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"Mutual Philanthropy" at the Atwater Village Theatre

9/17/2016

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Karen Rizzo's Mutual Philanthropy is a gem of a play and the Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA production serves it well. 

What Rizzo achieves in the journey of 75 minutes is a superbly well-crafted story as funny as it is moving. Set in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Mt. Washington the play focuses on the friendship of two couples, which has its roots in the local elementary school where their kids all go.

Beneath neighborly small talk and easy jokes Rizzo digs deep to expose tensions running along volatile fault lines: class, income inequality, and bare-faced prejudice, making this a thought-provoking and timely drama. Mutual Philanthropy is a play of excellent humor, great economy, and exhilarating pace, but for me, the true craft of Rizzo's pen is that it always hits its mark, and always finds le mot juste to catch the essence of a character.

Dan Bonnell's direction is dynamic, subtle, and well-choreographed.

An ensemble cast navigates the plot with deftness and the chemistry between the actors thrives with tension.  

James MacDonald as Charles provides a perfect blend of bullish arrogance and silky charm. Brea Bee's Michelle is flawless as the broken hostess with a faltering smile (and a therapist's plan to save the day); Mark Carapezza as Lee gives a nuanced performance that balances the comedy of a clueless artist with the love and heart of a husband struggling to provide for his family; and Xochitl Romero's Esther is tender, raw, and totally, totally believable as the woman fighting to keep it all together and find an honest path to her dreams. 

Runs at the Atwater Village Theatre until September 25. Tickets from www.brownpapertickets.com

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A View From The Bridge

9/17/2016

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Miller's classic runs at the Ahmanson Theatre, Downtown Los Angeles until October 16th. Here's my View From The Mezzanine. In this pic you can see the onstage area with a black tab (centre) obscuring the acting area (before curtain up) and on either side of the stage audience members seated onstage. 

This beautifully stylized and tightly choreographed production was marred by two lead actors who struggled to cope vocally. Having audience onstage and beyond the footlights couldn't have helped. They may be skilled on-screen actors with an abundance of TV credits between them but they simply lacked the vocal power to fill the space. 

It might claim to be the same Van Hove production but with a different cast it lacks the punch that so excited audiences on Broadway and in the West End. The Los Angeles Times is generous when it refers to the production as "smoldering"  (latimes.com
). 



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