SoCal theatre, July 16-23: Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, ‘Bauhaus Project,’ ‘Sweeney Todd’ and more
Theatre, musicals, cabaret, drag, standup comedy, poetry, spoken word, storytelling, and books & lit for LA & OC
Welcome to the latest TV or Not TV newsletter spotlighting live theater, cabaret, standup comedy, etc. on stages all around Southern California this week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for arts & entertainment at the Los Angeles Times.
The curtain rises…
Theatre
Opening this week…
She L.A. Arts Summer Theater Festival This showcase for new works by gender-marginalized playwrights and composers returns. Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; noon, 2:30, 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday; noon and 3 p.m. Sunday; July 16 thru 21. $5-$30. shenycarts.org
‘Troilus & Cressida’ LMU’s Shakespeare on the Bluff festival closes out its summer with the Bard’s romantic fable set during the Trojan War; may not be suitable for young children. LMU Drollinger Family Stage, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, L.A. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, July 18-19. Free; reservations requested. cfa.lmu.edu
‘As You Like It’ Independent Shakespeare Co.’s annual Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival returns with a 1930s-themed production of the Bard’s comedy about an exiled nobleman’s daughter, her cousin/bestie and the odd assortment of characters they encounter after fleeing to the woods; presented outdoors and in the round with an immersive, interactive prologue beginning one hour before curtain. Griffith Park, in the Dell uphill from the Old Zoo, 4801 Griffith Park Drive., L.A. 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, July 19 thru Sept. 1. Free; reservations required. iscla.org
‘The Bauhaus Project’ Open Fist Theatre Company stages the world premiere of Tom Jacobson’s two-part fact-based drama about five Southern California art students who re-enact the story of the highly influential art & design school that thrived in Germany in the early 20th century before the rise of the Nazi regime. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village. “Part 1: Bauhaus Weimer,” 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. Saturdays; “Part 2: Bauhaus Dessau and Bauhaus Berlin,” 8 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays; July 19 thru Aug. 25. Part 1 or Part 2, $35; Parts 1 & 2, $50; $5 student discount for either price. (323) 882-6912. openfist.org
‘Fools’ Kentwood Players stages Neil Simon’s comic fable about a schoolteacher in 19th century Ukraine plying his trade in a small village that was literally cursed with stupidity. Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Westchester. 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, July 19 thru Aug. 10. $21, $25. (310) 645-5156. kentwoodplayers.org
‘Henry 6’ The Wars of the Roses rage on in this two-part world-premiere retelling of Parts I, II and III of Shakespeare’s historical drama “Henry VI” adapted and directed by Barry Edelstein. The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. “One: Flowers and France,” various dates and times, July 19 thru Sept. 14; “Two: Riot and Reckoning,” various dates and times, July 20 thru Sept. 15. $40 and up. (619) 234-5623. theoldglobe.org
‘Irish Goodbye’ Two strangers — a disgraced cop and a former beauty queen — make a connection while riding out a winter storm in a small New Jersey bar on Christmas Eve in this dark comedy from writer-director Tom Dugan; includes adult themes. Dugan’s Backyard Playhouse, Woodland Hills (address provided to ticket holders). 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, July 19 thru Aug. 4. $25 suggested donation. Reservations at dbptickets@gmail.com
‘The Sound of Music’ 5-Star Theatricals stages the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about a young woman who becomes governess to a widower’s sizable brood in pre-WWII Austria. Kavli Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1 p.m. Sundays, July 19 thru 28; also 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 25. $17-$90. (805) 449-2787. 5startheatricals.com
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