NOT BORN YESTERDAY March 2021. Janis Paige memoir, The Red Shoes, A Wilderness of Monkeys, LA Women's Theatre Festival.

 

READING BETWEEN THE LINES 

A Memoir by Janis Paige

Under lockdown I have been doing a lot of reading and this book is what they call in publishing a 3am read! Now 97 and thriving, Janis tells a gripping story from her childhood in Tacoma, Washington, during the Great Depression; years starring at MGM and Warner Brothers; into Vaudeville; then a star in Vegas; USO tours with Bob Hope; her 3 marriages, and the superstars of Show Business, Politics and Royalty she met. On Amazon.

THE RED SHOES - HBOmax & CTG online

The original 1948 film, based on the Hans Christian Anderson Fairytale, received five Oscar nominations, and won two, and over the years is always listed among "the best British films ever!" I certainly have never   forgotten seeing this beautiful tale of young red-headed ballet dancer (Moira Shearer), torn between her love of a man and her love of ballet, driven into a mad, haunting, dance of death. The original film can be viewed on HBOmax, Prime Video, and Criterion Channel, and I highly recommend it.

Meanwhile, Center Theatre Group is bringing a filmed version of a live stage performance in 2019 of "The Red Shoes" by the Sadler's Wells Ballet Company in London. Director Matthew Bourne has adapted the original film into a tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Ashley Shaw stars as this girl whose ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion. Bourne also has adapted music by Golden-age film composer Bernard Herrmann, with orchestrations by Terry Davies, to bring in references to Hollywood movies and Diaghilev-era ballets. This New Adventures and Illuminations production will be streamed five time from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21 and will be available at www.centertheatregroup.org/digitalstage/premium-events/matthew-bournes-the-red-shoes/.

A WILDERNESS OF MONKEYS - on Zoom

If you love Shakespeare, then enjoy this imagining of another ending to "The Merchant of Venice" by Carol Fisher Sorgenfrei. Antonio, Bassanio and Lorenzo not only deprived Shylock of his wealth, but also his daughter Jessica! Well, here, Jessica returns to her father's house, wiser and remorseful, and she and Shylock plot revenge against their Gentile tormentors. The title comes from Act III as Shylock grieves about his wife Leah's ring that Jessica gave to Antonio to buy a monkey! Directed by Beatrice Casagran, and produced by Ophelia's Jump, a non-profit company that presents a Midsummer Shakespeare Festival at Pomona College every year. This year it's a virtual presentation, via Zoom, March 17-21. For the Zoom link, register at: http://opheliasjump.org.

LOS ANGELES WOMEN'S THEATRE FESTIVAL - online

Having launched the careers of numerous women, at this year's Awards Ceremony on March 25 they will honor five women for career and life achievements. The Infinity Award goes to Diahann Carroll who led the way on TV, Film and Broadway. Other honorees are Paula Donnelly of Cornerstone Theatre; Akuyoe Graham for her play "Spirit Awakening"; Shigemi Matsumoto founder of  Classical Singers Association; Rose Portillo of About Productions and Young Theaterworks in East LA. In addition to the Awards Presentation, there will be special live performances at the GALA. Jacquelyn Brown-Benefield will sing songs celebrating personal empowerment "Rise Up" and "I Am Enough", and Juli Kim performs a dance where a woman abandons docility in favor of strength and power in "Abandon." Founded by Executive Producer Adilah Barnes and Miriam Reed, LAWTF celebrates its 28th year as an annual event unique among Los Angeles cultural institutions. Admission to the GALA, or for all virtual shows this year, call (818) 760-0408 or go to http://www.lawtf.org

 

NOT BORN YESTERDAY February 2021. A Black Woman Speaks, Othello, Unraveled, Storybook Theatre.

 

February is Black History month and here are two shows I recommend that resonate with the times.

 

A BLACK WOMAN SPEAKS - on YouTube

I remember Beah Richards' extraordinary performance in her powerful one-woman play at Inner City Cultural Center in 1975. Standing alone, she passionately points out how in the 19^th century, while white women were oppressed, they turned their frustration on to their enslaved black sisters instead of their true oppressors. She was first acclaimed for portraying Sidney Poitier's mother in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" for which she received an Academy Award nomination. However, I knew her as a notable Broadway actress prior to this, starring in James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" as well as "Purlie Victorious," "A Raisin in the Sun" and "The Miracle Worker."  Her career on television, in numerous roles, culminated in Emmy Awards for "Frank's Place" in 1988, and "The Practice" in 2000. Her show was filmed live and can be seen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_ii8kwAKw4g

  

OTHELLO - online

Since its official premiere in London in 1604, this only one of Shakespeare's plays to have a Black leading character, has been a challenge for white actors. Still, when Paul Robeson took on the role in London in 1930, he was the first Black actor to perform it since Ira Aldridge in 1826. Then, in 1943 in New York City, he was the first African American to play Othello in a major Broadway production. This month, the Robey Theatre Company, founded in 1994 by Danny Glover and Ben Guillory, will present an online performance of "Othello" with Guillory in the title role, directed by Tom Ormeny of Burbank's Victory Theatre. For this free event registration begins on February 1^st. and you will be sent a link to attend the show that will air on February 28 at 2:00 p.m. Register at: http://therobeytheatrecompany.org/our-events.

UNRAVELLED - Online

Based on true events, and research at UCSF's Memory and Aging Center, playwright Jake Broder explores how art, music and science intersect with apparent mental decline. His drama explores the connection between the work of French composer Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) and Canadian painter Anne Adams (1940-2007). Both were in the early stages of progressive aphasia, a form of dementia, while they were still working. The disease apparently altered circuits in their brains, resulting in a torrent of creativity. This virtual premiere is sponsored by UCSF's Global Brain Health Institute and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Directed by Nike Doukas, the play will begin streaming on February 25 at 4 p.m. and will be free and on demand through March 31. Two live seminars featuring experts in the field, including Dr. Bruce Miller, who diagnosed Adams, will take place on Feb 25 and March 3. Link up at: www.UnRavelledPlay.com

STORYBOOK THEATRE - on YouTube

Lloyd J. Schwartz and Barbara Mallory have been presenting interactive musicals for young audiences for 36 years. Having seen some of their shows, I can assure you that their adaptations from classic tales, featuring beloved characters, are non-violent and non-scary but absolutely delightful. Sadly, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, young audiences have not been able to go and see Storybook Theatre in person. However, good news! Six of their audience-favorite shows are now available any time, on demand, for FREE! The series contains "Sleeping Beauty" "Hansel and Gretel" "Little Red Riding Hood" "The Princess and the Frog" "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Goldilocks." Shows range from 43-58 minutes and are suitable for kids age 5-9. All written, directed and performed by members of Theatre West, on Cahuenga  Blvd. Click on: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTjDWrRQyg9Lprr725zRsj-uiGTUJTlqz