother but finds himself playing second fiddle to an old suitor of hers who comes out of the woodwork and back into her life.

Swoozie Kurtz plays “A Lady of Letters,” an interfering spinster who causes so much fuss with her letters that wrongly perceives a local case of child abuse that she lands in prison. In “Her Big Chance” Valerie Mahaffey as Leslie thinks she has a great deal to offer, both as an actress and as a person, until she gets “her big chance.”

“Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet” with Tyne Daly charts the journey of a woman whose taste in hairstyles and handbags owes a great deal to the Queen. Kathleen Chalfant in “Bed Among the Lentils” plays a minister’s wife who questions the existence of the Almighty, and discovers salvation not in her husband’s church but in the arms of a married Indian shopkeeper.

Finally, Annette Bening stars in “The Outside Dog.” Murder is a messy business but for Marjorie it’s just another skirmish in her continuing campaign against dirt. I admired all the performances but I wished that most of these pieces were longer and more fleshed out so I could know more about the solo characters and those they were involved with. For a list of plays and performers, and what will be presented on a given day and time, call the Tiffany Theatre Box Office at 310-289-2999.

Lanford Wilson’s Sympathetic Magic is Theatre Tribe’s first production at the storefront theatre (at one time Actors Alley) adjacent to the El Portal Center for the Arts on Lankershim in NoHo. Stuart Rogers is the artistic director and his choice of his company’s first play at the NoHo theatre leaves a lot to be desired. The many actors (two casts perform throughout the initial six week run) are all talented performers but the play about the mystery of the unexplored universe against the mystery of life on earth is confusing and hard to understand. Closing April 20.

The Moiseyev Dance Company returned to L.A. at the Wilshire Theatre for only 7 performances after nearly a three-year absence, and it was a welcome return. It justly deserve the claim as the greatest of all folk dance groups. Their dancing skill, their precision, the choreography, was awesome. Forget about Riverdance and other dance shows, this is the one that’s best of them all.