Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

A New Play Debuts in Boyle Heights

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 13:24:00 -0800

The play is Mama of the Row or Who Raised the Rent? (A Los Angeles Vaudeville of Tragic Proportions) A Displacement of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children, and it’s the story of a family living on the streets of Downtown L.A.’s Skid Row.

Mama of the Row is one of about two dozen new works currently under commission by Center Theatre Group. But unlike most of our commissions, it made its first public debut as part of our free Library Play Reading Series—just a few miles away from where the piece is set. And so Alfaro—whose works have appeared on stages around the world, and who was a longtime member of Center Theatre Group’s artistic staff—found himself doing rewrites in a Boyle Heights parking lot, surrounded by director Nancy Keystone, a small company of local actors and collaborators, and the three-woman, mariachi-inspired band La Victoria.

The group had spent the previous week in your more typical regional theatre new play development setting: Center Theatre Group’s rehearsal rooms. It was so much fun, and I have to say part of the journey was that we created together, said Alfaro. It was so amazing that we were able to bring all the collaborators into the room, and that I was able to bring in scenes every day.

But with just moments before the reading was to take place, with Benjamin Franklin Library already packed with patrons of all ages there for the play—mostly local but at least one person had come from as far away as Simi Valley—Alfaro had realized he needed to add a new scene.

After a quick rehearsal in the lot, followed by an introduction from Center Theatre Group Community Partnerships Director Jesus Reyes, the band began to play, and the actors took the floor. The group of elementary school-age girls in the front row stopped giggling, and the entire audience spent the next hour enraptured—laughing, gasping, and occasionally tearing up—by the struggles of Mama and her children. The next two evenings, the scene was similar at Malabar and Robert Louis Stevenson Libraries.

For the past five years, these three libraries have hosted regular bilingual play readings—generally monthly, with a Spanish reading followed by an English reading—for a multigenerational audience of grandparents, parents, and children. Some of our largest audiences turn out for Center Theatre Group’s plays, said Benjamin Franklin Branch Senior Librarian Connie B. Topete. There is so much enthusiasm when a play reading is held here. You can feel the excitement. Live theatre is not something that most people in Boyle Heights have access to, and the community is very appreciative of that fact.

Alfaro was equally appreciative of his audience. I can’t imagine a more diverse audience. It was so cool—even having the little kids. It was fun to track it with the audience, to hear where they were plugging in and out, said Alfaro. You’re writing about a community and you have the community judge you and give you affirmation or criticism—it’s a kind of guide. The opportunity to have that kind of community with you is very rare. It was all very positive and very fun. We got better and better every night. I did about 30 pages of changes through the second reading, and by Thursday, I thought we had gotten a rough draft of what we wanted.

Alfaro will continue to work on and refine Mama of the Row over the coming months with the continued support of Center Theatre Group. And the readings—which generally are presented in partnership with local Los Angeles theatre companies—will continue at the libraries.

Taking Kabuki to the Taper

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 16:57:00 -0800

Through centuries of storytelling, every culture has established its own distinct style onstage, paving the way for new methods of theatre to emerge. The Kentucky Cycle and co-director Oskar Eustis discussing Archduke and Sweat at the Taper. Writer and director Luis Valdez joins audiences on November 10, 2018 to discuss the history and inspiration behind

What inspires you as an artist?

I’m always inspired when I see the inspiration or innovation of another artist. A writer. A performer. A visual artist. Musician. Connecting to the “shimmer” (in the words of Dr. Baer) of another artist… It's like a chain reaction. And in turn, I always hope to inspire someone else.

Favorite daytime talk show?

Ellen. Duh.

Dan Bucatinsky and Jackie Chung. Photo by Craig Schwartz.

Jackie Chung, Kelly

What was your first reaction after reading the script for Quack?: This play is smart, fast, and hilarious.
Have you ever had a mentor/mentee relationship with someone?: I have not. And certainly not like the relationship Kelly has with Dr. Baer.
What is your favorite thing about this cast and crew?: The cast and crew are filled with generous, funny, and hard-working people. They’re always making me laugh!
In your mind, what distinguishes theatre from other performance mediums?: That it is live, live, LIVE! Anything can happen. It’s both frightening and exhilarating.
Favorite daytime talk show?: Oprah!

(L-R) Dan Bucatinsky and Nicholas D`Agosto. Photo by Craig Schwartz.

Nicholas D'Agosto, Brock

What was your first reaction after reading the script for Quack?: It's almost like I had to come up for air. The play is engaging and has a lot of momentum, and neither the characters nor the audience are let off the hook regarding the issues packed inside it.
What inspirations do you draw from for both your role and the play as a whole?: There is nothing more important to me, or emotionally potent, as my wife and son. I weave elements of my personal life together with the needs of my character, and work to bring him to life.
In your mind, what distinguishes theatre from other performance mediums?: The audience understands that we are here for them, and that they play a part in the show happening in front of them. They can laugh, cry, moan, gasp, and they know that we are hearing it and feeling it in the moment with them to some degree. That intimacy is not available in TV or film.
What is one thing you’d encourage audience members to do or think about after seeing Quack?: Trust your gut, and talk about and analyze how it really made you feel, even if you think that the thoughts you're experiencing are uncomfortable or unwanted. That's how we get closer to understanding more about others, and ourselves.
Favorite daytime talk show?: Can I say The Price Is Right?

Jessalyn Gilsig, Meredith Baer

What was your first reaction after reading the script for Quack?: My first impression after reading the play was what a satisfying and easy read it was. I was amazed by the layers Eliza had managed to create all the while remaining entertaining. That and also knowing I wanted to play Meredith.
Have you ever had a mentor/mentee relationship with someone?: I actually haven’t. I have an odd mistrust of that kind of relationship. I have certainly admired people and felt very lucky to work with many talented people I have learned from. But I think as a woman in this business, I have learned to keep a distance at all times.
What is your favorite thing about this cast and crew?: From the first moment, I was moved by how kind, generous, patient, and talented the entire company has been. I felt welcomed immediately and have been inspired every day by everyone’s commitment to their department. This has been a very spectacular experience for me.
What inspires you as an artist?: Collaboration is what I love about my work. You can’t do this alone. You need a writer, a director, talented performers, designers, crew, an audience. All the elements to make an experience and to be a part of that gives me a deep sense of purpose. I feel very lucky to have made a career in art. It is not easy but it does feel meaningful.
Favorite daytime talk show?: I love Judge Judy! I know that’s nuts. But I just love how decisive and clear she is. She calls it like she sees it. Always makes me smile.

(L-R) Dan Bucatinsky, Shoniqua Shandai, and Jessalyn Gilsig. Photo by Craig Schwartz.

Shoniqua Shandai, River

What was your first reaction after reading the script for Quack?: I was blown away by how prolific and timely it was, and it seems to have only grown more relevant as the political climate changes.
What inspirations do you draw from for both your role and the play as a whole?

Ten Camps, One Executive Order

Center Theatre Group — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 16:48:00 -0800

Zoot Suit creator Luis Valdez’s latest, —a rejection of the Japanese saying It cannot be helped—became the mantra of the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee.

Japanese American National Museum

The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles is committed to preserving and sharing experiences of Japanese Americans. Their ongoing exhibit Common Ground: The Heart of Community chronicles over a century of Japanese American history and displays an original barrack from Heart Mountain. If you can’t make it to JANM, check out their interactive website. Enemy Mail: An American Story of Wartime Separation showcases a series of letters sent by businessman Gihachi Yamashita to his family after being separated during internment, as well as the petitions his daughters sent to the government for their father’s release.
President Reagan’s Remarks and Signing Ceremony for the Japanese-American Internment Compensation Bill

On August 10, 1988—almost 50 years after Pearl Harbor—President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, granting reparations to Japanese Americans interned during World War II. The act gave each surviving U.S. citizen a redress check of $20,000, and a total of 82,219 people received this compensation. Yet no payment can make up for those lost years, Reagan said in this speech at Washington, D.C. So, what is most important in this bill has less to do with property than with honor. For here we admit a wrong; here we reaffirm our commitment as a nation to equal justice under the law.
NPR—Code Switch: For Some Japanese Americans, Border Separations Are Déjà Vu

The events happening at the southern U.S. border today feel all too familiar for many Japanese Americans who lived through World War II. Tony Osumi was a child when he witnessed the FBI pull fathers away from their families, without notice or mention of how long they would be gone, immediately after Pearl Harbor. Executive Order 9066 quickly followed, and all Japanese American families living in the western states were subsequently interned. Today, border separations remain something that's deeply personal for many of us Japanese Americans, Osumi said. The incarceration experience where families were very similarly torn apart as they were put in the camps and the lasting scars that many people carried from that, has led to deep emotional and visceral reactions to what’s currently happening in the news.

A Fad a Day to Your Doctor’s Dismay

Center Theatre Group — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 14:59:00 -0800

With more options than ever when it comes to living our best, healthiest life, many turn to doctors and medical professionals for recommendations and guidance, such as with Dr. Baer, the licensed endocrinologist, revered medical TV show host, and central figure of Eliza Clark’s World premiere comedy Quack—onstage at the Kirk Douglas Theatre October 21 – November 18, 2018. Though we usually leave it to Dr. Baer when it comes to counselling his audience on the latest tips and trends, since his schedule has been tumultuous lately, we’ve compiled a few current fads that might pop up on his audience’s radar.
Cabbage Soup Diet

As one might guess by the name, the cabbage soup diet isn’t a new hip fad by any means. Having come in and out of vogue periodically over the last several decades, the diet calls for exactly what you’d think: eating predominantly cabbage soup for what’s usually a seven-day period. Marketed as a quick trick for losing a few pounds, the overall consensus among the medical community is the diet doesn’t promote sustainable weight loss, can lead to malnutrition, and perhaps tops the list for overly restrictive diets. Bottom line: there are better and far tastier options for those looking to eat healthy.
Activated Charcoal

If you happen to spot someone sipping a glass full of what looks like squid ink, there’s a good chance that person is enjoying(?) an activated charcoal drink. From lemonades and smoothies to toothpastes, adding activated charcoal—a super-heated, more processed form of the same stuff you put in barbecues—has become a popular go-to remedy for detoxes and digestive issues. While the absorptive quality of activated charcoal is used in medical procedures to treat poisonings, research shows the purported benefits are at best overstated, while regular consumption may have inadvertent side effects, including the charcoal potentially absorbing nutrients and vitamins that your body uses. Maybe best to just stick to regular lemonade…
Ear Candling

While the name of the procedure may bring some people back to a particular scene in Shrek, ear candling involves burning candles near one’s ear to try and remove earwax. These special hollowed candles are meant to create suction and/or use heat to clear wax from the ear canal. If trusting a lit candle—and by extension anyone handling that candle—so close to your face for the sake of clean ears makes you nervous, no need to worry; the consensus from researchers is that the candles don’t actually clear your ears. And tests have shown that, unsurprisingly, the waxy debris that is found within the candle after use is not in fact ear wax, but melted wax and gauze from the candle itself. Who’d have guessed?
Raw Water

For some, the recent push for less-processed, more back to nature foods has shifted to include our most important survival resource: water. For those of a more discerning and/or skeptical palette, raw water—unfiltered, untreated water from natural springs and sources—is now a convenient, though royally expensive, option. While many regions throughout the country may have valid concerns about tap water due to aging infrastructure, most health professionals argue the potential risks of drinking untreated water far outweigh any potential benefits. On the other hand, proponents of raw water often provide alternative, sometimes questionable arguments, as one seller explained to The New York Times: Call me a conspiracy theorist, but [fluoride’s] a mind-control drug that has no benefit to our dental health. No comment.

Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

A New Play Debuts in Boyle Heights

Taking Kabuki to the Taper

Jackie Chung, Kelly

Nicholas D'Agosto, Brock

Jessalyn Gilsig, Meredith Baer

Shoniqua Shandai, River

Ten Camps, One Executive Order

Japanese American National Museum

President Reagan’s Remarks and Signing Ceremony for the Japanese-American Internment Compensation Bill

NPR—Code Switch: For Some Japanese Americans, Border Separations Are Déjà Vu

A Fad a Day to Your Doctor’s Dismay

Cabbage Soup Diet

Activated Charcoal

Ear Candling

Raw Water