KPCC: L.A. Theatre Works

A View from the Bridge

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:44:54 -0700

Italian-American immigrant life in the 1950’s textures this searing drama of love and revenge . Longshoreman Eddie Carbone is devoted to his wife, Beatrice and to his niece, Catherine. When Beatrice’s impoverished Sicilian cousins enter the U.S. illegally, in hope of finding work, Eddie gives them a helping hand. But when Catherine and one of the cousins fall in love, Eddie’s affection for his niece turns into obsession. Starring Harry Hamlin, Mary McDonnell, Amy Pietz, and Ed O'Neill Written by Arthur Miller.

Ceremonies in Dark Old Men

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:25:11 -0700

First produced by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1969, this classic by Academy Award® nominee Lonne Elder III gives us the portrait of a Harlem family that dreams of a better life, but pursues it in tragic ways. “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men” opened the door for new generation of African-American playwrights, August Wilson among them. NBC-TV called Elder’s dramatization of rituals "exciting drama, filled with meaningful insight and original comedy."

The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:11:56 -0700

Peter Goodchild’s play, "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial", is taken from the transcripts of the Scopes Trial, a battle over the right to teach evolution in public schools, which reaffirmed the importance of intellectual freedom as codified in the Bill of Rights. The trial, in a small-town Tennessee courtroom in 1925, set the stage for the continuing debates over the separation of Church and State in a democratic society. Also includes an interview with author Peter Goodchild and excerpts from a roundtable discussion with the actors.

Beloved Clara

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:02:49 -0700

In “Beloved Clara”, 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. “This is a beautifully put - together portrait…Kleenex required” says The Guardian (London). Also features an interview with author-pianist Lucy Parham.

Relativity

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:00:17 -0700

Enter the brave new world of genetic mapping and profiling, and the controversy that arises when it is applied to issues of race. Kalima, a brilliant young African-American biogeneticist, finds her cutting-edge research bringing her into ideological conflict with her mother, Claire, who runs a foundation dedicated to “melanin science”. Claire fervently believes that the pigment melanin makes African-Americans genetically superior. The stage is set for a fascinating exploration of the divide between the methodologies of Western science and more faith-based analyses of our biological blueprints. Also: An interview with Dr. Stanley Nelson, Professor of Human Genetics and Psychiatry at UCLA.

Marvin's Room

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:00:22 -0700

Good-hearted Bessie has been taking care of their ailing father for 20 years, but now she’s the one who’s sick, and she must reconcile with her estranged sister, Lee. A remarkably humorous and tender play, this critically acclaimed family drama was dubbed by The New York Times as “...one of the funniest plays of the year as well as one of the wisest and most moving.”

The Tale of the Allergist's Wife

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:57:22 -0700

A raucous comedy from Charles Busch, one of America's most outrageous playwrights. New York dilettante Marjorie Taub, a middle-aged doctor's wife, is hooked on culture - mornings at the Whitney, afternoons at MOMA, evenings at BAM. Plunged into a mid-life crisis of Medea-like proportions, she's shaken out of her lethargy by the reappearance of a fascinating childhood friend.

Arcadia (Conclusion) & England

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:00:08 -0700

A crash course in mathematics, landscape gardening, literature, and chaos theory, courtesy of Tom Stoppard. Arcadia merges science with human concerns and ideals, examining the universe’s influence in our everyday lives and ultimate fates through the relationship between past and present, order and disorder and the certainty of knowledge. Set in an English country house in the years 1809-1812 and 1989, the play compares the lives of two modern scholars and the house's current residents with the lives of those who lived there 180 years earlier. In the second hour, LA Theatre Works presents the BBC’s entry in our Worldplay Series: “England” by Tim Crouch.

Arcadia

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:29:27 -0700

Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia merges science with human concerns and ideals, examining the universe’s influence in our everyday lives and ultimate fates through relationship between past and present, order and disorder and the certainty of knowledge. Set in an English country house in the year 1809-1812 and 1989, the play examines the lives of two modern scholars and the house's current residents with the lives of those who lived there 180 years earlier. Arcadia leaves us with the view that if the universe is an apparently doomed machine, then whilst we are alive, we might as well dance. Features an interview with Ira Nadel, Professor of English at the University of British Columbia, and the author of "Double Act: A Life of Tom Stoppard."

The Country Girl

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:21:25 -0700

Clifford Odets rocked the worlds of Broadway and Hollywood in this moving drama about a desperately self-destructive alcoholic actor and his long-suffering wife. A searing, emotional play of love and redemption. Starring Stacy Keach as Frank Elgin, Mare Winningham as Georgie Elgin, Harry Hamlin as Bernie Dodd, Spencer Garrett as Paul Unger, Rick Podell as Phil Cook, Mandy Siegfried as Nancy Stoddard, and Jamie Hanes as Larry. Directed by Nancy Malone.

Mary Stuart

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:10:52 -0700

In Freidrich Schiller's classic work, Elizabeth I of England is threatened by the survival of her Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart. Wrestling with her own conscience, the Queen agonizes over Mary's fate, amidst fears for her own life. With Alex Kingston as Mary Queen of Scots and Jill Gascoine as Queen Elizabeth, with Sheelagh Cullen, Ken Danziger, Seamus Dever, Matt Gaydos, Martin Jarvis, Christopher Neame, Alan Shearman, W. Morgan Sheppard, and Simon Templeman.

The Busy World is Hushed

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:03:03 -0700

Jill Clayburgh stars in Keith Bunin's powerful examination of faith. With wisdom, humor and insight, "The Busy World is Hushed" explores the contradictions we find in religion, our families and ourselves. Hannah, a widowed minister, is hoping to translate a long-lost gospel when she is challenged by both her scholarly assistant and her wayward gay son. But when family secrets are revealed, only a stranger can help Hannah find peace.

J Edgar!

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:26:16 -0700

Kelsey Grammer and John Goodman lead an all-star cast in this musical look at the sensitive side of FBI tough guy J. Edgar Hoover. Direct from Hoover's deathbed, we learn about his life and loves in a flashback that takes the form of a musical fantasy. Also starring Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Christopher Guest, David L. Lander, Marian Mercer, and more. Written by Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold, with music by Peter Matz.

Table Manners

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:33:49 -0700

England’s famous seducer of other men’s wives lays siege to his sister-in-law in the first “battle” of Ayckbourn’s celebrated triology "The Norman Conquests". In "Table Manners", the action occurs in the dining room of Mother’s house, where a conventional middle-class family is attempting to have a pleasant country weekend. But they are no match for Norman, the bane of the family, who horrifies everyone by doing exactly as he likes. The broadcast includes interviews with Alan Ayckbourn and Martin Jarvis, and a special feature on famous philanderers. Starring Rosalind Ayres as Sarah, Ken Danzinger as Reg, Jane Leeves as Annie, Christopher Neame as Tom, Carolyn Seymour as Ruth, and Martin Jarvis as Norman.

The Grapes of Wrath

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:22:48 -0700

John Steinbeck's masterpiece of hard times and hope in 1930's America. Set during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath tells the powerful story of the Joad family’s trek from the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma to the promise of a new life in California. But what they find threatens to rip apart their lives, and sever the ties that bind them together. Frank Galati’s heart-wrenching adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel finds its timeless heart in the generous spirit of the common man. With live music by the Joel Rafael Band. Directed by Richard Masur. The show includes a feature on Dust Bowl songs and stories.

Mrs. Klein

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:58:53 -0700

"Mrs. Klein" - The air is thick with Freud and sex as eminent psychoanalyst Melanie Klein comes roaring to life in a 1930's drawing room. The city of London offers the witty, overbearing Mrs. Klein refuge from rising European fascism. But perhaps her children are still in need of refuge – from her. The show includes an interview with Dr. Chris Minnick, Associate Professor at the University of Southern California's School of Medicine, and one of the country's leading "Kleinians".

Pack of Lies

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:30:41 -0700

"Pack of Lies" - Actual events during the Cold War inspired this thriller that takes place in a suburb of London during the autumn and winter of 1960-1961. Loyalty, duty and friendship collide when the Jacksons slowly discover the Krogers, their neighbors and cherished friends, are not what they appear. A gripping play that may leave you wondering exactly what it is those nice people next door are really up to.

Mimi's Guide

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:33:54 -0700

In a quiet university setting near the bayous of Louisiana, the lives of a poet, his muse, and a young professor intersect in unexpected and powerful ways. Starring Powers Boothe as Waterman, Frances Conroy as Mimi, and Ping Wu as Robert. The show includes a feature on "Operation Wandering Soul" with psychological warfare expert Herbert A. Friedman, an interview with John Rennie Short, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, and a conversation with "Mimi's Guide" playwright Doris Baizley.

War of the Worlds & The Lost World

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:31:01 -0700

A Halloween double feature complete with aliens and dinosaurs. First, join Leonard Nimoy and other actors from STAR TREK and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION as they recreate the classic radio thriller. Originally performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre of the Air, WAR OF THE WORLDS is truly the mother of all space invasions, offering a rare combination of chills, thrills and great literature. Then, Arthur Conan Doyle’s rollicking adventure tale THE LOST WORLD follows a scientific expedition deep into the Amazon jungle – right back into the time of dinosaurs and cavemen. The broadcast includes a conversation with Leonard Nimoy and a special insider's tour of the Dino Lab at the Natural History Museum of L.A. County.

The Ride Down Mt. Morgan

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:41:28 -0700

Lyman Felt has it all. Wealth, success, power and the kind of good solid wife he needs. Oh, and he also has another wife, the kind of earthy, sexy woman he wants. Lyman juggles his artful lie until a car accident on the slippery slope of Mt. Morgan lands him in a hospital bed and the two wives in the waiting room. But really, is there any such thing as "just an accident?" Starring Brian Cox, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Gregory Itzin, Amy Pietz and Kirsten Potter. Written by Arthur Miller.