The SoCal Review

Julie Marchiano, Joe Hernandez-Kolski, and Bruno Oliver | Jessica Sherman Photography Written by Dave Hanson and directed by Jacob Sidney, Waiting for Waiting for Godot is about two actors, Ester (Bruno Oliver) and Val (Joe Hernandez-Kolski), who are understudies for a production of Waiting for Godot .  Prior to viewing the show, I got a drink with a friend at The Broadwater Plunge next door. The man who checked our IDs told us that the set we were about to witness was based on what the Broadwater backstage used to look like. It did not disappoint–a haphazard dressing room with racks and racks of clothing, cheap mirrors, a muffled speaker whispering what's currently taking place in the spotlight, vintage show posters littering the walls. Anyone who's ever spent a good amount of time backstage in a theatre feels right at home in the audience of Waiting for Waiting for Godot .  The show began with some clown work. Ester, for the life of him, could not get his suddenly-t...

Ashley Diane, Erica Hanrahan-Ball, Samantha Barrios, Keith Allan, Kristyn Evelyn and Cj Merriman |  Jessica Sherman Sacred Fools Theater Company's world premiere of Deadly , a new musical by playwright/lyricist Vanessa Claire Stewart and directed by Jaime Robledo, is about the victims of notorious serial killer H. H. Holmes.  In the author's note printed in the program, Stewart writes about discovering H. H. Holmes' story (via "binge-watching the History Channel"). Though the gruesome details of his killings were enthusiastically offered up, "the victims and their stories vanish[ed] into the ether."  So Stewart set out to create a show that focused on the stories of the women gone too soon at the hands of Holmes. And she did just that.  Deadly is so clearly written by a woman. The entire production is littered with empathy–it can be found in the smallest of nooks and crannies. The script does not just tell the story of a serial killer and why ...

Kat Primeau and Molly Dworsky Pockets is a very silly story about the importance of family, the double standard female rulers face, and the root of criminal activity in any given society. The world of Pockets takes place in the kingdom of Crumpeton, a fictional kingdom that celebrates, above all else, crumpets. Ruling while her husband is away is the Duchess (Kat Primeau), mother to the young Bellamina (Molly Dworsky). Bellamina feels neglected by her mother ever since she took over for her father and turns to a life of crime in protest. She becomes Pockets, the new, hot, young pickpocket on the streets of Crumpeton. Her one goal? Make life a little harder for her neglectful mother, the Duchess. Along the way, Bellamina realizes a special gift she possesses (in addition to her natural knack for pickpocketing): the ability to get people to listen to one another. Single-handedly she unites groups of criminals to work for a common goal, and, later, helps her mother to become a bet...