director Archives

Sierra Madre Playhouse To Present ‘Master Class,’ Terrence McNally’s Ode to Opera Legend Maria Callas

By steve.simmons0211 February 11, 2025Theatre

Tim Dang believes in the healing power of art. And he wants to show how art and, in his case theatre, can nourish the soul. He’s directing a production of…

For This Uncle And Nephew, Sondheim’s ‘Pacific Overtures’ Is A Family Legacy

By steve.simmons0211 November 3, 2024Theatre

For Simeon Den and Kurt Kanazawa, Stephen Sondheim’s genre-expanding musical Pacific Overtures is a family affair. While Den performed in the show’s original 1976 Broadway run, his nephew, Kanazawa, is…

‘The Joy Ride’ Takes Audiences On A Road Trip Of Redemption, In A Convertible

By steve.simmons0211 October 2, 2024Q&A, Theatre

Playwright Jesse Bliss wants audiences to take a ride. And in a vintage convertible no less. Her play The Joy Ride, about four friends who “faced with challenges at a…

Play Exploring The Time Walt Disney Met With A Nazi Propagandist To Return In October

By steve.simmons0211 July 30, 2024Theatre

“If you had told me that Walt Disney met with a Nazi propagandist, I would not have believed you,” says director Matthew McCray. That historic confrontation between the beloved animation…

Heidi Schreck’s Touching Look At The Constitution’s Strengths And Flaws Now Playing In Long Beach

By steve.simmons0211 May 5, 2024Q&A, Theatre

Most people don’t think about how the U.S. Constitution affects their daily lives. Playwright Heidi Schreck – who shone in Constitutional debate competitions in her youth—developed a close personal relationship…

Women Go ‘Into The Breeches!’ In Heartfelt Comedy With A Message at Theatre 40

By steve.simmons0211 March 22, 2024Theatre

The phrase “the show must go on” takes on added poignancy and relevance in George Brant’s comedy Into the Breeches! Beverly Hills’ Theatre 40 is taking on the charming-yet-with-a-message play…

Reimagined ‘Sweeney Todd’ Gets To The Heart Of Stephen Sondheim’s Masterwork

By steve.simmons0211 February 17, 2024Theatre

Julia Rodriguez-Elliott is taking a stab at Sweeney Todd. Co-artistic director of Pasadena’s A Noise Within, known for its inventive interpretations of classic plays, she’s helming the company’s production of Stephen…

Michael Michetti Helms Pasadena Playhouse’s ‘Fresh Take’ On Classic American Drama, ‘Inherit The Wind’

By steve.simmons0211 November 1, 2023Theatre

Michael Michetti is enjoying the challenge of reimagining a classic play. He’s helming the Pasadena Playhouse’s “fresh take” on Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s Inherit the Wind, opening today,…

Birding Connects Father, Daughter’s Complex Relationship In Odyssey’s Moving ‘Birds Of North America’

By steve.simmons0211 October 6, 2023Theatre

Family relationships—and all their intricacies—have long been fodder for novels, movies and plays. Anna Ouyang Moench’s idiosyncratic play about a father and daughter straining for a meaningful relationship and bonding…

Casa 0101 Goes Classic With Arthur Miller’s Timeless ‘Death Of A Salesman’

By steve.simmons0211 June 12, 2023Q&A, Theatre

By Steve Simmons It’s Miller Time at Casa 0101. The Boyle Heights-based theatre company, known for showcasing Latino playwrights and artists, is presenting Arthur Miller’s American classic Death of a…