[Author’s Note: Poetry is in the air and, as a lapsed poet, it seems like an opportune moment to reconnect with an art form that has felt rather distant from me over the past few years. This is the first in a series of poems, still in progress.] Lotus Pond 1. The Secret of Crossroads Silvered stillness; ruin paints … Read More
Abigail/1702: Not a Crucible, But Still Fine Theatre
Jennifer Cannon and Jace Febo in Abigail/1702. Photo: Suzanne Mapes
What ever happened to teenaged Abigail Williams? Last we heard, she escaped Arthur Miller’s The Crucible – and the ruin she catalyzed in Salem – with money stolen from her Uncle Parris. Her fate was left to us to imagine for ourselves, based on our appraisal of her character. Was she a sociopath or merely a troubled opportunist? Malicious or … Read More
I and You Sings the Body Electric, But Ends on a False Note
Matthew Hancock and Jennifer Finch in I and You. Photo: Ed Krieger
Review of I and You by Lauren Gunderson, on stage at the Fountain Theatre. I and You begins with a scenario that is beautiful in its simplicity and both poignant and funny in its staging: A sick, shut-in teenager named Caroline receives a visit from classmate Anthony to complete a class assignment on Walt Whitman. Throughout their time together, they … Read More
Odyssey Theatre Pops the Corktown ’57, with Winning Results
Corktown '57. Nick Tate, Belen Greene, Jonah Beres, John Ruby, Natalie Britton, Josh Clark and Kevin P. Kearns. Photo: Ed Krieger
Review of Corktown ’57 on stage at the Odyssey Theatre. Science-fiction author Frank Herbert rightly observed that “Blood is thicker than water, but politics are thicker than blood.” Set in a Republican Irish neighbourhood in Philadelphia, Corktown ’57 deftly dramatizes the way in which familial bonds can be worn, frayed, and ultimately disintegrated by ideological conflict – in this case, … Read More
Wonder Woman: Reviving William Moulton Marston’s Original Feminist Icon
A review of Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics – 1941 -1948 by Noah Berlatsky. When Warner Bros. and DC announced that Wonder Woman would make an appearance in Zack Snyder’s follow-up to Man of Steel (and precursor to a forthcoming Justice League movie), the obvious questions were: What took so long, and why is such an important … Read More
The Irish are Coming!
Corktown '57 poster.
The Odyssey Theatre will present the world premiere of John Fazakerley’s family drama, Corktown ’57 this month. Set in Philadelphia’s pro-Irish Republican community of “Corktown,” the play charts the conflict of family and political loyalties when a dying family patriarch schemes for glory within the Irish Republican movement. “The play is a fiction, but it’s inspired by memories of my … Read More
A Pot of Bronze at the End of the Rainbow
Gigi Bermingham as Judy Garland, with Brent Shindele (as Anthony) on piano in End of the Rainbow. Photo: Suzanne Mapes
A Review of End of the Rainbow, on stage at the Long Beach International City Theatre. Set during Judy Garland’s attempted comeback at London’s Talk of the Town nightclub in 1969, Peter Quilter’s End of the Rainbow is, in duck terms, an odd mallard. The narrative orbits addiction, but never is allowed to dip into the bleak emotions delivered so … Read More
Welcome to the New Front Page Online
Culver Hotel Entrance. Photo by F. Sisa.
Ah, that new website smell. There’s nothing quite like it on the internet. It has been a while since we have had the scent of freshly baked ones and zeros here at The Front Page, so we’re pleased to introduce you to our brand new look. We’d tell that while our appearance is different, it’s still the same Page you … Read More
A Tale of Two History Lessons
Reviews of French Revolutions for Beginners and The History of Classical Music for Beginners. Whatever revolutionary impulses might lurk in the mind of contemporary America’s body politic have, with the exception of a few flare-ups here and there, been effectively muddled, diffused, and ultimately deflected. French Revolutions for Beginners by attorney and professor Michael J. Lamonica isn’t a dissection of American politics, past or present, but it does offer insight – a tonic for complacency, perhaps? – into the revolutionary spirit via France’s dramatic shedding of the old …
Deck the Halls of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
For the prize of a virtual candy cane, here’s a riddle: What holiday event is charming, cheerful, indispensable, and quintessentially L.A.? Okay, so it’s a bit of cheat because there really are two such events, the Rose Parade being one of them. The other is the annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration produced by the L.A. Arts Commission on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. Each year, close to 5,000 people visit the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to enjoy the performance in-person – for free – while over a million people tune in to the live television broadcast. I’m going to be one of those 5,000. How about you?