August 2007 Archives

Another opening, another new theater troupe is about to enter our landscape. This one bears the rather straightforward moniker The Production Company.

But they're coming to the SF Valley -- my neck of the woods, and my paper's -- and they're bringing "Spring Awakening" with them as their inaugural season at the Chandler Studio Theatre opening Sept. 21.

Now, "Spring Awakening" is the name of the much ballyhooed Broadway musical about hot and bothered kids in pre Hitler Germany.

This ain't that "Awakening." It is, however, the Frank Wedekind play upon which the aforementioned Broadway musical is based. Don't yet know how racy this incarnation will get, but the press release warns me that, ahem! "Adult themes are frankly explored in this production."

Can you GET more steamy that that?

"Spring Awakening" opens Dept. 21 at 12443 Chandler Blvd. in NoHo. (800) 838-3006 or www.theprodco.com.

They don't produce much, but when those folks from the Antaeus Company get together, it's usually some kinda shindig.

Check out the lineup for "Tonight at Eight-Thirty", a series of 10 Noel Coward one-acts running Oct. 18 to Dec. 23 at Deaf West Theatre:

Rhonda Aldrich, John Apicella, Gigi Bermingham, Bill Brochtrup, Anne Gee Byrd, Emily Chase, Josh Clark, JD Cullum, Ramon DeOcampo, Dawn Didawick, Francia DiMase, Nike Doukas, Emily Eiden, Angela Goethals, Harry Groener, Jeanie Hackett, Shannon Holt, Tamara Krinsky, Dakin Matthews, Adam Meyer, Lynn Milgrim, Jeffrey Nordling, Angela Paton, Melinda Peterson, Christina Pickles, Ray Porter, Kirsten Potter, Lawrence Pressman, Philip Proctor, John Prosky, Raphael Sbarge, Ned Schmidtke, Devon Sorvari, Susan Sullivan, Kitty Swink, Peter Van Norden, Geoffrey Wade, Laura Wernette, Amelia White, Mirron Willis, and Alicia Wollerton.

Now, admittedly, none of these folks will necessarily be pulling down an Oscar anytime soon, but they're all stage vets locally and back east. The Antaeus brand -- membership -- means they know their stuff.

Apparently, the first nine haven't been performed together like this in L.A. since 1940, and the 10th, "The Star Chamber," Coward pulled after one performance, and it hasn't been staged since.

Yes, I know, you're burning up the phone lines for tickets.

Now, heaven knows how many people in this town -- no matter how highbrow -- will actually sit through 10 Noel Coward one acts. Still, if December dries up, and I find myself sitting around with nothing else to review, I may catch the seven or eight that I've missed.

Just joshing. You go, Anteaus. Here's hoping you find another permanent home soon, too.

Previews for Part 1 begin Oct. 18. Part 2 starts previews Nov. 5.

Info: www.Theatermania.com or by calling (866)-811-4111, www.antaeus.org.