Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

Soldiering On

Jessica Doherty — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:00:00 -0700

Eugene Lee originated the role of Corporal Bernard Cobb in the play’s original Off-Broadway production in 1981 with the Negro Ensemble Company. Four decades later, Lee returns to A Soldier’s Play as Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, starring alongside Broadway legend Norm Lewis and under the direction of Kenny Leon at the Ahmanson Theatre.

A Soldier’s Play is a murder mystery. But as Captain Richard Davenport, played by Lewis, unravels the events of that fateful night, he also unearths the underlying racial tensions of the United States through the lives of a segregated army unit in the Southeast during World War II.

“It deals not only with the murder mystery, but it deals with racism within our country, self-hatred within and among our culture, and the things we don’t like to talk about,” Lewis said.

This is by design of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Charles Fuller, who often wrote about the experience of being Black in the United States with three-dimensional characters and a perspective free from the white gaze.

A Soldier’s Play was first performed at Center Theatre Group at the Mark Taper Forum in 1982, starring Denzel Washington and Adolph Caesar. It was also adapted into a film, A Soldier’s Story, in 1984.

In an interview with Center Theatre Group for the original CTG production program, Fuller addressed how he felt many plays of his time did not capture the full picture of the African American experience in the United States. “In the 60s and early 70s many Black plays were directed at [white people],” he said. “They were mainly confrontational pieces, whose major concern was to address racism and white-Black relationships in the country. Now we are much more concerned with examining ourselves, with looking at our own situations...Addressing white people about racial problems is not our only concern, or even our principal one. We’d never get anything done if that’s all we did.

There are a lot of other things that interest us—Black people who are in love, who have led all sorts of exciting lives, and who have had a fascinating history.”

Both Lewis and Lee feel this production speaks to similar themes today, even 40 years after its premiere and nearly 80 years after it is set.

“[The play’s] truths are still true,” Lee said. “Not much has changed.”

Lee, now 70 years old, has seen the many ways the industry has stayed the same, but also how much it has and will continue to change.

“The opportunity for previously underdeveloped, unheard voices that’s happening on the American stage these days is exciting to me,” Lee said. “Despite the cultural wars that are happening [in] the political area, playwrights’ voices are being heard, the stories are being told. And I think that’s great, I think theatre can save society.”

Lewis himself has broken barriers, becoming the first Black actor to star as The Phantom in the Broadway production of The Phantom of The Opera in 2014.

He hopes to pave a way forward for others to do the same. Offstage, Lewis is a founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization that helps and uplifts Black artists in the theatre industry onstage and off. “I’ve been lucky enough...to play roles that are not specifically African American roles,” he said. “We want more opportunities like that, we’re trying to make a difference within this industry.”

Lewis and Lee hope to encourage more conversations around representation and racial equity through their performances each night.

“[A Soldier’s Play] brings new information to people... and these insights are what’s going to help bridge the gap that exists between cultures in the United States,” Lee said.

Lewis feels the play offers new perspectives to everyone. “[Audiences] will have a better understanding of a culture [they] don’t know about, [and] it gives people who are of the culture, the African American experience, a better look into some of the things that we need to discuss,” he said.

A new National Anthem

Jessica Doherty — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 15:11:00 -0700

For two company members, the game was particularly exciting. Sav Souza and Sara Gallo both grew up loving soccer. Souza played soccer along with their sister for the Barcelona League in Arizona, which fostered a sense of camaraderie. “I have distinct memories of getting really frustrated with her, but that was our thing—we had each other’s backs and if anyone tried to mess with me, she would come [to my side],” they said.

Gallo’s friends played soccer and brought her along into the world of sports. After seeing the 2010 Men’s World Cup in Germany, that “changed the game” for her. Now, watching soccer reminds her of home. “I have such fond memories of being at the beach in New Jersey, watching the World Cup in our bathing suits eating pancakes—it reminds me of all of my best friends,” she said.

Gallo also feels the mission of both the soccer team and the production of 1776 have aligned missions to uplift marginalized communities.

“It was incredibly special to have the cast of 1776 perform the National Anthem at our match,” said Co-Founder and President of Angel City Football Club Julie Uhrman. “Angel City was founded on equity and inclusivity, and having such a diverse cast sing in front of our fans was meaningful to all of us. On a personal note, I love musicals and was thrilled to host them. They are welcome back any time.”

Check out the full performance here.

For more information about 1776, which runs through May 7^th, click here. For more information about the Angel City Football Club, visit their website.

Center Theatre Group Announces New Artistic Director

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 09:30:00 -0700

Dear Friend:

We are excited to share today’s news that Center Theatre Group’s Board of Directors has appointed Snehal Desai as our next Artistic Director. Snehal will join Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman in August, from his current post as Producing Artistic Director of L.A.’s historic East West Players where he has led the company since 2016.

We are coming out of one of the hardest chapters in the history of not just Los Angeles theatre but theatre around the globe—and we were committed to appointing a leader who had the experience and thoughtful determination to pave the way forward. We are so pleased to have found our way to Snehal and we cannot wait for him to join us later this year.

When we created the Search Committee for the new Artistic Director, we cast a wide net, conducting an expansive search for our next visionary leader. Ultimately, we received more than 100 applications from both across this country and abroad. But when it was all said and done, we were delighted to have found our next artistic director right in our own backyard. The work Snehal has been doing just down the street has been nothing short of astonishing, and we are overjoyed to welcome him to our Center Theatre Group family.

Snehal is no stranger to Center Theatre Group audiences, and a longtime admirer of both the organization and the artistic vision established by Founding Artistic Director Gordon Davidson. During his tenure at East West Players, the nation’s largest and longest running Asian American theatre, he helped shepherd Soft Power at the Ahmanson Theatre and the recent Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

We know that Snehal is looking forward to honoring the institution’s past while also leading it into a new era. In his meetings with our Search Committee, the Board, and members of Center Theatre Group staff, Snehal articulated a vision that is firmly grounded in the type of entertaining programming we have become known and celebrated for, while also presenting a well-rounded scope of new programming ideas that will appeal to a broad range of audiences and across all three of our unique stages.

Snehal is an ideal and invigorating leader for this inflection point in our history. He is bold and resourceful, and we know he will bring that same exuberance and energy to our stages. He has long committed himself to Los Angeles, and we know he will continue to rally our many communities and undauntedly chart our course forward, both locally and nationally. He is the perfect partner for Meghan, who has courageously led us through the most challenging period in the theatre's history and can now look toward the future with an exciting new artistic partner.

We are thrilled to have Snehal and Meghan usher in this new chapter for Center Theatre Group. This is a great milestone, but we know we still face difficult times ahead. We know you will join us in congratulating and welcoming Snehal, and supporting him as he takes on this critical role in our community.

Sincerely,

Amy R. Forbes, President of the Board of Directors

Gail Berman-Masters, Search Chair and Vice President of the Board of Directors

A note from Incoming Artistic Director Snehal Desai

Center Theatre Group is a cultural force in the American theatre, and I am honored to be its next Artistic Director. CTG’s vibrant legacy has been built by being the home for the preeminent theatrical artists of our time and the next great American play. I am humbled by the opportunity to enrich that legacy by uplifting and centering the diverse and thriving communities that comprise the beating heart of Los Angeles. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that comes with the rarest of gifts for an Angeleno—an even shorter morning commute. I look forward to working with Center Theatre Group’s board, artists, staff, and patrons in ensuring that CTG is a vital, timely, and relevant cultural home for all Angelenos.

A note from Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman:

Words cannot truly express just how elated I am to have Snehal join me in leadership at Center Theatre Group. I first met Snehal in graduate school, and I have watched him in admiration navigate a career that established his reputation as being both an extraordinarily talented and passionate artist, as well as an innovative and fearless leader. As we embark on a new chapter, I look forward to no longer having to simply admire his work from afar, but to get to work alongside Snehal to carry on the great legacy of Center Theatre Group, while creating a theatre that is built not just for this moment, but also for the future.

The Future of L.A.

Bobby Martinez — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 12:22:00 -0700

Each year, the Education & Community Partnerships (ECP) department hosts a Student Ambassador program, in which high school students from around Los Angeles embark on a seven-month leadership program that is designed to transform passionate young individuals into leaders in the arts. Student Ambassadors use the programming on Center Theatre Group stages as a jumping off point for projects and workshops.

On Saturday, March 25^th, the Student Ambassadors hosted a preshow event titled, The Future of L.A., which invited teenagers from all over Los Angeles to create art through music, poetry, collages, and photography inspired by Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.

Participants were divided into groups to take part in various workshops. Each station was designed by Student Ambassadors to explore L.A. through a different artistic lens, encouraging participants to express their perception of the city with art as the medium.

The workshops culminated with participants attending a performance of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at the Mark Taper Forum, which explores the history of the L.A. Uprising of 1992 and the communities, relationships, and culture at the heart of the city.

At the photo collage station, led by Student Ambassadors Natalia and Melanie, participants were provided a map of Los Angeles County, alongside newspaper and magazine clippings, and told to locate their neighborhood on the map. Once located, they used their clippings to find a food item that best represented their neighborhood and used the remaining clippings to create a collage that represented their everyday life in their communities.

Through their work, Natalia hoped participants would learn about communities around Los Angeles other than their own. Melanie echoed this sentiment, sharing that her peers at school had no idea about the culture and significance of neighborhoods such as Little Toyko and Chinatown, which she found shocking. To cultivate learning and conversation, the two encouraged participants to share their collages at the end of the workshop and explain why they reminded them of home.

Student Ambassadors Jocelyn and Reese hoped to create a space that would allow participants to share their opinions and perspectives in their blackout poetry workshop. When Jocelyn was reading through excerpts from Twilight... she was excited to see a rich source material that would allow participants to tell their own stories from different points of views.

Participants were provided with an excerpt from Twilight... and black markers. “Blackout anything you don’t vibe with,” Jocelyn shared, as participants began to read the passage and cross out the words they didn’t personally resonate with. The excerpt, “The Table” was chosen for its fluidity, as the Student Ambassadors wanted participants to form a connection with the words in the passage.

“I hope this allows people to be more engaged with the community and embrace their personal identities,” Jocelyn shared. Through their art, participants were able to express their unique perspectives of Los Angeles and the community around them.

Through a music workshop, participants also had the opportunity to create poetry and visual art about music that resembled the different cultures, perspectives, and sounds of L.A in the 1990s. Another workshop asked participants to reflect on their “L.A. Angel,” the person or object that embodied Los Angeles to them, culminating in a printed photo that best represented that image.

Some attendees of the event felt excited and optimistic while creating their art pieces, with one teen sharing they felt a “warm [feeling] in their chest” from the conversations that surrounded the day. In an interview with the Student Ambassadors for social media, another participant shared he was astounded with the art and conversations happening around him. He found it thrilling that, “art and poetry can be whatever you make it, and it can be whatever you perceive it as.”

For Meighan La Rocca, the Future of L.A. event was important to the community because it explored everyone’s individual relationship with Los Angeles. She finds the Student Ambassador program to be empowering, as it gives the Ambassadors the opportunity to create an event from scratch. Nico Rosario shares she “loves watching the Ambassadors blossom into young leaders, full of confidence and pride at what they’ve accomplished and what they are capable of achieving.”

Through events like these, the Education & Community Partnerships department continues to invest in the youth of L.A. in hopes of a brighter future for all.

For more information regarding the Education & Community Partnerships department, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Programs or follow them on Instagram @ctgcommmunity

'Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992' runs at the Mark Taper Forum through April 9. For tickets, call (213) 628-2772 or visit centertheatregroup.org

Community in Flames

Jessica Doherty & Bobby Martinez — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 17:27:00 -0700

Kishisa Ross was on the ground interviewing subjects for Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 alongside playwright Anna Deavere Smith. She started working at CTG in Audience Development and Marketing as a Cal State LA student and continued working at the company in a variety of roles for twenty-five years. She was approached to assist Smith while at a dance workshop at Humboldt. After a phone interview, the two were off to hear the stories of 320 individuals throughout Los Angeles.

Ross was personally familiar with the racial tensions and relations explored in the play. She grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where she said she saw the tension between the Black and Korean communities in her neighborhoods. But she also knew of an exception in her own area. One Korean grocer near her home hired a Black security guard, whom everyone in the neighborhood knew and became close with. “While it seemed so small, it was huge,” she said. “There was a face between the owners and the neighborhood.”

Ross also wanted to emphasize how shocking it was to see the beating of Rodney King in 1992. “There weren’t people who could flip out a cell phone and get 20 different angles of what took place,” she said. “To be able to see the actual video [of Rodney King] was something that had never been seen before.”

Now, with the proliferation of cell phones and social media, people witness the beatings and shootings of unarmed Black men at the hands of police much more frequently. But Ross feels that this production shows how, despite this, not much has changed in victims receiving judicial justice.

“People are ready to start to see and hear and understand this play and what has been going on,” Ross said. “And that very little movement has been made.”

Kiyomi Emi has always called L.A. home.

Growing up as a fourth-generation Japanese American in the city, Emi knew quickly that there were a multitude of factors that resulted in the uprising of 1992. She cited police brutality as a “well-known issue” for the community, but what stood out most to Emi was the relationship and strain between communities in the Los Angeles area. The L.A. Uprising and events leading to it contained moments of tension between the Black, Korean, Latino and policing communities of Los Angeles, which Emi credits due to a lack of communication amongst one another.

In 1992, she was working at Center Theatre Group in the Press Department, where she and her coworkers would watch the news on a small, color TV daily. She recalls the city was “uncertain” as they awaited the verdict to come down on the Rodney King trial. When the verdict was released, Emi remembers that her coworker came running into her offices. “Kiyomi, get out of here. Right now.” she was told, leaving the offices in Downtown L.A. and traveling to her home in Cerritos.

“It was really frightening...that the city could break out into a riot.” Emi shared. “It was heartbreaking.” She was able to get home safely and began to watch the city erupt. Her brother told her he saw pillars of smoke coming out of the city as he and his girlfriend drove down the I-10 freeway on their way to Emi’s home.

As the three sat in the living room watching the news, Emi received a call late at night that the company had decided to cancel all performances for the week. She then had to call the media, press, and patrons to inform them of the cancellation. Emi recalls feeling uneasy, as though an eerie tone was blanketing the city. “You could just feel the anxiety level. The energy was deflated.” she shared.

Though the events of the L.A. Uprisings were heartbreaking for the native Angeleno, she found solace with the support of the communities around her. “Whether it was through my colleagues at work, or my family and friends...the healing [process] was knowing that [they were] there to support and solve together.” she shared.

Emi knew Twilight...would be the perfect medium for the community to heal. She was fascinated that Smith was telling this story, not from one perspective, but all the communities who were affected. She found the process groundbreaking and powerful, which were emotions that stirred within her when she first saw the show. “Twilight... was a learning piece, it was a teaching piece for us all,” she said.

Now, 30 years later, Twilight... returns to the Mark Taper Forum, and Emi hopes that audiences will come to learn about Los Angeles again. “Come with an open heart” she shared “We don’t want to repeat history again.”

Joe Carter experienced one of the most transformative events in L.A. history after moving to the city from Indiana.

In 1992, Center Theatre Group was producing its record-breaking production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Ahmanson Theatre, though the city was soon to begin to show distress. When the verdict came down on the trial, Carter watched as the city began to erupt. Carter, who was the Assistant Director of Audience Development, returned to the office from his home in Los Feliz later that night to inform audiences that the evening performance was cancelled. Carter and his coworkers were then instructed to go home and leave the offices for their safety. Driving through Echo Park past the lake, he heard gunshots in the air. “This was going to be bigger than we thought,” he recalled.”

Carter was excited that his friend, Ross, was the assistant for the playwright, Smith. At first, Carter pondered if audiences would be afraid of the topics at the core of the show, but performances started to sell out. Soon, they were seating audiences in the aisles. Carter’s brother visited from Indiana to see the show, and said “what [Smith] did in that play...made [him] understand Los Angeles in a way [he’s] never [before].”

Carter was proud of Center Theatre Group for producing the show at that time. He thinks it can still provide new insight to audiences today. “Look how far we’ve come, let’s see how far we can go,” he said with hope.

Michael Solomon felt as though he was “in a warzone in our own country.” From atop his building in Hollywood, he watched as the National Guard’s tanks rolled through the streets, soldiers emerging to traverse the streets on foot.

Solomon said the entire experience was surreal. But he also found a new sense of community in his fellow staff at Center Theatre Group. At the time, Solomon working with the Management Department at CTG. “We were living through this painful period together, people were constantly checking on each other, making sure people were safe, providing emotional support for each other in a way that hadn’t necessarily existed before,” he said.

But while he grew closer to his colleagues, the community of the city grew farther apart. “People became more afraid to interact with others who they deemed outside their comfort zone,” he said. “The feelings that led to some aspects of the uprising only intensified.”

Solomon feels like Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 captured the turmoil of the time well. But thirty years later, the same struggles persist. “The relationship between the police and many communities of color still hasn’t improved much from those days,” he said.

Ken Werther woke up in the middle of the night to flames.

Werther was at work when the verdict was announced to the public. He went home and turned on the television to stay updated with the events unfolding. As the evening wore on, the news got worse, and Werther was unsure if he would need to report to work the following morning. He was living in West Hollywood at the time and felt safe, as most of the events of the uprising were taking place in the downtown area. By 1 AM, he had turned off the T.V. and gone to bed, unsure of what the coming days were to bring.

“I was awakened by…a snap, crackle, pop sound,” he recalled. He walked over to his bedroom window and opened the blinds, where he was face to face with the flames overtaking his building. “The fire was so intense. I could feel the heat on my eyelashes.” he shared. His neighbor began to bang on the door, hoping to wake up all the residents in the building. Werther picked up his cats and evacuated the building, watching outside as his home went up in flames. Luckily, everyone in the building made it out safely.

Werther began to call his loved ones that very night, unsure of what to do next. “Within fifteen minutes, I was surrounded by friends. And we stood there, [watching] everything I owned in the world burn to a crisp.” He shared. Werther did not go to work for a few days, as he spent time recovering and recollecting himself after the fire. He visited the site of the incident wearing shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt that were given to him by his friends.

“When I [returned] to work, it was like the entire building was in the Press office to say hello and give me a hug.” He reminisced fondly on the support he received from his peers. Coworkers arrived at his office with bags of donations and even put on a benefit at the Pasadena Playhouse to support him. Among his personal items lost was his Barbra Streisand CD Collection, which Carter replaced after the fire. “He went out and got every single one, it was just unbelievable” Werther noted. For Werther, it was the support from his loved ones that helped him get through the traumatic time in his life. He soon found a new place in West Hollywood, where he has stayed to this day.

When Werther moved to Los Angeles in 1982, he first worked in television publicity. Longing to work in the theatre industry, he accepted a position in the Press Department at Center Theatre Group. When reminiscing on the events leading up to the Uprising, Werther admits he was a bit unplugged from what was happening but understood the severity of the situation. “I was aware of it; you couldn’t [ignore it] unless you were living under a rock.” he joked.

Thirty years ago, Werther hoped audiences would learn about the way we live and, and prejudices people hold. “But in terms of progression, “I don't think we've come very far at all,” he said. "I hope that audiences that see the show this time around get that there's a real problem out there.”

A Rose-Tinted Stroll

Bobby Martinez — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:26:00 -0700

VALLEY OF THE HEART

By Luis Valdez
Mark Taper Forum (2018)

The cast in the Center Theatre Group production of Luis Valdez’s “Valley of the Heart.” Presented in association with El Teatro Campesino. Photo by Craig Schwartz

Love is a powerful emotion, but often it must withstand the circumstances of life. There are many factors that can make love difficult: money, location, goals, and even family. These are challenges that are familiar to Benjamin Montaño and Thelma “Teruko” Yamaguchi, two secret lovers trapped by the circumstances of the Great Depression and World War II. Written and directed by the legendary Luis Valdez (Zoot Suit), Valley of the Heart tells the story of two immigrant families who mustnavigate these challenges alongside one another. The two families share the farmland and work together, but when theJapanese internment camps imprison the Yamaguchis, the young lovers must fight for their culture, their family, and their love.A powerful reminder of the history of the United States and the difficulties immigrant families have faced, Valley of the Heartis a reflection of the power that love can have even in the face of adversity.

THE MYSTERY & LOVE AND SEX

By Bathsheba Doran
Mark Taper Forum (2016)

L-R: Sharon Lawrence, York Walker, Mae Whitman and David Pittu in “The Mystery of Love & Sex” at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum. Written by Bathsheba Doran and directed by Robert Egan. Photo by Craig Schwartz

Yes, love can be shown simply with roses and chocolates, but sometimes it can be utterly confusing. I am still trying to decipher a text message I received from someone last week. What do you think “your charming personality will win them over” means? Charlotte knows better than anyone the strife of love as she navigates her own sexuality and romances while having to deal with the crumbling marriage of her parents in The Mystery of Love & Sex. Written by Bathsheba Doran and directed by Robert Egan, the show follows Charlotte as she tackles her inner emotions and teaches us all that love can push us through any challenges. Though these emotions can be unmapped and difficult to navigate, Doran and Egan remind us that the answer often lives within our truth, no matter how untracked the road ahead may be. Maybe I should find out what “charming personality” means for myself...

FAILURE: A LOVE STORY

By Philip Dawkins
Kirk Douglas Theatre (2017)

Kurt Quinn (center) and the cast of the Coeurage Theatre production of “Failure: A Love Story” at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Written by Philip Dawkins and directed by Michael Matthews. Photo by Craig Schwartz.

Written by Philip Dawkins and directed by Michael Matthews, Failure: A Love Story from Coeurage Theatre Company chronicles the lives, loves, and deaths of the three Fail sisters and the one man who fell in love with each of them. The show was a part of our Block Party 2017, where we produced some of Los Angeles’ newest works. The story follows Mortimer after arriving in Chicago, where we see him fall in love with each of the three Fail sisters before each ultimately passes away during the course of the show. It’s a tale that seems harrowing, but Failure... helps us remember that love can transcend meaning, and that our memory of those who have passed on can be a powerful form of love that remains with us throughout our lives.

KANSAS CITY CHOIR BOY

By Todd Almond
Kirk Douglas Theatre (2017)

When I was younger, my grandmother told me that “a life lived in love will never be dull.” I never really paid much attention to those words, but it’s the quote that stuck with me when thinking about our next production, Kansas City Choir Boy. A contemporary music-theatre work about love altered by unexpected fate, the show tells the story of two lovers in small town America who separate when one goes in search of her destiny and then disappears. It keeps audiences on their feet as the main characters navigate the unknown. With songs by acclaimed composer/lyricist Todd Almond, and performed alongside rock icon Courtney Love, Kansas CityChoir Boy transported audiences to that unfamiliar place, with love at the center to guide us home.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

By Bob Martin, Lisa Rampert, and Doug Morrison
Ahmanson Theatre (2005)

Many shows highlight the beauty of romantic love, but love doesn’t always have to be about a special connection with another person. In 2005, The Drowsy Chaperone made its U.S. premiere at the Ahmanson featuring Sutton Foster, giving Los Angeles audiences the opportunity to experience the charm of the show before its run on Broadway. It went on to win five Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. The show follows the Narrator, an avid lover of theatre, who is feeling down and decides to play the music of his favorite show, The Drowsy Chaperone. The audience is whisked away into the world of the musical, as the characters of the show come to life. At the center of the story, however, is the love that the Narrator holds for theatre. And as theatre lovers, it’s a beautiful reminder of what our passions can do for us. Sometimes the love that we hold for our passions can change lives, lifting our spirits when they are low and seeing us through the hardest of times. In some of my more difficult moments in life, sometimes the best way to get through it has been to blast my favorite musical theatre cast albums. I know the Narrator feels the same.

Making a new home at Abernethy’s

Jessica Doherty — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:37:00 -0700

Family has always played a role in Lenora’s cooking. She is “deeply inspired by the moms” in her life.

Her mother raised Lenora and her brother on her own, sometimes working multiple jobs. “That’s what actually pushed me into the kitchen at a young age,” she said. “Opening up [the] fridge and trying to make something out of whatever was in there.” As her mother had more time to cook, Lenora said she experienced a journey of growth and experimentation in the kitchen. Lenora has now been cooking and working in restaurants for over twenty years. After cooking for her family and taking a home economics class in high school, she attended L.A. Trade Technical College for two years to earn a culinary degree. From there, she traveled the world and worked in kitchens in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. She met her husband, Adnen Marouani, while the two worked in the kitchen of Caesar’s Place. She and Adnen opened Barsha in 2012, first as a wine bar so that they could start a family. Now, the two collaborate at the restaurant and at Abernethy’s—Lenora on the food and Adnen on the wine. There’s another family member who has helped with the wine as well—one of their two daughters designed the label on the orange wine offered on the menu.

Visiting her husband’s family in Tunisia was an important learning experience and source of inspiration for Lenora and her menu. She was nervous about making a good impression and entering a new culture but was welcomed quickly. “The warmth that I felt, the embrace, especially through the food, it was like a warm hug,” she said. Lenora wants patrons to feel that warmth she felt in Tunisia when they walk into the restaurant. Hung on the wall is a handmade rug from the south of Tunisia, one that Lenora fell in love with at first sight. “It’s a little worn and I think that brings character to it,” she said. “The warm and energetic notes of toasted orange, the earth from the brown and green, and the vibrant yet calming blue makes me feel at home. I want everyone to feel at home at Abernethy’s!”

This color scheme continues throughout the space—the menu adorned with an orange, blue, and brown pattern, and tagines with orangish-brown and light blue details rest atop shelves over the bar. Lenora described how the clay tagines imbue a unique earthiness into the food, especially as it slowly cooks over coals for hours.

This complex layering of flavor is important to Tunisian cooking and Lenora’s menu. She described her mother-in law’s spice blend as “magic spice.” A little pinch of Tabil, a spice blend consisting of coriander, caraway, turmeric, and more goes a long way and is cooked down with onions for a base to build upon.

In her menu at Abernethy’s, Lenora is bringing her own twist to Tunisian flavors based on her experiences and travels. Preserved lemon adorns mussels with soyrizo and spiced shishito peppers. M’hamsa, sun-dried wheat grains, are chilled and paired with Mediterranean relish and feta or warm in a lamb meatball stew. The latter directly harkens back to her time in Tunisia with her husband when her in-laws slaughtered a lamb to cook in a stew for them that night. Lenora recounted it as one of her favorite meals. She experiments with both flavor and form as well, serving chickpeas in three ways—as falafel, purée, and stew.

Throughout the entire menu, Lenora hopes to evoke warmth and comfort. “Food has definitely been my constant in life,” Lenora said. “Food has empowered me to expand my knowledge and fulfill my curiosity...We all need to find our outlets to grow and heal in life, and for me, it was food."

Lenora hopes patrons savor every bite. “Hopefully, they know a piece of my story,” she said. “So, they can have a better understanding of each bite.” Lenora’s menu will be available at Abernethy’s now through the end of May.

For more information, visit: abernethysla.com

The scenery of ‘The Secret Garden’

Jessica Doherty — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:27:00 -0700

What inspires you as a scenic designer? And what specifically inspired you for your designs for The Secret Garden?

With The Secret Garden, and any project, I begin by spending a lot of time with the script and the music, to understand the story and the characters. With this piece, Director and Choreographer Warren Carlyle and I spoke a lot about how it’s a ghost story, and the central theme is a sense of redemption, and rejuvenation. We wanted there to be a haunting sense of the living and the dead—and the possibility of life, reborn again in the piece. The elements—earth, wind, water, fire—were also a large consideration in our design process—and all four appear in the design.

What does your design process look like?

After doing a deep-dive [into] the source material, I typically turn to some visual research, and then begin working in my sketchbook to find a big thematic or architectural idea to bring to the piece. Then I begin sussing that out in a 3D model in the computer, and translate those ideas into a series of renderings. We then develop the design in those images, and then translate those images into drawings for price estimate, and eventually build. Then I work with the fabricators and artisans to execute the set construction so it aligns with the intent—and then make sure the show installs into the theatre in time for technical rehearsals with the cast. That’s where we make any finishing touches, and make decisions about movement and transitions, and integrate the other design departments. Once performances begin, we make some light tweaks, and then we let the show go!

Do you have a favorite scene and/or locale in the show?

Given the show’s title and themes, it was important to really deliver on a beautiful garden for the finale. It’s been a real pleasure and a privilege imagining and executing that with this team.

You’re an Emmy-winning designer—what would you say are the differences when designing for the stage and for screens? What are the similarities?

On screen, the camera is the audience’s view—and a design has to be detailed and dimensional in a way that appreciates close-up and wide-shots. The gestures need to be grand and intimate. On stage, the audience is typically more-or-less fixed, which allows for bolder, bigger gestures or shapes, sometimes. I find the immediacy of watching a live stage performance to be unlike any other medium.

What do you hope audiences take away from this production?

The Secret Garden is a timeless story, and I hope the audience finds in these characters and their journey a balm for the complicated and often sad world we live in. It’s a story about redemption and hope, and new beginnings, and I think it’s going to resonate with the audience in a very moving way.

‘Jokesters’ at Center Theatre Group

Bobby Martinez — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 08:00:00 -0700

Trevor Griffith

Comedians
1977 | MARK TAPER FORUM

Tackling issues of sexism and racism, Comedians takes place during the 1970s in Manchester, England. Working-class comedians take an evening comedy class to learn from retired comedian Eddie Waters. The show follows five of the students, who hope to impress the President of the Comedy Federation with their comedy acts but take different routes in achieving their goal. After performing each of their acts at a club, the group bicker among one another, critiquing the individual choices each comedian made. The decision then lies with the President of the Comedy Federation, who must decide which comedians will work under his wing. Originally opening at the Nottingham Playhouse in England, the show moved to Broadway during the 1976/77 season and played at the Mark Taper Forum in 1977.

Neil Simon

Laughter on the 23rd Floor
MAY 4 – JULY 9, 1995 | UCLA JAMES A. DOOLITTLE THEATRE

When the Ahmanson underwent construction, the James A. Doolittle Theatre became home to many of our shows, including Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Inspired by Simon’s own early career experiences, Laughter... follows Max Prince, the star of a weekly comedy show, and Lucas Brickman, a staff member who commentates on the writing, fighting, and antics that take place in the writers’ room. Providing an insider’s look at the personalities and processes of comedy writing, Laughter...tackles the humor, talent, and underlying political and social conversations that happen in the writing room.

Dame Edna

Dame Edna’s Glorious Goodbye
JANUARY 24 – MARCH 15, 2015 | AHMANSON THEATRE

Dame Edna is no stranger to the Ahmanson, having graced the stage multiple times, including a run of Dame Edna: Back With A Vengeance! in 2005 and Dame Edna: My First Last Tour in 2009. But in 2015, Barry Humphries and ‘global gigastar’ Dame Edna Everage celebrated 50 years of sold-out venues and global tours in Dame Edna’s Glorious Goodbye. Australia’s greatest entertainment export returned for more ‘take-noprisoners’comedy and hijinks, and they ensured that no one in the audiencewas safe from the Dame’s wicked tongue.

Mike Birbiglia

The Old Man and the Pool
JULY 27 – AUGUST 28, 2022 | MARK TAPER FORUM

Comedian Mike Birbiglia knows how to entertain an audience, ranging from film, TV, and interim late-night talk show host when covering for Jimmy Kimmel. Having played the Ahmanson before, the comedian returned to Center Theatre Group with a tale of life, death, and a highly chlorinated YMCA pool at the Mark Taper Forum. Channeling his unique form of comedic storytelling, Birbiglia chronicles a coming of-middle-age story in The Old Man and the Pool, which asks the big questions: Why are we here? What’s next? What happens when the items at the doctor’s office that you thought were decorative become functional? It’s evident that, through comedy, Birbiglia faces the challenges of adulthood head on, processing the realities of fatherhood and the mysteries of life. Though the answers ahead may be frightening, Birbiglia equips the audience with laughter, reminding us that when the going gets tough, it doesn’t hurt to take a beat, and laugh.

John Leguizamo

Latin History for Morons
SEPTEMBER 5 – OCTOBER 20, 2019 | AHMANSON THEATRE

John Leguizamo is no stranger to comedy, with the Tony and Emmy Award winning actor’s career spanning the depths of the Ice Age to the thrill-seeking brother plumber in SuperMarios Bros. But the comedian is also well acquainted with the stage, having made his Broadway debut in his one man show, Freak, in 1998, followed by Sexaholix... A Love Story which played at the Ahmanson in 2001. Leguizamo returned the stage in Latin History for Morons, where the comedian scholar schooled America on Cinco de Mayo—no, it’s not the Latino Fourth of July—and every other aspect of Latin history that we’ve misunderstood and forgotten. From a mad recap of the Aztec empire to stories of the unknown Latin patriots who won American independence, Leguizamo breaks down the 3,000 years between the Mayans and Pitbull into 110 irreverent and incisive minutes. Leguizamo uses his charm, jokes, and wit to captivate his audiences, keeping the Ahmanson alive with laughter while educating all of us on the important history of the Latine community.

Cecily Strong

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe
SEPTEMBER 21 – OCTOBER 23, 2022 | MARK TAPER FORUM

When one thinks of comedy, Lorne Michael’s long-running sketch show, Saturday Night Live (SNL), is considered a masterclass in live comedic storytelling. It’s no surprise then that in the revival of TheSearch for Signs of Intelligent life in the Universe, Emmy-nominated SNL cast member Cecily Strong was ready to find meaning and hope in life here on Earth. Originally written by Emmy Award winner Jane Wagner for fellow comedian and later, her wife, Lily Tomlin, Search... weaves together the seemingly disparate tales of a punkrock rebel, wealthy Californian socialites, and feminist reactionaries in search of alien life in a hilarious and timeless play about what makes us human.

Kristina Wong

Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord
FEBRUARY 12 – MARCH 12, 2023 | KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE

As one of six recipients to have won the Doris Duke Arist Award this year, it is undeniable that Kristina Wong knows exactly how to make an audience laugh while discussing the complexities of society. First appearing on the digital stage with Kristina Wongfor Public Office, Kristina Wong made her in-person debut at Center Theatre Group this year with KristinaWong, Sweatshop Overlord at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, where she discussed the early days of the pandemic. Sewing masks out of old bed sheets and bra straps on her Hello Kitty sewing machine to support those in need, it wasn’t long before she was leading the Auntie Sewing Squad, a work-from-home sweatshop of hundreds of volunteers—including children and her own mother—that hoped to fix the U.S. public health care system while in quarantine. Following the difficulties of the pandemic, Kristina uses her comedic timing and relief to tackle some of the hardest conversations that arose amidst the pandemic including the rise in Anti-Asian hate crimes, and the support for the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the murder of George Floyd.