My One Act Opens With Los Angeles Playwrights Lab

Last year I joined the Los Angeles Playwrights Lab and am humbled to see my first play take the stage at the Theatre Asylum Lab.

The Disconnect is the story of a recently-widowed woman who tries to rewrite the history of her 35-year marriage through the social media-saturated love lives of her three grown daughters. Directed by Lisa Pelikan, and starring Ann Bronston, Heather Long, Jennifer Pollono, and Joy Darash.

Mine is one of five shorts in the Los Angeles Playwrights Lab’s first production – Beginnings.

WHEN: March 14-April 12, 2012 (Wed/Thurs at 8 p.m.)

WHERE: Theatre Asylum Lab, 1078 Lillian Way (at Santa Monica Blvd), Hollywood, 90038

For more details and ticket info, please visit LosAngelesPlaywrightsLab.com.

Street Art Gets the Royal Treatment at L.A.’s Lab Art Gallery

Lab Art Gallery is the largest gallery in the nation dedicated to street art, all in an amazing 6,500-square-foot space.

As I blogged a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been taking a collaging class at Barnsdall Art Center in Hollywood. I’ve been intending to find local art shows for inspiration but before I could seek anything out, the art found me.

A mutual friend introduced me to Carlos Ulloa at Hollywood’s Yamashiro’s Farmers’ Market a couple of weeks ago. He’s the Designer and Project Manager of Yamashiro’s restaurant, but also a talented artist – collage, in fact. I saw a sampling of his work at the market, and he referred me to his show at Lab Art in L.A. – the largest art gallery in the nation dedicated to street art. I visited last week and fell in love with Carlos’ “Anchored Down,” as well as a number of other pieces by the incredibly talented group of street artists represented there.

I am so grateful the gallery allows photographs so I can share these amazing pieces with you (though nothing compares to seeing them up close and personal).

"Anchored Down" by Carlos Ulloa

Read full article at FlutteringIvy.com…

Love to Give at the Rising Lotus Yoga SEVA Project Fundraiser

Since I started doing yoga about two years ago, my most rewarding experience was last Saturday for Yoga Stops Traffick at Runyun Canyon, as the proceeds went to a non-profit devoted to ending human trafficking in India. As I blogged about that event, holding a yoga pose feels a whole lot better when it’s for a cause greater than you. So I’m super-excited about a similarly-charitable yoga experience coming up this week.

The first Rising Lotus Yoga SEVA Project Fundraiser is this Saturday, March 26, from 5 to 10 pm.  Proceeds from the event go to the House of Ruth, helping families victimized by domestic violence, and CAST LA, the Coalition Abolishing Slavery and Human Trafficking.

I signed up for the whole evening, including yoga, the silent auction and kirtan (call-and-response chanting). However, you may sign up for each event separately if you prefer:

• 5pm Yoga Class $20/$30 for all events
• 8pm Kirtan $20/$30 for all events
• 6-8pm Silent Auction $10 if only attending auction

Food and refreshments will be provided (no doubt veg-friendly) at the lovely Rising Lotus Yoga studio at 13557 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks.

This is just one of many ways the Rising Lotus SEVA Project helps the community, including the provision of pro bono yoga classes taught by volunteer instructors for organizations that serve people in need.

For any more inspiration you need to support the Rising Lotus SEVA Project, consider its mission:

“To move forward with the deep intention of bringing consciousness, freedom and the open-heart practice we cultivate on the mat out into our world.”

RSVP on Facebook and make your donation online.

Yoga Stops Traffick at Runyon Canyon in L.A.

On Saturday, March 12, 2011, Daniel Overberger led the 2nd Annual Yoga Stops Traffic Benefit at Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles.

As 96 of my fellow Runyon Canyon yogis would probably agree, holding a yoga pose feels a whole lot better when it’s for a cause greater than you. Yesterday morning I was honored to be a part of the 2nd Annual Yoga Stops Traffick Benefit at Runyon Canyon led by Daniel Overberger. All proceeds from this donation-based class went to Odanadi, a non-profit organization devoted to ending human trafficking in India.

In its 21 years, Odanadi has rescued more than 1,850 women and children from human trafficking. Together the 97 yogis at Runyon Canyon raised $721 in support of the cause. No doubt the international total was many times greater than that, as similar benefits were held on the same day all over the world.

The music of Aeb Byrne, Joshua Komer and Dar Larizadeh made for a lovely soundtrack to yoga practice for a good cause.

There’s nothing like practicing yoga in the Great Outdoors set to music. Aeb Byrne, Joshua Komer and Dar Larizadeh made for a lovely soundtrack to yoga practice for a good cause.

If you missed the Runyon Canyon yoga event on Saturday morning, you can still get involved.

You can support Odanadi online. And you can do Runyon Canyon Yoga any day of the week. See scheduled class times on the Runyon Canyon Yoga Facebook page. And learn more about the class and the teachers in Yoga Is a Walk In the Park at Runyon Canyon in L.A.

March Into Anarchy Scared the Hell Out of Me, and Other Reasons Why You Must Go

Founded in 1981, this is The Actors' Gang 30th Anniversary season.

I was warned. Though I don’t remember her exact words, the woman introducing “Satiristas Live: March Into Anarchy” at The Actors’ Gang Theatre last Tuesday night suggested those of us who may be uncomfortable with all that a “march into anarchy” implies should leave the building. I remember feeling only a tinge of amused discomfort because nothing within my realm of live theater experience could have informed the fear I felt for the next 90 minutes (a guesstimate, as the last thing on my mind was keeping an eye on the time).

Involving the audience is one thing. Scaring the hell out of them is another. Granted, I’m probably not representative of the masses. I hate being the center of just about any attention. Honestly, it was my worst nightmare – this march of bizarre characters milling, mingling, marching, crouching, running and jumping through the audience, expecting us to react and interact. Thank goodness my boyfriend was with me, seated on an aisle and comfortably deflecting as much attention from me as possible.

I thought I was going to a play, the ultimate observer’s experience. Instead I was involved in what seemed an eternal assault on my normal, my comfort, my personal space — at any moment, from any direction, from any walk of life. And that, my friends, is why “March Into Anarchy” is so f’ing brilliant.

Read full story at Fluttering Ivy Media….

Annie Potts Shines in AfterMath at Odyssey Theater Ensemble

Elliot Shoenman's "AfterMath" at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is a haunting comedic drama starring the brilliant Annie Potts.

I’ve never been so close to acting so good as I was at L.A.’s Odyssey Theatre Ensemble for “AfterMath” starring Annie Potts. I sat in the front row just a few feet from the stage, and was blown away by the effortless authenticity of her every expression, movement and word. This Elliot Shoenman play — directed by Mark L. Taylor, and produced by Gary Guidinger and Linda Toliver — runs through March 13th, so there’s still time for you to witness the brilliance that is Annie Potts.

“AfterMath” is a comedic drama about a family coping with the suicide of the father. Annie Potts plays his widow and the mother of their two grown children, played by Meredith Bishop and Daniel Taylor. A family friend rounds out the cast, played by Michael Mantell. Together they make for a well-balanced supporting cast, all with impressive resumes of their own.

The story stays with you for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its basis on the playwrite’s father’s suicide when Elliot Shoenman was 18 and his younger sister was 11.

On stage, the real-life suicide note haunts the family via its larger-than-life projection on an interior wall.

It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate venue for this intimate story. I didn’t count the seats, but the Odyssey Theatre doesn’t seat many. I’m the worst at guesstimates of this sort, so I’ll keep the range large and say 50 to 100. In the best possible way, it feels like sitting on your couch watching a play performed in your very own living room, starring one of the finest comedic actresses in the world.

Read full story at Fluttering Ivy Media….

Jazz Sensation Liane Carroll is an ‘L.A. Virgin’ No More

Up until a week ago, my only exposure to live jazz music was what I remember when I spent a few days in New Orleans during spring break in college. Translation: I don’t remember much. So I was one lucky girl to spend an evening at Hollywood’s Catalina Jazz Club last Tuesday night when they welcomed one of the world’s premiere jazz singers – London’s Liane Carroll.

“What struck me most was the abundance of energy emanating from this woman….”

An “L.A. virgin,” she called herself, this her first time playing in the City of Angels. “That was two songs together,” Liane said of her first number, “I forgot how to stop!”

I expected it to be heavy on the horns but most of the songs Liane sang were accompanied by her piano, her husband Roger Carey on bass, and Jason Lee Bruns on drums (whose company, Panout Music Group, produced the show). The flugelhorn did come into play toward the end of the evening when Jason Gamer took the stage.

What surprised me most about the show was not the brilliance of Liane Carroll’s voice; I expected that, and she delivered. What struck me most was the abundance of energy emanating from this woman, and her contagious, playful banter in between numbers – such an easy familiarity with the audience, telling jokes and sharing stories.

My favorite story is the one Liane told of her trip by train through Ireland with her daughter. That’s when she wrote “Dublin Sunrise” (aka “Dublin Morning“) – a love song dedicated to her husband Roger Carey. It’s such a beautiful ballad, and a particularly memorable performance watching the songwriter sing it to her muse as he plays alongside her onstage.

“Catalina delivers on ambiance and intimacy….”

Before the night was over, Liane remarked how much she loved the venue. Though it’s hidden away in a non-descript building you’d never expect to find a jazz club, the Catalina delivers on ambiance and intimacy. It’s a supper club too with quite a lengthy menu, though as a vegan it would be nice to see more veg-friendly fare. That said, the Greek Plate (minus the feta cheese) and the spicy Cajun fries hit the spot.

Read full story at Fluttering Ivy Media….

The Spirit of Change at the Famed Bodhi Tree Bookstore

West Hollywood's Bodhi Tree Bookstore was founded in 1970 by aerospace engineers Phil Thompson and Stan Madson.

It was over 20 years ago that my mom handed me a copy of Shirley MacLaine’s Out On a Limb. I was in a real funk then, mad at the world, the prime targets my parents who had moved me the summer before my sophomore year in high school. Though I probably didn’t believe her at the time, I’ll never forget what my mom said of the book because it turned out to be so true:

“Maybe it will help you look at life differently and things as they are now won’t seem so bad.”

In fact, Out On a Limb was my first exposure to metaphysics and forever changed the way I perceive my connection to a higher power.

Flash forward to February of 2010 when I moved to Los Angeles. In my newbie studies of L.A. Weekly, I read an article about the closing of the famed Bodhi Tree Bookstore on Melrose in West Hollywood. It struck a cord with me, though for reasons I didn’t understand. I kept the article as a reminder to visit before it was too late.

Read full story at FlutteringIvy.com….

From This Day Forth, Hamlet Will Always Be the Prince of Puddles to Me

From left to right, the cast of Hamlet, Prince of Puddles - Brian Kimmet, Angela Berliner, Natasha Midgley. Nicol Razon and David Dastmalchian.

Here’s the thing about children’s theater. For it to be as wildly successful as anyone involved should dream, adults have to love it too. They drive the cars. They buy the tickets. They tell their friends. Most children’s theater companies probably get that, but L’Enfant Terrible actually has the talent to pull it off.

A couple of Saturdays ago I saw L’Enfant Terrible’s production of ”Hamlet, Prince of Puddles” at the Bootleg Theater. Whether you’ve seen Hamlet adapted a dozen times, or you’ve inexplicably managed to avoid the story altogether, you will enjoy this Shakespearean show.

Besides doing a fine job of abbreviating Hamlet for a 1-hour performance that makes sense to both adults and children, “Prince of Puddles” does so in the warmest, whimsical way. It’s really quite remarkable what a large world they’ve created within the confines of such a small set, bursting at the seams with wit, color, creativity and energy.

Read full story at Fluttering Ivy Media….

Much Obliged, Ladies, for The Rendezvous with Cherry Boom Boom!

No pics of the ladies in action can possibly do justice to Cherry Boom Boom. Though I do like this abstract of sorts. Look real close and you can see a girl spinning from a flying trapeze. Can't make it out? Guess you'll just have to go!

It’s not like me to break into ass-shaking dance in front of the mirror, but I can’t seem to help myself after last night’s Cherry Boom Boom burlesque show – “The Rendezvous” – at the King King Hollywood. I was blown … a… way! It’s smart, sexy, funny, creative, inspiring, feel-good live theater that is a must-see. I swear to you, and as my friend Michele can attest, I had a smile on my face from beginning to end at the sheer spectacle of it all, and the level of talent assembled on stage.

Cherry Boom Boom is Lindsley Allen’s baby — the creator, choreographer and artistic director. After reading her bio, it’s no wonder I’m so impressed. She toured with Prince as Darling Niki (the stage name she uses today) during his Around the World in a Day Tour. Lindsley was also a founding member, co-artistic director and choreographer of the Pussycat Dolls. And she did choreography for Charlie’s Angels 2, as well as Carmen Elektra’s Aerobic Striptease.

Read full story at Fluttering Ivy Media….