June August

The world premiere at CV Rep of Beverly Hills Hotel Peace Talks by Gregg Ostrin is definitely a show worth seeing. The dialogue grabbed me from the first line. The acting does justice to the script. Although not a strict comedy genre, I found myself and the audience laughing at Ostrin's skill in handling characterizations and verbalizing Hollywood and political cliches.

As a regular theatergoer who has seen Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities before--twice in the Palm Springs area--I wasn't expecting to be surprised. Well, I was. It became more than a play; it was an experience. At rise, I found myself embraced by a set that invited me into the living room of an upscale Palm Spring home. From that moment on, I was captured by sensitive acting and masterful direction in this stunning production at Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre.

When laughter heals, Christopher Durang’s 1981 comedy BEYOND THERAPY is just what the doctor ordered. Jerome Elliott’s lively, creative direction enhances the adventures of two love-hungry Manhattanites, Bruce and Prudence, who have consulted their respective therapists for guidance in seeking stable relationships.

Desert TheatreWorks is to be congratulated for mounting a successful production of DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at the Indio Performing Arts Center April 4-13, 2025. A strong cast of 10, starring Tess Martinez in the title role, recalls the desperation of millions of innocent people during the Second World War in their attempt to survive the Nazi Holocaust.

The SHARK is BROKEN, a three-man, two-hour play inspired by the technical problems that delayed the filming of Jaws, is now amusing audiences at Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs through April 19. Directed by Roger Welch, the script by Ian Frost and Joseph Nixon dramatizes the frustrations of actors Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw who were forced to wait aimlessly between takes in the cramped galley of a boat. Revolution Stage is presenting the production in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jaws.

I was moved—completely captivated by the stunning performance of Luis Alfaro’s award-winning Black Butterfly, a poignant peek into one aspect of Mexican-American culture, now playing at Green Room Theatre Company. The show offers more than the play itself.  On a makeshift stage in the RAP Foundation building, the show opens with an energetic display of talent by Ballet Folklórico.

Remember the advertising slogan, 'The Gift That Keeps on Giving'?  It originated in the 1920's to promote the newly invented phonograph by the Victor Talking Machine Company. It was so effective that RCA Victor resurrected it in 1963 as a Christmas season advertisement.  Well, in the spirit of 'I wish I had thought of that,' I am borrowing the slogan in reference to the Origins New Works Program by Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre.  Origins truly is a gift that keeps on giving.

Bravo to Maestro Steven Hulsey and Director Adam Karsten. Brava to Choreographer Karen Sieber. Not a note of Andrew Lloyd Webber's brilliant score was wasted.

What did our critic think of GOD OF CARNAGE at Palm Springs Cultural Center?

When my 8th grade English class read Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens’ exposé of the cruel and unjust treatment of the poor in Victorian London, I never dreamed it would become Lionel Bart’s poignant, award-winning 1960 musical Oliver. Alas, Broadway Theatricals’ delightful production just ended its March 7 to 9, 2025, run at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater.

God of Carnage does not necessarily suggest comedy. Since I and those attending the Desert Ensemble Theatre production at the Palm Sprngs Cultural Center found ourselves laughing at the satiric humor in author Yasmine Reza’s dive into the exigencies of communication, the play conforms to the genre of dark comedy. Giving credit where due, that humor was brilliantly delivered by an outstanding cast.did our critic think of OLIVER at Desert Theatricals?