From the Red Carpet to the After-Party the night was filled with LGBTQIA+ acceptance, appreciation, and the celebration of the community's intersectional struggles and progress.

Hosted by Wanda Sykes, honoring Britney Spears, awarding Lena Waithe, and serving fish, or chicken, or whatever people ordered for their dinner entrees. The evening was filled with good vibes and friendly faces. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to speak with the ageless Halle Berry but I did have several conversations with many up an coming stars like fabulous like the wonderful Ser Anzoategui. My Hulu free trial ran out before I could catch up on East LA High but Ser assured me that their new show, "Vida" on Starz, is even more scandalous. I'll be signing up for the free trial tonight.

I also spoke with the gorgeous fashion model Laith Ashley and found out he's working on the new R&B album. Can't wait to turn the lights down low for that one.

Through a sea of tipsy bystanders I caught a glimpse of NafessaWilliams, Thunder from the CW's "Black Lightning", walking around the pool area of the Beverly Hills Hotel near GLAAD's Silent Auction display. The fan in me wanted to shove everyone out of the way and ask for a selfie but before I could abruptly end the conversation I was currently engaged in she was gone; typical lesbian superhero.

In addition to actors, models, writers, and directors, the 29thAnnual GLAAD Media Awards were filled with activists like Cathy Serino, a woman to watch out for. Back home Cathy fights for the rights of trans individuals locally and federally in the red state of Missouri.

The GLAAD Media Awards had it all, all except LGBTQ+ musical performances. It was odd. It was just awards, after awards, after awards. Although I was grateful to see the long list of TV shows and movies uplifting LGBTQ visibility I was hoping Janelle Monáe was going to pop out with Tessa Thompson between her thighs and share her tale of her love of 'Pynk' with us. There was no Janelle, no Tessa, only a questionable pop performance during the After-Party. On the plus side, the DJ pulled out an old Mousse T classic and the dance circle got wild. Back by the bar I ran into a Queer performer I'd met 7 years ago in San Francisco at Aunt Charlie's, Saturn Jones, now living in LA; they told me I need to check out their new tracks. I agreed, I need to check those out.

At approximately $500 (donation) for the worse seats in the house, attending the GLAAD Media Awards in-person might not be an option for everyone but fortunately the ceremony will be broadcasted exclusively on Logo, April 18th at 8pm.

Palos Verdes, CA (The Hollywood Times) 4/20/18 - The highly regarded Universe Multicultural Film Festival (UMFF) was held last Friday to Sunday. A number of events happened in 4 venues in Palos Verdes Peninsula cities. Hundreds of filmmakers from Hollywood and aboard met in the beautiful peninsula for a full 3 days of film, fashion, finance, and multicultural harmony. All events were open to the public by purchasing admission tickets online. The honorees of UMFF were nominated by audiences worldwide.

Nityashetra Dance Troupe
Photo by Valerie Milano

The opening gala was on Friday, April 6th. The Masters of Ceremony were Magi Avila, Isabelle Hu and Mark Justice. Some South bay local artists performed in the opening gala: Jayme Claire sang the National Anthem to open the ceremony, Dan McNay sang songs to welcome film maker from worldwide. Young dancer Cady Mariano from San Diego performed her fantastic solo dance.

A number of industry panel discussions were held in UMFF, which are in the area of screenwriting; production; pitching-and-catching and distribution, plus a working with China panel discussion. A number of well-know Hollywood film personalities shared their experiences with the audiences. James Cullen Bressack; Jacob N. Stuart, Carolina de Athey, Zack Van Eyck, Marilyn Anderson will have open discussions with screenwriters. Alisa Reyes, Michael Baumgarten, Michael Matteo Rossi, Elisabeth White gave film producing tips. John Rodsett, Rick Rieger, Bill H McKinney, Mark Sonoda, Lynn Tang and Rosario Elenawill shared their knowledge in distribution the films to worldwide market. A Chinese film maker delegation of 20 told their stories and shared their insider view of how to make films in China.

Vida Ghaffari, Aki Aleong, Gene Warren Jr. and Lynn Tang.
Photo by Valerie Milano

Two live shows, the Maeya Culture Ambassador Contests and the screenplay showcases, were present at the reception gala at Saturday night April 7th. The gala hosts were Carolina de Athey, Linda Wong and young Hollywood star Kayley Stallings. The festival juries shared their judgment points and views. UMFF art juries committee members shared the title winners. The jury's members include international beauty title winners, models, actress, producers and directors.

The film Market session was held in Sunday afternoon April 8th. Multiple film projects did casting, interviews for directors, DP, Script doctors, composers, etc.

The famous rainbow red carpet and award ceremony was hosted at the RHCC Community center in Rolling Hills Estates, the Host team was Mark Justice, Isabelle Hu and Magi Avila. The award presenters were Vanessa Branch (Hollywood), Danny Pardo (Argentina), Sarina (Mongolia), Aki Aleong (Hollywood), festival jury members Eric Brodeur; Dallas King; Ian Fischer; Wei Zheng (China). The ceremony performers are Nityashetra Dance School (Disseminating classical Indian heritage), Wayne Collins and his band (Hollywood); Xi Opera (China); and Mongolian folk songs. Legendary actor Aki Aleong (Walker, Texas Ranger, V) bestowed awards upon Actress Vida Ghaffari (Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Mindy Project) with a Trailblazer Award and Oscar and Emmy winner Gene Warren Jr. (Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Winds of War) with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Award winner Vida Ghaffari on the red carpet in a Sai Suman couture gown
Photo by Valerie Milano

Every year, first weekend of April, the UMFF brings worldwide movie stars and cultures shining at the peninsula. Please join in. More info at www.umfilms.org

By Kathy Flynn

David Tennant as Cale Erendreich in Bad Samaritan

Small-time thief Sean (Robert Sheehan) gets more than he bargains for when he breaks into Cale Erendreich's urban mansion in this taut, well-paced thriller from director Dean Devlin.

Sean and his best friend Derek (Carlito Olivero) are valets at an upscale restaurant, who burglarize the homes of the restaurants patrons while they are dining. When Sean enters Cales's home, he finds a brand new credit card and a little something more...a tortured woman bound and gagged in an office. Sean's decision to rescue the woman leads to a tension-filled cat and mouse game between him and Erendreich with ever increasing stakes.

Cale is played by beloved Doctor Who actor David Tennant, who has avoided the stigma of typecasting with successful roles in Broadchurch and Jessica Jones, where he plays supervillain Killgrave, a character that is quite similar to Cale in many ways. But chameleon Cale is in some ways even more terrifying; what he lacks in superpowers he makes up for in pure malevolence and the lack of even a shred of empathy. You can feel Cale's eventual delight as he matches wits with Sean, and finds a foil worthy of his attention. Every step of the way Sean makes the smart move, avoiding the horror movie cliché of bad or dumb choices. He constantly tries to do the right thing, making him a likable and relatable protagonist.

Both the violence quotient and tension are high, and this is not a film for the squeamish, but lovers of suspense will find this film smart and entertaining.

Bad Samaritan is the latest offering from Legion M, the first fan-owned and funded production company. Legion M launched in 2016 and has raised over $3.5 million from 7,000+ investors.

By Kathy Flynn

The cast of the School of Rock Tour.
© Matthew Murphy.

The kids are the stars of the show in this lightweight but fun musical featuring 14 new songs from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Dewey Finn is a loser. Overweight and underemployed and mooching off his best friend Ned, whose girlfriend is fed up and not having it anymore. And who can blame her? She wants Dewey to either contribute rent or get out, which isn't an unreasonable request.

At first, it's almost uncomfortable watching Dewey manipulate these kids, but once the kids start to loosen up and enjoy themselves, everything starts to gel and the play finally comes alive. The kids take the spotlight with "You're in the Band," where they first pick up their instruments and learn what they can do, and Dewey's deception takes a backseat to the growth and freedom that the students start experiencing. "If Only You Would Listen" is a genuinely touching number where the kids' personal lives briefly take center stage.  "Stick it to Man" is the showstopper, where the kids fully embrace their talent and absolutely shine on stage.

Theodora Silverman and Rob Colletti in the School of Rock Tour.
© Matthew Murphy.

The joyful exuberance that the kids bring to their roles is what really saves this production from mediocracy. They are so fun to watch and each of the kids is a standout performer, particularly Grier Burke who plays shy Tomika, Vincent Molden as guitar shredding Zack, Gilberto Moretti-Hamilton as Freddy,  Theodora Silverman as Katie, and Theo Mitchell-Penner as Lawrence the nerdy keyboard player.

School of Rock's Dewey Finn is so imbued with the spirit of Jack Black, who played Finn in the 2003 movie, that it's hard for anyone else to wholly own the role. Rob Colletti seems to be trying a little too hard to be Jack Black at first, but once he is with the kids he fully embodies the role. He brings a strong physicality along with serious vocal chops to the part.

The primary missteps in the story are with the adult females. The subplot making the school principal Ned's love interest is as unnecessary as it is implausible. And I wish Ned's girlfriend Patty had a bit more dimension, as the character is needlessly uptight and shrewish. But in School or Rock everything is played in broad strokes; there's not a lot of subtlety going on here. 

Theo Mitchell-Penner in the School of Rock Tour.
© Matthew Murphy.

School of Rock is a great family outing, funny and uplifting and showing the power that music has to transform all of our lives.

School of Rock - The Musical opened on Broadway in 2015 and was nominated for 4 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Leading Actor in a Musical. It was awarded the 2017 Oliver Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

School of Rock - The Musical is at the Hollywood Pantages through May 27th.

By Valerie Milano

Saoirse Ronan

Classic plays turned into movies usually run the risk of coming out too much like an assignment for Freshman English. This new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull runs the risk of coming out too much like an episode of Desperate Housewives. For one, it's done in American colloquial, forgoing the patina of respectability bestowed by a British cast. And second... well, there's rather a lot of sex.

Adapted by Tony Award-winning playwright Stephen Karam (The Humans) and directed by Tony Award-winning Michael Mayer ( Spring Awakening), this streamlined version of the tragic/comedic romance - rom-tragicom? -- ramps up the funny and pares down the introspection. Chekhov's dilemma was how to live a creatively fulfilled life. Here, the dilemma is who sleeps with whom.

Inexplicably set in 1902-1904 (the play was written in 1896), Mayer opens up a potentially claustrophobic manor house drama by setting the action in the countryside, with Upper New York State doubling for Tsarist Russia. The relationships, however, remain as claustrophobic as ever.

Get out your scorecards: Veteran actress Irina Arkadina (Annette Bening) comes to her brother Pjotr Sorin's (Brian Dennehy) country house with her much younger lover, author Boris Trigorin (Corey Stoll) in tow. There, her son Konstantin (Billy Howle) tries to impress her with his own writing skills, but instead has to watch his beloved Nina (Saoirse Ronan) fall for Trigorin. It's Masha (Elizabeth Moss) who's in love with Konstantin, and poor schoolteacher Medvedenko (Michael Zegen) is in love with her. Masha's mother (Mare Winningham), meanwhile, continues to hold a torch for the town doctor (Jon Tenney), who has the hots for Irina. Masha's father, the estate manager, just wants to find a good horse.

Corey Stoll and Saoirse Ronon.

If you're wondering who represents the center of good in the story, try the horse. Ronan's Nina is a starstruck wannabe, willing to throw over her devoted suitor for a taste of the Moscow stage. (If I had the choice between Corey Stoll's 40-year-old, balding Trigorin and a Konstantin who looks like a younger, blonder Jonathan Rhys Meyers... let's just say it would have been a tougher choice.) Konstantin is terminally self-obsessed, his mother is a self-deluded narcissist, Trigorin is an archetype for the #MeToo movement, and proto-Goth Masha is the worst wife since Lady Macbeth.

The saving grace of this adaptation, though, is that that the filmmakers know these characters are vain, self-absorbed denizens of the "country club class" with pretentions to being artistes. Annette Bening is pitch perfect in a complex, career-crowning role. Elizabeth Moss is laugh-out-loud funny. You could be lulled into thinking this a gentle comedy, like director Mayer's Hollywood offerings 27 Dresses or Alpha House. Until it isn't.

Plays don't hang around for 120 years unless they tell a compelling story. The Seagull will linger with you long after the credits roll.

By Valerie Milano

Hollywood's own Hedy Lamarr, once one of the world's most beautiful women, will be profiled on the new PBS segment of AMERICAN MASTERS in the first co-production with Susan Sarandon's new company Reframed Pictures. Lamarr's beauty, upon which the figures of Snow White and Catwoman were based, may have blotted out her other claims to fame as an inventor.

Premiering on Friday, May 18th, 2018, Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story explores how Lamarr's work revolutionized modern communications and became the basis for Wi Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. She also patented a technique called "frequency hopping."

The film follows Hedy Lamarr's story as the daughter of Austrian Jews through her rise to fame, the Nazi onslaught, her departure for the United States, six marriages, her acting career, her landmark invention, decline, and finally her death at the age of 85 in 2000.

Hedy Lamarr's technological legacy was discussed at the PBS AMERICAN MASTERS Winter 2018 TCA Press Tour panel taking place on Tuesday, January 16th at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena. Present were director and producer Alexandra Dean and associate producer Danijela Cabric, a professor of electrical engineering at UCLA. Cabric is an expert on frequency hopping and is interviewed in the Hedy Lamarr film.

What is Lamarr's reputation as an actress in this day and age? She never made a Casablanca as she might have. The mark she made on the world had more to do with her technical innovations and inventions. Hedy Lamarr invented frequency hopping technology at the time when it was really needed. This was the first time in history that frequency hopping was used for military communications.

To this day, that is the technology used to protect and make secure military communications. Federal agencies are still investing in frequency hopping. "When you look back into history, [Lamarr] was the first one that proposed it, patented it, and in ways caught the prototype," said Danijela Cabric.

Sometimes we can only handle one thing at a time about a celebrity. So what does it tell us that we could never get our hands around the fact that Hedy was brilliant as well as beautiful?

Danijela Cabric said that even today people are surprised when she tells them she teaches electrical engineering at UCLA and also does research. "And fortunately now, with Hedy's story, I think we can say that women are capable, and they can invent, and they can understand technology and push technology forward."

Alexandra Dean added, "You really have to. . .look underneath the coverlet and see what is really going on or we miss out on these huge swaths of people and these amazing histories that are all around us." Ms. Lamarr's accomplishments may help to challenge stereotypes about women and technology.

In the chaos of Europe when Lamarr was growing up, was there any ability for a girl to get training in technology, or was this just something native born within her? In Vienna she got a good education in science until the age of 15, then left school to begin acting. Lamarr's close relationship with her father in childhood may have turned her towards inventing later on.

This PBS segment itself had to be "invented" from some long-lost tapes of Lamarr speaking. Other epic film stars such as Clark Gable were also recorded!

Hedy Lamarr with Spencer Tracy in "I Take this Woman."

Hedy Lamarr was, in addition, a legend in Beverly Hills for plastic surgery as both patient and surgeon! Sometimes her surgeries melted in the sun, as can be seen from vintage photos of her face. She had a drug-related psychotic break in the late 1940s and started to shoplift.

So is Lamarr a tragic or triumphant figure? Maybe both! At the end of her life she realized she was doing something as an inventor that could change the world as part of the war effort, and that gave her life meaning after being "kicked around" as an actress.

"I don't think anyone who really gleans wisdom from their life is tragic. I think what's tragic is when you don't, when you die without any insight, without any arc, without any movement over your life," said Alexandra Dean.

What a lesson to learn from Hedy Lamarr! Now her name is mentioned along with those of Einstein and Edison as well as Mayer and DeMille. Prepare to see Lamarr's double life unfold on PBS in all its richness right before the royal wedding.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story airs on Friday, May 18th at 9pm on PBS.

UNDERCOVER BOSS: CELEBRITY EDITION

By Valerie Milano

Los Angeles, CA, 5/10/2018--"Imagine if your idol could walk a mile in your shoes, recognize your special ability and change your life forever? This is what you'll see this season on the celebrity edition of Undercover Boss-along with state-of-the-art disguises, trickier undercover situations-and the greatest payoffs yet." -Greg Goldman, Executive Producer of the new series.

Reality TV shows can be entertaining and addictive. They can cause emotions to soar one moment and plummet the next, thereby creating an emotional roller coaster inside of us. We may not be taken on an emotional roller coaster ride during each episode of Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition on CBS this season, but we certainly will be entertained.

The CBS Television Network is offering viewers a new reality series and hoping to titillate the senses and hold our long term interest by placing celebrities and well known personalities on its first full season of Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition. The show, produced by Studio Lambert/All3Media America, is not new. CBS aired two episodes in May of 2017 featuring GRAMMY Award-winning musician Darius Rucker and chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson with much success.

Undercover Boss, the parent series, debuted in 2010 with an amazing 38.6 million viewers. The show is based on executives going "undercover" within their own companies to ensure company policy and standards are being followed as prescribed. With the record breaking success of the debut series, it is safe to say that CBS is hoping for the same record breaking status with the Celebrity Edition series of Undercover Boss.

Debuting Friday, May 11th at 8:00 p.m. on CBS and CBS All Access, three-time Olympic Gold medalist, Gabby Douglas, is the first celebrity to be featured on the first full season of Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition. She is disguised as a middle-aged gym owner in search of talented and gifted gymnasts and coaches to offer them an opportunity to have their dreams come true.

How does Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition compare to Undercover Boss?

Undercover Boss focuses on executives dressed in disguise going undercover within their own company in different locations around the country to observe the day to day running of the business to ensure all runs well.

Well, without fail, a few of the employees highlighted, who have a "tug at your heart strings" story are "surprised" at the big Undercover Boss reveal. They find out that the person they were really interacting with on the job is the top executive or one of the top executives of the company.

Rewards ranging from pay raises to new positions, and or vacations are handed out to the featured employees.

On the other hand, on Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition, celebrities are undercover and in disguise as well. The show holds our interest as it unfolds and we get a glimpse of what it's like for the talented individuals highlighted to receive a kickstart to their career or profession with the help of the undercover celebrity.

All participants are chosen by the producers of the show, but some how it works better when a "celebrity" is involved. Most of us would be thrilled to have a high ranking, influential celebrity doing what we aspire to do in life help us get our foot in the door of our respective field of interest.

I'm a fan of certain reality TV shows and Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition is one at the top of the list. The season line-up includes Gabby Douglas - debut episode, Idina Menzel, Bethany Mota, and Deion Sanders.

Should you watch it or Skip it? I definitely say, "Watch it!"

Reality TV Show: Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition

Cast: Gabby Douglas

Executive Producers: Stephen Lambert, Sean Foley, and Greg Goldman

A CBS Television Network Production. Running time: 60 minutes. Premiering on CBS Television Network, Friday, May 11, 2018, at 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT.

By Joan Alperin

Skylight Theatre has long believed that art can change the world. This season features plays by two breakout dramatists who have finally reached a point in their careers where they are making a living at their craft. Stephanie Alison Walker whose play The Madres ran at the Skylight from  March 10th through April 29th  and Michelle Kholos Brooks whose new play Hostage is about to open.  While not necessarily writing only "issue" plays, Walker and Brooks both believe that they are activists. Walker hopes her plays will "inspire a new perspective and understanding to promote positive change." While Brooks feels that being a woman "inherently makes us activists." 

Both women writers took time to share their perspectives with me in this interview:

Do you consider yourself to be an activist?

Walker: I believe my writing is a form of activism. I do believe that theater has that power. At the same time, I am a member of a group in Los Angeles called PUSH (People Unwilling to Sit on their Haunches), which promotes volunteerism and progressive activism on a local and national level. They raise money for local causes and support organizations such as the Hollywood Food Coalition. They're currently harnessing their resources to help flip California's 25 ^th district from red to blue in the next election by supporting Jess Phoenix, a female scientist running for Congress for the first time. 

Brooks: We are always fighting for space, speech, recognition, safety and the well being of our children. We're not always marching but we're always fighting. That being said, I have marched, signed petitions, agitated and raised my fist a lot more in the last year than I ever have.

Are the stories in your plays mined from your own priorities of activism, or concern?

Walker: My plays are born from a place of wanting to better understand. I always begin with a question. With The Madres, the question is how do you go on? And then, how do we make sure nothing like this ever happens again?

Brooks: I am not an "issues" writer in that I choose an issue and formulate a story around it. I have great respect for people who can do that but, for me, there has to be something deeply personal that sparks my interest in the bigger picture. For instance, I came to the story of Hostage not as an activist but as a mother in awe of another mother who went a great personal and physical distance in an attempt to save her son. As time went on and my research deepened, I became fascinated with the politics surrounding the Iran hostage crisis. That, in turn, has helped me formulate some of my political views, which have become deeply personal. It's a pretty thrilling cycle to get caught up in.

Is there an experience from your childhood that defined your career path as a writer?

Stephanie Alison Walker

Walker: I think it was an accumulation of things. I come from a family of storytellers. Both of my grandfathers were storytellers. My dad's dad told long bizarre and sometimes completely absurdist tales about a family of feet. My mom's dad enraptured my brother and I with stories of a magical leprechaun who had an affinity for the sea. My mom was a journalism major and has always been an avid reader and adventurer. My dad traveled internationally for work, lived in Argentina and has always been an avid reader and storyteller. Knowing the benefit of experiencing other cultures, both of my parents always encouraged adventure. By the time I was five I had already lived in London and visited Buenos Aires. Living abroad and traveling internationally at a young age contributed to my desire to explore and understand things. This has influenced the way in which I approach storytelling. As for the desire to become a writer... I think that was born in elementary school. I had a wonderful teacher in grade school who encouraged us to write fiction and arranged an "author's tea" for all of the young writers where we read our work in front of an audience. I think it was then that I decided I would be a writer.

Brooks: I had a really mean English teacher in eighth grade named Mrs. Jackson. She was a stern taskmaster and liked to humiliate us by intercepting our notes and reading them out loud, or announcing our weekly averages to the entire class. One day she stood up and read an excerpt from a short story I had written for an assignment. When she finished she looked up at me over her severe glasses and said, "You're going to be a writer." I loved Mrs. Jackson.

Who are the writers, and women, that have influenced you the most?

Walker: I've been surrounded by strong women my whole life - my mom, my grandma, my stepmom and my aunts have been my models for being strong and using my voice. It's always hard to answer this question as to which writers have had the biggest impact on my work. So I'm going to keep it to three: Lucia Berlin - my former teacher and a brilliant fiction writer, the work and teaching of Paula Vogel and the work of Caryl Churchill.

Brooks: This is a rough question for me too because it sends me down the rabbit hole of having to chose one amazing writer over another. If I start to answer this question I won't sleep for a week. But I will tell you that right now I am very inspired by women like Eve Ensler and Anna Deveare Smith who investigate individuals in order to be able to drill down to essential truths of humanity. Both of them are beacons of light.

Other female playwrights I think are really interesting right now are Sarah Ruhl and Annie Baker. Besides being wonderful writers, they both have tremendous intention and I deeply admire the way they trust their impulses to the end, without apology. As a side note I am currently crazy about Pamela Adlon and Tig Nagaro's shows on cable. They are both so brave and sometimes their respective brands of funny are so funny that all you can do is weep. 

Do you think that it's getting easier for women playwrights to get produced?

Walker: I don't think there is anything easy about getting produced. I've been lucky to have my work championed by women, like Ann Filmer of 16th Street Theater. She produced my play The Art of Disappearing when I couldn't get anyone to consider it and I didn't have a good agent. Russ Tutterow of Chicago Dramatists gave me a Saturday Series reading slot for the play and asked Ann to direct it, she later decided to produce it herself. It was a very long path to production and I'll be forever grateful to Ann for taking a chance on me-- an unknown playwright. The path to production for The Madres has been shorter than that one, but not 'easier.' It takes work and relentlessness to get produced. There are so many no's.

It's wonderful that there are people like Nan Barnett creating opportunities like the Women's Festival in DC. It might be easier to get read. If Artistic Directors continue to keep the focus on parity, then it will get easier. It is exciting to see theaters like Skylight who aren't afraid of plays by women or programming more than one slot by a playwright who is a woman.

Brooks: Nope. But I'm deeply admiring of theaters like the Skylight that make an extra effort to ensure that a wide range of new and diverse voices get heard.  

What's your favorite thing about theatre. And, your favorite part about having your play at the Skylight Theatre?

Walker: I love working with people who believe passionately that art can change the world. I love the collective experience of empathy that happens while watching live theater, the bravery of actors who put their trust in the play and the director. My favorite part about having my play at the Skylight Theatre is the trust they have put in the process and the passionate support everyone invests in the show. It feels very good to know that there is a team of people willing to do whatever it takes to make sure this play has a long life.

Michelle Kholos Brooks

Brooks: I love writing for the theatre because I can dream up a story, gather some actors and then receive the enormous gift of getting to hear my thoughts outside of my head. It's pretty exciting. Also, nauseating. In terms of  watching theater-- it may be masochistic but I kind of like that once the curtain goes up, I am trapped in that theater and have to endure, confront and (hopefully) enjoy, whatever comes at me. Even if a play is not my cup of tea, I get to respond to a dynamic event. There is always something useful for my own writing and my own learning in that experience.

I love that The Skylight is committed to new plays. Not just because-y'know... I only write new plays, but because the audience gets to reflect on the concerns of the day as they are happening. The Skylight is a great space with a sexy courtyard and I love that it's located between a bookstore (remember those?) and a yummy bistro. It's a little artist's haven over there.

What's next after this run?

Walker: The Madres is opening in Chicago at Teatro Vista in April followed by Moxie Theatre in San Diego and Shrewd Productions in Austin. I have a second production of my play The Art of Disappearing opening this summer in Calgary and a reading of my newest play, Friends With Guns, coming up at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City. I'm hoping that the NNPN Rolling World Premiere of The Madres will ignite interest in my companion play,  The Abuelas. This is by far the busiest I've ever been in my writing career and it's so exciting. 

Brooks: I'm fortunate in that another new play of mine, Hitler's Tasters, is about to open at Centenary Stage in New Jersey and will then be produced by the New Light Theatre Project in New York in October. Like Hostage, the story in Hitler's Tasters is based on true events.

Another project I'm really excited about, War Words, is being developed with the support of the Atlantic Council, a D.C. think tank, and revolves around interviews I'm doing with people who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is a project that's become a great passion of mine-one of those things I wish I could work on forever. But, I guess I'll have to put the breaks on at some point. 

While change may come slow, Walker and Brooks are leading by example. Never sitting on their laurels, but constantly hustling, learning, fighting and most importantly, creating. What are both women hoping for the future? In a word, parity.

HOSTAGE by  Michelle Kholos Brooks , opens at 8:30pm on Saturday, May 26 ^thand continues with performances Fridays and Saturday 8:30pm; Sundays 2:00pm; Mondays 8:00pm through June 24, 2018.

Skylight Theatre is located at 1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave, LA, 90027. Tickets are $15 - $41. Reservations: 213-761-7061 or 866-811-4111. Online at  http://SkylightTix.com

By Bill Garry

Do you want to experience our city's ethnic diversity and see where new cultural leadership is being developed? Then add the 24th Street Theatre to your L.A. itinerary. This non-profit company produces shows for family audiences that bridge Latino and white cultures, even as that divide is -- thankfully -- shrinking. And "family-friendly" does not mean that it doesn't tackle tough issues and challenge kids emotionally.

Tony Dúran and Jesús Castaños-Chima
Photo by Cooper Bates Now running is  ICE, a look at the U.S.'s current immigration mess through the eyes of two illegal Mexican immigrants in pursuit of the American dream. Playwright Leon Martell weaves humor, pathos, and danger into a story that operates on two levels. It's a gentle fable for kids about baseball and friendship as well as a thought-provoking commentary about personal integrity, government ethics, and the clashes that can arise between them.

Chepe (a magnetic Jesús Castaños-Chima) and his cousin Nacho (played with a simple mind and a big, intelligent heart by Tony Dúran) dream of making it big with a taco truck and their Tia's salsa recipe. But they have no papers, and must dodge government authorities and helpful citizens (all portrayed by a versatile Davitt Felder) alike to stay in the shadows.

Davitt Felder
Photo by Cooper Bates
The show is set in 1988, but it could be 2018, and director Debbie Devine highlights the parallels. Two giant 1980's TV sets dominate stage right, feeding the actors a constant barrage of mixed messages about the American dream and American immigration hysteria. Center stage is The Truck, a character in its own right, who brings the two men together and provides the magic that leads the story to its bittersweet conclusion.

The show is performed in Spanish and English with supertitle translations projected on a screen above the action. Kudos to creative team members Keith Mitchell, Matthew Hill, Dan Weingarten, Christopher Moscatiello, Shannon Kennedy, Benjamin Durham and Alexx Zachary.

Jesús Castaños-Chima and Tony Dúran
Photo by Cooper Bates
A rewarding part of the 24th Street Theatre experience is interacting with the local community members who staff and attend their productions. The company serves all the people of its gentrifying neighborhood -- inner-city residents, homeless people, local kids, students and visiting parents from nearby USC -- and teaches them to use the power of theatre to amplify their own voices. The company's productions point out the issues; the hard-working artists and neighbors behind the scenes make the changes real.

ICE will be at the 24th Street Theatre from May 19 - Jun 10.

By Valerie Milano

"What Would Your Vagina Wear?"

Still relevant. Still impactful. Always inclusive. The Vagina Monologues is back and as powerful as ever. The Vagina Monologues is a series of individual women's stories originally premiering Off-Broadway in 1996 with new stories added every year which soon after expanded into 'V-Day', a non-profit organization funding grassroots efforts to end violence against women and girls nationally and internationally.

The incredibly insightul Sheena Metal has brought Eve Ensler's timeless stage play [back] to the Los Angeles directing a wonderfully diverse cast of mothers, daughters, sisters, actors, comedians, musicians, and a pleasantly suprising abundance of the original G.L.O.W. wrestlers.

At a sold-out show in a intimate theater holding 75 seats women, allies, and a puppy gazed attentively listening to 25 tales of women and their vaginas this past Friday giving voice to those not often heard; women with amazing and unique stories to share. From childhood to senior years, from traumas to celebrations, from discoveries to transitions; the stories kept coming and we all wanted more.

If you've been wanting to see The Vagina Monologues but have made that trek yet or it's simply been away you have 2 more chances to catch these inspiring, touching, hilarious, and empowering tales during it's last week at the Loft Ensemble in Sherman Oaks, CA, Thursday & Friday, 5/17 & 5/18, at 8pm.

Tickets at:
http://vdaylosangeles.com/tickets2018.html
Ticket proceeds benefit VDay.org. #UntilTheViolenceStops

By Terry Kate

French Stewart in "Forever Bound"
Photo by Kathy Flynn

There is nothing like the suspense and heightened tension of experiencing the drama of a thriller played out before you in the theatre. That fact was brought home to me by the extraordinary world premiere of Forever Bound, written by Steve Apostolina and directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky.

Forever Bound's cast, lead by French Stewart as quirky book scout Edmund, take the words on a page and breath so much emotion into them the audience is caught up from the first moments. Stewart's performance has an engaging likability that keeps the audience captivated even as morally questionable decisions are made. He takes the story from a set of ethical quandaries to something with heart and soul.

Rob Nagle and Emily Goss
Photo by Kathy Flynn
Emily Goss, who plays the wounded but powerful Rosalind, shines on stage, giving an outstanding performance in a pivotal role.The play walks the line between dark comedy and suspense with plenty of laughs to keep the plot flowing. Edmund's best friend Shep, played by the playwright Steve Apostolina, earned a majority of the belly laughs with his tough guy booky (since he too hawks used books) attitude and wit. Thomas, played by Rob Nagle rounds out the cast with a coolly controlled energy that enhances the piece.

Without giving too much away, the general description given of the play is short, "Are we all savages? A rare book dealer's desperate scheme to avoid bankruptcy goes shockingly awry in this darkly funny literary thriller with a surprise twist." So I will not be giving away the twist or too many details. Go see it! You won't be disappointed.

French Stewart and Steve Apostolina
Photo by Kathy Flynn

This production at the Atwater Village Theatre is one more example of the emotionally driven, high quality work you can see there. Forever Bound stands out as a work of emotional intensity that transfers over to the audience. At points it is almost addictingly uncomfortable to be so close to so much intensity in a way a film can rarely reproduce. This is what makes theatre stand out as an art form.

Forever Bound runs through June 16 at the Atwater Village Theatre.

By Kathy Flynn

Lena Hall, Tony-winning Broadway star and rock diva, brought her cabaret stylings to the Catalina Bar and Grill for the West Coast premiere of "Art of the Audition: From Falling Apart to Nailing the Part."

Hall started the night off running to the stage from the audience, as her name was called to be the next to audition, and then treated the crowd to a 90-minute performance that was more one woman show than straight cabaret. Hall's hilarious tales of the awfulness of auditioning punctuated her sometimes absurd and inappropriate song choices, such as "Lost and Found," which featured the memorable line "If you're not celibate, we could raise hell a bit."

The evening highlighted Hall's range and versatility as a performer, deftly swinging from Broadway baby to opera to rock heavy hitter.

Hall ended the evening with three incredible numbers, a moving and gorgeous rendition of Wicked's "I'm Not that Girl," followed by a powerful rendition of "Memories" from Cats, which brought tears to the eyes of several audience members. She then culminated with Hedwig and the Angry Inch's "Midnight Radio" and the audience lifted up their hands for Lena once again, ending the evening on an incredibly moving and uplifting note.

While Hall regularly performs both rock and cabaret shows in NYC, the last time Los Angeles was blessed with her voice, she was making history in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Hollywood Pantages, starring as Hedwig for 4 incredible performances, while playing Yitzhak, the role she won a Tony for in 2014, the rest of the week.

Lena Hall has spent 2018 working on her Obsessed series, an EP of cover songs featuring a different artist every month. She started off with her take on Hedwig, and has since released Obsessed EP's covering Peter Gabriel, Elton John, the Cranberries, and P!nk, with a new EP scheduled to drop each month in 2018.

Kandace Lindsey
Photo by Rich Hutchman
Mae West's witty and imaginative play SEX was a huge hit on Broadway in 1926 and now almost 90 years later the feisty comedy is back for a fun 21st century revival well directed by Sirena Irwin and presented by Buzzworks at The Hudson Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard. 

In interviews I often heard Mae West talk about the play which cemented her star status and landed her in jail for 8 days for being indecent. From what I understand it was very difficult for Buzzworks to acquire the rights for the revival and as a big Mae West fan I am glad they did! I found the play enormously entertaining and a fun trip back in time to the exciting and roaring '20s.

Mae West loved to joke about her favorite subject which was sex and was light years ahead of her time. As she used to say she climbed the ladder of success "wrong by wrong" and originally wrote SEX under the name Mae Mast. What shocked audiences 90 years ago is pretty tame by today's standards but still a lot of saucy fun. Mae West wrote a very good imaginative play full of colorful characters, spicy innuendo, comedy and drama and includes a few surprisingly good musical numbers performed by the amazing cast, many playing several roles throughout the production.

Andrea Hutchman (l.), Wayne Wilderson, Susan Edwards Martin
Photo by Rich Hutchman
The adventurous globe trotting tale begins in a shady house of ill repute in Montreal run by sultry lady of the night Margy LaMont (Buzzworks' Andrea Hutchman in the Mae West role). The terrific cast includes Perry Brown, David Errigo, Lowan Eyasu, Davey Johnson, Kandace Lindsay, Susan Edwards Martin, Ryan Phillips, Carla Valentine and Wayne Wilderson in cool period costumes by Michael Mullen.

SEX runs 110 minutes with one intermission and plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm til June 17th at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre - visit www.buzzworks.org for more information. Mae West's SEX is produced by Kevin Comartin and Jocelyn O'Keefe.

By Valerie Milano

A crowdfunded movie-within-a-movie about a crowdfunded movie-within-a-movie, Director's Cut is what stage magician Penn Jillette calls "cinematic sleight of hand." It's an apt description for this exercise in extreme meta. In a discussion after a screening at the Writers Guild, the writer/director said the only question he expects from anyone is "What the f***?"

Jillette, while best known as a performer, has two producer credits under his belt: Tim's Vermeer and The Aristocrats. Nothing in either of them should prepare you for this unrated movie mash-up. First, it's full of horrific depictions of serial killers at work and foul-mouthed cops framed by naked breasts at strip clubs. Family friendly it is not. Smart and clever it is.

The conceit is this: Penn Jillette plays an obsessed fan who donates to a Kickstarter-type project, a slasher flick called Knocked Off which stars his obsession, Missi Pyle. He then steals the film footage and releases this version, his "director's cut," complete with cheesy photoshopped effects and a voiceover from his delusional perspective. Along the way, he also steals the star, kidnapping Pyle and forcing her to make the movie as he envisions it. It's dark and creepy and funny as hell, looping back on itself in a Rubik's cube of interlocking stories.

The acting in the B-movie-within-the-movie is predictably bad - especially by a wooden Harry Hamlin - but Jillette and, especially Teller, are remarkable screen presences. Yes, Teller talks. And he's good at it.

The movie will roll out in a limited released, which is just as well because it is definitely not for everyone. But for those with a strong stomach and a love of the absurd, it's perfect.

Watch the trailer for Director's Cut here.

By Valerie Milano

Street Food Cinema at Griffith Park
Photo by Meg Taylor

Street Food Cinema is the perfect setting either for a romantic date for two or a fun night out with the family.

Celebrating its 7th year in Los Angeles, Street Food Cinema hosts the ultimate outdoor movie experience. Every Saturday throughout the summer, Street Food Cinema features classic movies on a huge 50 foot screen alongside LA's favorite food trucks. There is a food truck for every craving; lobster, tacos, barbecue, wings, sandwiches, kabobs, ice cream, and more. More advantages of the event include being pet-friendly and having a rental area for blankets and chairs.

Blast Ice Cream Truck
Photo by Meg Taylor

Out of the six food trucks at the event, the two that stood out from the rest were Wise Barbecue and Blast Ice Cream. Wise Barbecue's extensive menu provides an option for everyone. Their brisket was to die for; tender and full of flavor. Blast Ice Cream's menu ranges from simple scoops to sundaes and floats. Not only is their chocolate ice cream the best I've ever had, their butterscotch topping is mouthwatering

The latest event at Griffith Park featured a screening of the film Peter Pan in honor of the film's 65th anniversary. To celebrate, Street Food Cinema gave out free movie posters, a Peter Pan coloring area for the kids, and had a special appearance by Kathryn Beaumont, the voice actress of 'Wendy' in the original film.

Kids enjoy the coloring area at Street Food Cinema
Photo by Meg Taylor

To learn more about Street Food Cinema and to find a screening in your area or of a film you love, go to www.streetfoodcinema.com/schedule/los-angeles/.

By Valerie Milano,

All-American Sex Addict/Woke AF is about neither sex nor sex addiction. It is about America, though, pitting three politically correct women against one tone-deaf man. What playwright/director Matt Morillo sets out to do is, in his words, "poke a little fun at us Hollywood liberals and how some of our rhetoric may be hurting our causes and our allies."

That being said, there is some sex here: Full-frontal nudity, both male and female. (And since equity waiver theaters are very small, the nudity is very... close.) But essentially, this is a comedy. If you don't guess that from the musical introduction of "Yakety Sax," you will the moment the protagonist reaches for his go-to seduction tool, gluten-free vegan burritos.

The conceit is this: Ex-cop, Jack, a recovering sex addict shot on duty and retired a hero, has written a script about sex addict cop shot on duty and retired a hero. Now he wants his African-American neighbor and all his women friends to give him notes on the script, assuring him that he has not "othered" anyone, or stereotyped anyone, or offended anyone in the slightest way. If you've ever gotten notes on a script - and this is Hollywood, so odds are that you have - you know how maddening the process can be. On top of that, Jack (Tom Pilutik) wants to ask his sex-positive girlfriend Ashley (Cynthia Aldrich) to commit to a monogamous relationship, and her opinion of his entitlement issues could get in the way. So could the unexpected appearance of ex-fling Riley (Jenni Halina).

It's a lot of moving pieces for a 55-minute play, and director Morillo makes sure writer Morillo's dialog keeps pace. Veteran Pilutik, especially, milks the laughs from his cluelessness, and both he and Halina deserve kudos for refusing to be body shamed (to piggyback on PC tropes) in the most concrete way.

The staging may be simple - a couch, basically -- but the character interactions have complexity. A scene between rival women even passes the Bechtel test. It's an auspicious work from a young playwright and an upbeat addition to the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival features 282 performances of 59 separate shows in four theaters on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. It runs June 7 through June 24. All-American Sex Addict/Woke AF will be presented on June 8, 10, 15, 16 and 21.

For more information on The Hollywood Fringe Festival, go to www.hollywoodfringe.com

All-American Sex Addict/Woke AF

Produced by KADM Productions 

Written and directed by Matt Morillo 

Starring Cynthia Aldrich, Farida Amer, Jenni Halina, Tom Pilutik 

Dorie Theater, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., through June 21

By Bill Garry

Graham Sibley, Tom Amandes, Keliher Walsh, Christine Woods, Christian Durso, Sarah Utterback, John Lavelle and Tina Huang
Photo by Dean Cechvala

There's a happy Christmas party just getting started at the Dahl's house in rural Connecticut. Dad is at the spinet and, as each grown-up member of the family arrives, the rest of the adult children -- and mom -- pop up and reenact the family Christmas sing-a-longs of long ago.

There is a little -- make that a lot -- of forced joviality during those sing-alongs. And that is when you start to realize that the Dahl's have issues.

Father and Mother Dahl -- strict Christians -- expect this Christmas to be like every other: a time to set aside issues and just love one another. But this year, the issues -- and there are a lot of them -- will not be suppressed.

The set-up is a little sitcomy: Mom and Dad, as I said, strict Christians. Daughter 1 newly gay married. Daughter 2 starting a prophetic church with her husband, an Episcopal minister. Son 1, seminary dropout bouncing from law school to politics, married to a liberal woman. Son 2 fresh from drug rehab with a woman he is sponsoring in 12-step spirituality.

Christine Woods, Graham Sibley, Sarah Utterback
Photo by Dean Cechvala

Obviously, a lot of issues. But the genius of this show is how they overlap, shift, and morph between the characters -- Mom and Dad, Mom and child, child and parent, child and child -- and right in front of our eyes. Religion moves from something to yearn for to something totally made up. And back again.

Playwright Leslye Headland blurs the lines between knowledge and faith with piercing perceptiveness and humor. God can be a strategy for avoidance or healing. Rationality is on the flip side of religiosity. One person's theology is another person's mental illness.

The ensemble cast shifts from rousing carolling to conversational confrontations with natural skill. Tom Amandes, Laila Ayad, Christian Durso, Tina Huang, John Lavelle, Graham Sibley, Melissa Stephens, Sarah Utterback, Keliher Walsh and Christine Woods are well cast. Ms. Utterback plays the outsider with both wide-eyed wonder and fear. Her character, the 12-stepper, is the person the audience latches on to and identifies with; we needed her more and earlier.

Keliher Walsh, Laila Ayad, Tina Huang and Melissa Stephens
Photo by Dean Cechvala

Annie Tippe's direction was straightforward, although there were times when overlapping conversations and action at opposite ends of the stage caused me to split my attention. The good news: those conversational confrontations were too juicy to choose between. The bad news: it was difficult to choose and I was pulled out of the action for a scene.

The show is billed as a black comedy, but there are more "ah-has" and "hmm-mms" than laughs. Spend Christmas with the Dahls and you'll be looking at your own religious boundaries and beliefs.

Cult of Love is the final installment in Leslye Headland's "Seven Deadly Plays" cycle. It plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. through June 24 at the Atwater Village Theatre.

For reservations and information, call 323-380-8843 or visit www.iamatheatre.com

by Kathy Flynn

The Most Massive Woman Wins is a short play that packs a powerful punch. Four women in the waiting room of a fat reduction/liposuction clinic flash back to what brought them there. All of them have reasons to be there, but are any of their reasons really their own?

As familiar childhood rhymes become chilling taunts, teaching young girls to be subservient and not desire too much, the women bond over the common threads of shame, bullying, and abuse. Surgically removing part of themselves to be somehow more palatable to society is the imperfect solution.

Savannah Rutledge, Rachel Frost and Alexandra Fiallos all turn in strong performances, but the real standout here is Yridia Ayvar, who also produced and directed this play. She has a real presence and delivers her best lines with a fevered intensity.

The Most Massive Woman Wins is a moving statement about how far women are willing to go to fit in and be accepted in a world of unattainable beauty standards. How much of yourself are you willing to give away?

The Most Massive Woman Wins
Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018 at the Lounge Theatre
Written by Madeleine George
Directed by Yridia Ayvar
35 Minutes

By Valerie Milano

Even if you don't know Alexander McQueen from Steve McQueen... or that other Steve McQueen... you will still be captivated by this emotionally wrenching and visually stunning biography of the doomed fashion designer. Think of it as a companion piece to Amy, the 2015 documentary about the late singer Amy Winehouse, but substitute dresses for songs. Because the runway was McQueen's stage, and his fashion shows were his performances.

Lee Alexander McQueen was a chubby kid from London's downmarket East End, a cab driver's son who left school at 16 to apprentice in a tailor's shop. Yet this "shabby, unprepossessing boy," in the words of a mentor, turned out to be a genius with a needle and thread. He talked himself into art school, and used his dole money (unemployment insurance) to buy fabric for his first runway show. At 22, he was the most acclaimed fashion designer in Great Britain. At 40, he was dead by his own hand.

Using news footage, home video and interviews with colleagues, lovers, family and McQueen himself, co-directors Ian Bonhote (American Honey) and Peter Ettedgui (Listen to Me, Marlon) trace the ascent and descent of this comet, and do it with the same elegant beauty McQueen brought to his own work.

In the 1990's, McQueen put sex, drugs and rock'n'roll into haute couture. "Fashion is a big bubble and sometimes I just feel like popping it," he said. "I want heart attacks [at my shows.] I want ambulances." In fact, the set did catch fire at one of his collection debuts. He let it burn. The runway shows are the most exciting parts of McQueen, just as the singing was the most exciting part of Amy. The best part of any artistic genius, after all, is their art. McQueen's shows, featuring some of the most beautiful women in the world, were dark, disturbing, and highly controversial. "I would pull these horrors out of my soul and put them on the catwalk," he said. His collections had names like "Jack the Ripper Stalks his Victims" and "Highland Rape." They were set in padded cells and wind tunnels.

McQueen was obsessed with "beauty that disturbs and fascinates," and the filmmakers do the same with the documentary. Told in increasingly Gothic chapters, framed by elegant skull imagery and set off with a terrific score by Michael Nyman (The Piano, Gattaca), who knew McQueen personally, the documentary is not quite warts-and-all (an HIV diagnosis is barely mentioned, and romantic relationships all but ignored) but it is no hagiography, either. It is an intimate portrait of a complicated and difficult artist that will leave you wishing McQueen was still around to make more clothes.

McQueen (Documentary)
Bleecker Street Productions
Director: Ian Bonhote
Co-director/Writer: Peter Ettedgui
Opens July 20, 2018
111 minutes