The Los Angeles Theatre Center

Pay It Forward – A Dancer Performance to Benefit CA Hospital Medical Center Saturday, June 29th, 2013 7:30 PM

Vince — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:23:35 +0000

Pay It Forward – A Dancer Performance to Benefit CA Hospital Medical Center
Directed by Catherine Round
Produced by C. Round Ballet Works

Saturday, June 29^th, 2013 7:30 PM

Five years ago, I (Catherine Round) was in a very serious car accident. CA Hospital took care of me, and got me back on my feet, dancing and teaching again. I have now made it my goal to pay it forward, and put on a benefit dance performance every year, so that CA Hospital can help others, as they have helped me.

GENERAL ADMISSION- $40.00

To purchase ticket online click below!

To purchase tickets over the phone:

Call our Box Office: 866-811-4111

Customer service hours: 6am – 6pm M-F / 7am – 3pm Sat + Sun

Group Services: 213-489-0994 ext. 100

Life in La review of Shades

Vince — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:19:38 +0000

Paula J. Caplan’s Shades at the Los Angeles Theatre Center honestly and compassionately brings the subject of war and conflict to the stage as it highlights its effects on modern families and friends of veterans–not to mention the effect war has on the soldiers themselves.

Shades makes the audience take a broader perspective on war and delve into a deeper connection to something we all need and want…to be loved.

Paula J Caplan is a woman of many talents and skills, she is a dedicated clinical and research psychologist, an actress, director and of course a playwright. Her work varies from gender studies, to women’s sexuality and psychology and she also strives diligently to break the barrier between veterans and the rest of society. Her work and knowledge of these subjects are represented very well in Shades in a terrific and touching story with characters that you for whom you will easily have empathy. This is where the play truly shines, because it humanizes war by showcasing the people hurt the most, as opposed to war being an abstract event thathappens out there. The ideas of race, identity and staying strong through grief are all prevalent in Shades.

The play takes place during 1997, and mostly centers on the Arnolds family. There is Jerry, (played by William MacMillan) a veteran of World War II and a loving father. His wife died some years ago, and now he wants to pass his restaurant business onto his daughter Val (Kim Chase) and his son Don (Jed Sura). Don is a veteran of the Vietnam War, who unfortunately has a strange infection of E. Coli in his lungs, causing him daily pain. Being a recent Vet and a divorced father of two sons, his sense of male pride stops him from letting his sister Val take care of him. Val is the recent widow of a Japanese American Soldier, and was an anti-war activist during the Vietnam War. Her husband came back to the states after the war and became a bank executive, but died an untimely death. To attempt to get outside of herself and her grief she begins to do volunteer work as a caretaker for an African American veteran named June (played by Toni Lewis). As you may already see, all of these characters carry with them hidden insecurities, wants, needs, and inner demons that emotionally bubble under the surface from the very start, while at the same time, keeping the charm and sense of humor that we all share only with our closest loved ones.

Dealing with the ailing health of her brother and the still fresh despair that comes from losing your spouse, Val starts to develop a friendship with June. June helps her to open up, and of course Val takes care of her and gives her company. Through their relationship and conversations you see how deeply war has effected them both; June, being paralyzed completely from the neck down due to an injury gained from the war, and Val having lost a husband and having seen what her Father Jerry’s time in the military did to her mother. Soon, the boundaries of how far their friendship goes becomes abundantly clear when June expresses a deep need that makes Val quite uncomfortable.

At the same time Val, Don and Jerry come to grips with the fact that the government at the LEAST was risking the lives of Americans for something that may not have been morally warranted or acceptable. Is the need to win a victory for “Democracy” and to “Protect” our country at the expense of other human beings worth more than the mental and emotional scars that never leave those who have served their country? And even more importantly, what happens to all those who didn’t go out and fight, and were left behind? How do they cope with family members coming back to a world they no longer understand? With all these heavy subjects, these people are still in a family, and the chemistry they share on stage exudes family love and harmony, in the midst of tragedy and pain.

The actors did an astonishing job, so well that I might actually BELIEVE these people ARE their characters outside of this production. A powerful moment comes through the line “Thank you, for letting us have you for a while.” Without giving details, I will say that it is in that moment, that the realization hits that even though this play itself is fictional, the circumstances brought up in Shades could actually be the lives of real people out there, who have had to face thesereal challenges and heartbreaking incidents, and still find a way to love. It is a play I suggest everyone experience, it will leave you with thought provoking questions, if not empathy for the victims of a culture built on war.

The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located on 514 S. Spring St, Los Angeles, California. To reserve tickets contact (866) 811-4111 or head to www.thelatc.org for online ticketing. Shades opened on Saturday, April 13^th 2013 and runs all the way through May 5^th.

THE WELCOME JOHNNY AND JANE HOME PROJECT: A BETTER WELCOME FOR VETERANS

Vince — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:52:02 +0000

Paula J. Caplan playwright of the upcoming

production of Shades at The LATC presents

THE WELCOME JOHNNY AND JANE HOME PROJECT:
A BETTER WELCOME FOR VETERANS
Generously hosted and presented by

The American Cinematheque at
Aero Theatre
Santa Monica, CA
Thursday,
February 28, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Visit: http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/body-of-war-0
Please join Harvard psychologist and veterans advocate Dr. Paula J. Caplan for a screening of Phil Donahue’s award-winning film, “Body of War,” and panel discussion with her and with Hollywood Cares nonprofit for veterans leader and television producer and veteran Tom Fick; founder of LA chapter of The Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project, Susannah Robb Kondrath; and a veteran participant in the Project.

Find out how YOU can help heal our veterans. Open to all. Tickets: $11.00; $8.00 for veterans with proof of veteran status at the door.
Tickets for screening and panel @ http://www.fandango.com/americancinemathequeattheaerotheatre_aacpd/theaterpage?date=2/28/2013
Americans — whatever their politics — want to help veterans, but few know what to do. Many think that if they are not therapists, there is nothing they can do, but nothing could be further from the truth!
Dr. Caplan’s Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project consists of one-to-one listening sessions between a civilian and a veteran. Her Harvard Kennedy School study revealed how the simple gift of an uninterruptedlistening session with a friend or even a stranger can bring veterans out of their soul-crushing isolation. The civilian listeners call the experience transformative for them, too. It’s about simple but all-too-rare human connection.
“Body of War,” the engrossing and powerful film Phil Donahue produced and Ellen Spiro directed, won the National Board of Review’s Best Documentary award and a People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. It lets audiences listen to the story of a young Iraq War veteran, learning about his war experiences, and how he deals with coming back home with emotional and physical challenges and pain. We get to know his fiancée, his mother, and his stepfather, and we witness their love, humor, conflict, and various kinds of politics.

A major portion of ticket sales will go to The Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project, and tax-deductible donations will also be gratefully accepted at the event.
Interest in implementing The Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project throughout the country is high, and funds will be used to prepare online video and text materials for use at no cost to help any individual or group anywhere start this listening project in their community. These are economical and immediate ways to involve veterans and civilians in connecting with each other and helping the process of healing. 100% of the donations will go directly to the production of materials and running of the program to help veterans.
Event will be at:
Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403

http://americancinematheque.com

Dr. Caplan’s book, When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home: How All of Us Can Help Veterans, which has won three national awards, will be available for purchase, including copies to donate to veterans.

Thank you for your support!

Beautiful | Coming May 23rd

Vince — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:29:20 +0000

Beautiful
World Premiere
Written and performed by Jozanne Marie
Directed by Geoff Rivas
Produced by The Latino Theater Company

May 23 – June 16th

$15 Previews: May 23 & 24

Opening Night – May 25th

Thursday – Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm

$30 | General Admission
$20 | Students, Seniors and Veterans
$20 | for Groups of 10+
$10 | Thursdays for the first 10 tickets sold, $15 after that.

Beautiful is a solo play about a young girl, an island, and a secret that begs to be told. Told through the spoken word poetry of international artist Jozanne Marie, this harrowing coming of age story from Jamaica to the Bronx will stay with you long after you leave the theater.

**Talk-backs every Sunday with the actress and director**

Seating is limited! Purchase your tickets ahead of time to avoid being turned away!

To purchase ticket online click below!

To purchase tickets over the phone:

Call our Box Office: 866-811-4111

Customer service hours: 6am – 6pm M-F / 7am – 3pm Sat + Sun

Group Services: 213-489-0994 ext. 100

the road weeps Livestream playreading!

Vince — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:03:01 +0000

the road weeps February 23rd at 3:00pm

By Marcus Gardley

Free

Sneak peak of the prequel to the road weeps, the well runs dry – coming to stages across the US in 2013-14. Hear the play that started the story as a screening of a radio reading this February 23rd, 2013 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

The Latino Theater Comany is excited to partner with the University of South Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance, The Studio@ 620, WMNF, #Newplay TV, and the Lark Play Development Center to bring you a livestream of the radio reading of playwright Marcus Gardley’s work the rocks are gonna cry out on February 23, 2013. This livestreaming event will include unstructured conversations with the playwright, and the reading by Tampa actors of the first act of the rocks are gonna cry out at 3pm in LATC’s Theater 2.

the rocks are gonna cry out is the first installment in a trilogy about the migration of Black Seminoles (African and Native People) from Florida to Oklahoma. The play takes place in 1820s and 1830s Florida and traces the beginnings of a community that will be forced to migrate northwest to eventually settle in Wewoka, OK. At its core, the play explores spiritualty, sexuality, and sacred stories within a group of people whose faith and identity are about to be put to the test.

This event is part of a multi-year journey for the Latino Theater Company with this project, which will culminate in the third national production of the second play in this beautiful trilogy the road weeps, the well runs dry in the Fall 2013 season. In conjunction with the Lark Play Development Center in New York we join the Perseverance Theatre, the Pillsbury House Theatre, and the University of South Florida, in presenting this provocative and engaging play about the migration of Black Seminoles (African and Native American people) from Florida to Wewoka, OK – the first incorporated all black town.

Led by the Lark Play Development Center, Launching New Plays into the Repertoire is a national initiative to transform the American theater repertoire to reflect shifting demographics and emerging issues of local, national and global concern. This is accomplished by “creating a movement” around a single playwright’s vision by a consortium of five theaters that commit to developing and producing what many consider “risky” plays and to engage in local and national conversations about each play’s relevance and potential impact. The first three pilot rounds of this program, involving 12 individual theaters and three playwrights, will be completed by June 2014. In advance of each production, conversations around the play’s themes of migration, identity and education are facilitated locally by Donna Walker-Kuhne, the project’s community engagement consultant. This initiative is made possible with leadership support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with additional funding from The Nathan Cummings Foundation.

Marcus Gardley (playwright of the road weeps, the well runs dry) is a poet-playwright who was recently named a USA James Baldwin Fellow in 2012 and also won the 2011 PEN\ Laura Pels Award for an American Playwright in Mid-Career. His most recent play every tongue confess premiered at the Arena Stage, starring Phylicia Rashad and directed by Kenny Leon. It was nominated for the Steinberg New Play Award. His play, On The Levee, premiered at Lincoln Center and was nominated for 11 Audelco Awards including outstanding playwright. In 2008, he won the prestigious Helen Merril Award and a Kesselring honor. His play, …and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi, was produced at the Cutting Ball Theater and received both critical and audience acclaim; it was named one of the top ten plays in the Bay Area in 2010, and had two sold-out extensions.

His Bay Area plays This World in a Woman’s Hands (October 2009) and Love is a Dream House in Lorin (March 2007) have been hailed as the best in Bay Area theater. The latter was nominated for the National Critics Steinberg New Play Award. Other produced plays include: dance of the holy ghost at Yale Repertory Theatre (now under a commercial Broadway option), (L)imitations of Life, at the Empty Space and like sun fallin’ in the mouth at the National Black Theatre Festival.

Gardley is the recipient of the SF Bay Area’s Gerbode Emerging Playwright Award, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Award, the Eugene O’Neill Memorial Scholarship, and the ASCAP Cole Porter Prize. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from the Yale Drama School and is a member of New Dramatists, The Dramatists Guild and the Lark Play Development Center. Gardley, a native of West Oakland, was recently chosen as one of 50 writers to watch by Dramatists Magazine. He is also an Assistant Professor of African-American Theater and Playwriting at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

Posthumous honor for Lupe Ontiveros

Vince — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:43:16 +0000

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF) and Honorary Chairpersons Danny Glover and Hattie Winston, we are pleased to announce that Ms. Ontiveros has been nominated for our 2013 Infinity Award. This award is bestowed upon an artist who has passed on and leaves behind a legacy that will always be remembered.

This year we celebrate our Emerald 20th Anniversary Festival on Thursday,
March 21, 2013 at the Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner Cultural Art Center’s beautiful Renberg Theatre located at 1125 McCadden Place, Hollywood, CA 90038. Our
hosts for the evening will Danny Glover and Hattie Winston.

LAWTF was founded in 1993 as a non-profit arts organization by Adilah Barnes and Miriam Reed to provide a venue for multicultural and multi-disciplined solo artists and their original works. We have presently produced close to 500 artists from around the globe including those from Europe, South America and the Middle East.

In 1994, Della Reese hosted our first Awards Ceremony. Past Infinity Awardees who have had someone come in person to receive their award posthumously have included representatives for Bea Arthur, Yolanda King, Eartha Kitt and Aliana Reed Hall..

Please let us know by February 1, 2013 if someone would be able to receive this award in person. We applaud Ms. Ontiveros for the legacy she has left behind.

We also invite you to visit our website at www.lawtf.org to learn more about LAWTF. Please feel free to contact us at (818) 760.0408, if you have any further questions.

EVELINA FERNANDEZ TO RECEIVE SPECIAL AWARD FROM LOS ANGELES DRAMA CRITICS CIRCLE

Vince — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:44:24 +0000

The Latino Theater Company at Los Angeles Theatre Center congratulates its playwright-in-residence Evelina Fernandez on winning the Ted Schmitt Award. Bestowed by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle on the occasion of the World Premiere of an outstanding new play, Ms. Fernandez won the award for ‘A Mexican Trilogy,” three plays that follow a Mexican-American family in the U.S. over the span of 100 years. The Award is accompanied by an offer to publish by Samuel French, Inc.
Ms. Fernandez will receive her honor when the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle holds its annual awards ceremony on Monday, March 18, 2013 at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information about the event, go to www.ladramacriticscircle.com

Yoga at The LATC

Vince — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:44:04 +0000

Live or work in DTLA? Check these new Yoga classes

Place: LATC Lobby

Monday/Wednesday/Friday:

8:30-9:45am
Class instructor: Amanda Margolis
Style: I teach yoga for the love of inspiring peace and bliss. Yoga is both a science and an art that grounds us in our true inner state of presence. The foundation is always a focus on the breath, with the asanas inspired by the breath. I teach with a strong alignment focus so that students experience the full benefit of the asanas, whatever the individual expression of an asana may be. Anybody can practice yoga, and I bring the practice to where the student is.

Tuesday/Thursday:

8:30-9:45am

Class instructor: Leena Culhane

Saturdays:

10:00-11:15 Vinyasa Flow: Move with grace and connect mind, body and spirit in this dynamic and energizing class.

Class instructor: Scarlett Leigh. Scarlett Leigh came to yoga in search of a lengthening and strengthening practice, and found so much more. In every class she uses a hands-on approach to emphasize proper alignment. Scarlett uses smart sequencing and breath-work to creates body heat through Vinyasa style flows. She draws from a versatile background in dance and physical theatre methods such Meyerhold’s Bio-Mechanics, Feldenkrais, and the Alexander Technique. Scarlett studied with Joan Evans at Stella Adler, Sarah Hickler and Kathleen Baum at Emerson College, and Roger & Trish Triplett. Scarlett hails from the east coast, and completed her 200 Hour Certification with David Vendetti & Todd Skoglund at South Boston Yoga. Namaste

Please bring your own mat and water bottle. Classes are by donation, suggested donation $10 cash

Reservations can be made by calling: (213) 489-0994 ext. 100 or emailing: angela@thelatc.org
Walk Ups Welcome

A great way to greet the day with fellow DTLA friends. Meet new people, and be healthy.
LATC is currently looking for Yoga Instructors who would like to use our lobby to teach our neighbors and friends in the morning. There is no charge for space, and you can keep all profit.
Contact: Angela Scott

“Alice’s Wonderland” An original musical written by Maya Lott: May 24th – May 26th

Vince — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:05:40 +0000

Alice’s Wonderland
Written by Maya Lott
Directed by Denise Dowse
Produced by Amazing Grace Conservatory in Association with Wendy R.Robinson

In celebration of our 16th Season, Amazing Grace Conservatory is proud to presents an original musical, Alice’s Wonderland! Bring the entire family and experience a musical fantasy you’ll never forget as 75 youth ages 10-18, electrify the stage in a show stopping musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland! Directed by NAACP Award Winner Denise Dowse, It’ll be a wild ride you’ll never forget! One Weekend Only!

Friday May 24 (Preview) 8pm
Saturday May 25 at 4pm & 8pm
Sunday May 26 at 7pm

General admission, students and seniors | $20 in advance | $25 at the door
Friday’s preview $15 in advance | $20 at door
Groups of 20 or more | $16.50

To purchase ticket online click below!

To purchase tickets offline:

Call our Box Office Today! 866-811-4111

Customer service hours: 6am – 6pm M-F / 7am – 3pm Sat + Sun

Group Services: 213-489-0994 ext. 100

Under Milk Wood Reading-Nov 16

Vince — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:38:58 +0000

The Celtic Arts Center’s annual reading of Dylan Thomas. Come celebrate the life of this Welsh writer with a reading of his 1954 Radio Drama Under Milk Wood.

Where: Theater 1
When: Nov. 16 at 8pm
Who: The Celtic Arts Center in Association with the LATC
What: Under Milk Wood: A Staged Reading to celebrate the life of Dylan Thomas

Tickets:

$10 General Admission

$7 LATC Members, Celtic Arts Center Members, and Students

Pay at door