Showing results by publisher "L.A. Theatre Works" in All Categories

A well-meaning American diplomat in South Africa tries to pacify his ferociously combative wife and anti-apartheid activist son by being reassigned to The Hague. But peace is hard to come by and, at an elegant New Year's Eve party, a harrowing betrayal is revealed. Judith Ivey recreates her acclaimed performance from the Lincoln Center production in this masterful drama from the author of The Substance of Fire.

Sonia, a Cuban exiled during Castro's rise to power, is forced to relive her tumultuous childhood when her only son enlists in the military following 9/11. Using humor and sensitivity, Sonia Flew paints a lyrical portrait of two families in two countries over a 40-year span.

Written by Susan Glaspell in 1916, Trifles is a one-act play about a woman accused of strangling her husband. Based on an actual murder case reported by Glaspell for the Des Moines News, the play represented an early exploration of gender relationships in a time when women often were considered to be mere trifles. A groundbreaking feminist play, Trifles is often included in anthologies of drama and literature.

In an emotional ecosystem as complex as that of our planet, is life nothing more than survival of the fittest? Michael Hollinger based his probing work on the real-life giant tortoise named 'Lonesome George', and the efforts to preserve his species that threatened the livelihood of the native fishermen on the Galàpagos Islands. This play is part of L.A. Theatre Works' Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

At the center of Cassandra Medley's play is the controversial idea that higher concentrations of melanin in the genetic makeup of people of color make them mentally, physically, and spiritually superior. Based on the scientific studies of her ironically now-deceased father, Kalima, a fledging molecular scientist looking to come to her own has a difficult time owning his flawed research. Her mother Claire, who carry's her deceased husband's scientific torch has a hard time reckoning with her daughter's enlightenment.

A timely and hauntingly beautiful new opera with libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Leroy Aarons and score by accomplished composer Glenn Paxton. Scandal erupts in the White House - and in the national press - when Thomas Jefferson's longtime love affair with his slave mistress Sally Hemings is revealed.

This Tony Award-winning play, set in New York City in 1850, centers on the painfully shy Catherine Sloyer, who lives in Washington Square with her father. When Catherine falls in love with a handsome suitor, Dr. Sloyer threatens to disinherit her, convinced that the young man could only be interested in her fortune. The decisions Catherine makes and their surprising consequences mark The Heiress as a complex and satisfying portrait of the American character.

The intense relationships between Robert Schumann, his wife Clara, and Johannes Brahms are brought to vivid life through music and excerpts from their passionate writings. With the arrival of the young, dynamic Brahms into their household, the Schumanns’ fragile marriage is threatened by the deepening bond between Clara and their gifted guest.

Judith Ivey recreates her critically acclaimed Broadway performance as an eccentric mother on Chicago's south side who rules her family with wisecracks and a will of iron. When she squares off against her husband over the fate of their "precious sons", some shattering family secrets come to light. Fred Savage ( The Wonder Years) co-stars.

Never has the Revolutionary War been so entertaining. Shaw stands "do or die" melodrama on its head, with a cast of unforgettable characters, from the deliciously urbane "Gentlemanly Johnny" Burgoyne, to the misguided romanticism of beautiful young Judith Anderson, to the Devil's Disciple himself, a dashing young American hero who disdains heroism, even as he makes the ultimate sacrifice for honor and country.

A highly-placed school official is accused of buying drugs on the street. Is he an out-of-control addict or a victim of discrimination? Voir Dire - a legal term meaning “to say what is true”- is the story of the racially-mixed jurors who will decide the official’s fate. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Christine Avila, Barbara Bosson, Shannon Cochran, Ella Joyce, Kevin Kilner and Amy Pietz. Directed by Ken Frankel. Recorded before a live audience.

After World War II, an African-American war vet brings home his Japanese bride. The family must learn to be tolerant of their new family member, while dealing with prejudice in the outside world.An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Mary Bond Davis, Yvonne Farrow, Bonnie Oda Homsey, Peter A. Jacobs, Carl Lumbly, Vonetta McGee, Don Reed, Charlie Robinson and Patricia Thompson.Directed by Peggy Shannon. Recorded before a live audience in Santa Monica, CA in January, 1991.

Taking place on a single day in May 1909, a self-made millionaire and his family invite their future nobleman-in-law for a visit to their estate in Surrey, England. In this delightfully clever play, issues of gender, class, politics, and family are all targets for Shaw's keen wit.

A behind-the-scenes story of a high-stakes political drama that dared the country and its citizens to look into the mirror - and change. Robert Kennedy had an early mistrust of Dr. Martin Luther King and his tactics, but became one of the civil rights movement’s greatest champions.

In Neat, writer/performer Charlayne Woodard shares her memories of growing up black in America in the '60s and '70s. The play focuses around the life of Woodard's Aunt Beneatha, Neat, who was mistakenly fed camphor oil as a baby, resulting in permanent brain damage. Stories of family and of time spent with Neat are weaved together with touching results.

Razor-sharp wit inflames a competitive game of survival in the salons of 17th century France where, in this world of "finest appearances," one man's blunt honesty shatters his society's delicate web of manners. Often considered to be Moliere's Hamlet, this is a wickedly scathing satire.

A brand spanking new bedroom farce about three couples who say what they oughtn't, do what they shouldn't, and deliver terrific one-liners while doing it. Ben and Nancy have a midnight therapy session over some unfortunate pillow talk; Grace and Gene take surprising sides over the one-night-stand issue; and therapist Mark finds his romantic rendezvous with an older man rudely interrupted.

In this biting comedy of errors, the hapless Arnolphe is undone by his own double dealing and double standards. The School for Wives was first performed at the Palais Royal theatre on December 26, 1662, and is considered by many to be Moliere's masterpiece. Richard Wilbur's subtle verse translation illuminates the great master of comedy at his wittiest.

Culture Clash brashly explores the San Diego-Tijuana region through satire and humor. Bordertown is based upon interviews the trio conducted with more than 100 people from both sides of the border and from every walk of life.

In Michael Hollinger’s look at the discordant backstage world of classical music, The Lazara Quartet has just fired one of its members, and his replacement is wary of the group’s reputation for personal, violent quarrels. And as they prepare for a command performance at the White House, they’re haunted by their former colleague’s sudden disappearance.