Tagged with bath house cultural center …

Succulent Smorgasbord of Song: GHOST QUARTET

I believe works of performance art should stand alone, sans explanation. I should not need to research them before attending a performance to understand them. I don’t usually read the show program before viewing a show. I want to experience it just as it unfolds. This can lead to delightful experience as much as total … Continue reading →

FIT 20: Duelling Duos Disarm with Delight

A disarming duet of duos….FIT20, the Festival of Independent Theatres, opened this past weekend with a dynamite pair of two person shows that emerge from separate ends of the universe but make an entirely simpatico evening of theatrical whimsy for audiences into experiencing sensory immersion perched on the edge of daring. Catch this pair together … Continue reading →

Vulnerability Awesome: Quattro and Ward at FIT

Regional esteemed professional actor/playwright Van Quattro put his heart and soul on the line in his successful autobiographical one man show Standing 8, portraying his search for love and self-worth as an angry, unstable young man in LA. It’s a gripping, honest and poignant confession. I witnessed several versions as he dug deeper and refined … Continue reading →

FIRST WEEK Ruminations on FIT 2017

The three productions that round out Festival of Independent Theatres 2017’s opening volley (aside from Risk Theatre Initiative’s brilliant Stiff, reviewed separately) are standard fare for appropriate inclusion. David Meglino and his brainstorming crew know what they are doing in assembling this yearly puzzle. This enduring niche festival has a devoted audience; many will enjoy … Continue reading →

The Serendipity of Sugartits: STIFF at FIT17

I have never experienced a performance quite like Stiff before. Most plays exist as art underpinned by some aspect of life, from the realistic to the absurd, the tragic to the comic, the trite and predictable to the original and unexpected. The Art defines reality on stage. Risk Theater Initiative’s entrant in the 2017 Festival … Continue reading →

Final Bow: THE GOOD THIEF at FIT 2016

From Alexandra Bonifield, Director: Andrew and I have lived, breathed, worked, questioned, debated, resolved, and reworked aspects of character, voice, intent, arc and plot in THE GOOD THIEF since December 2015. It’s become a vital element of daily existence, script never poised far from thought or elbow, the subject of endless phone discussions. Weeks built … Continue reading →

THE GOOD THIEF at FIT 2016: Redemption, Truth, Art

Mark Lowry of THEATER JONES interviewed Alexandra Bonifield via email for a feature about her production of Conor McPherson’s award-winning solo work THE GOOD THIEF starring R. Andrew Aguilar, produced by L.I.P. Service at The Festival of Independent Theatres in July 2016. Here is the interview in its entirety. Alexandra: since you’ve been back in … Continue reading →

A Question of Manliness: DGDG at FIT 2015

 I never thought of being a man Until you told me so… What was I when I wasn’t what I should be? Haunting lyrics bookend Danielle Georgiou Dance Group’s (DGDG) holistic offering at the 2015 Festival of Independent Theatres, running July 10 through August 1st at the Bath House Cultural Center. The Show About Men … Continue reading →

Festival of Independent Theatres 2014: A Reluctant Pass

  Several of this year’s participants in the Festival of Independent Theatres have presented productions of extremely limited worth, in my opinion. These shows, as they exist, lack cohesive artistic merit: in terms of content, in terms of production values, in terms of aesthetic. I have stared at a blank page on my MacBook numerous … Continue reading →