RADAR L.A.

a kate west review
an International Festival of Contemporary Theater
produced by REDCAT (The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater)
with Center Theatre Group and the Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival
www.radarla.org


Influential theater ensembles from Chile, Mexico, Japan and Australia are among the companies to be featured alongside Los Angeles artist when REDCAT launches the international RADAR L.A. Festival. REDCAT serves as one of several venues for the groundbreaking festival, which features 15 productions that are fueling the dialogue about the evolution of contemporary theater.

As a venue for bringing cultural diversity to Los Angeles theater, the above festival is great. Keep in mind however, that just because a piece was written in a language you are unfamiliar with, doesn't automatically mean that it is brilliant. It would be a disservice to these hard-working artists to give them points for being "exotic" (i.e. the tiresome Angelino habit of giving a standing ovation to every play you are even mildly impressed by). So on artistic merit alone, here are three festival samples reviewed:


Amarillo
by Teatro Linea de Sombra
directed by Jorge A. Vargas
written by Gabriel Contreras
at REDCAT
631 W. 2nd Street, Los Angeles 90012
running June 16 - 19






















The renowned Mexican visual theatrical troupe Teatro Linea de Sombra (roughly, Shadow Line Theater) brings us "Amarillo", the story of one man's attempt to cross the U.S. border. Destined for Amarillo, Texas, speculation arises as to what happened to him on the way and why he never arrived.

Raúl Mendoza is this everyman, the typical migrant trying to find a better life in another country. In fact, he says as much in his monologues, calling himself by several names, as he could be any number of those desperate souls south of the border. At one point he layers up with different clothing, which could represent all he owns in the world, as well as a piece of each person passing through on the way to the American Dream. We follow him up to the point he disappears, his relatives never to know his fate.

The rest of the cast is made up of women (Alicia Laguna, María Luna, Vianey Salinas, Antígona González) who portray lovers, muses, dancers and chorus. Jesus Cuevas is the main voice of this chorus, chanting in an almost Tibetan baritone and singing to the main character throughout his journey. Through them we get glimpses of life and love, the people hoping back home, snippets of human longing.

But don't expect a linear story. The company specializes in visual art, shown to full multimedia proportions with a huge screen projected on the back wall, several cameras following the action on stage in black and white and footage of various scenes depicting images of illegal alien life, such as passing trains and haunted faces. When Mendoza's character gets stuck in the desert, the women bring out jugs of water and bags of sand are flown in from the rafters. Cutting them open with a knife demonstrates time (and life) running out for our wrung out protagonist. One of them is even shaped like a heart and is lifted skywards, fatally wounded.

Director Jorge A. Vargas gives us a technically interesting show, filled with props, cameras and screens but also a stage essentially bare of any set, so it is not visual stunning in any traditional sense, and at times even desolate. Also, the story is an old one, covered many times, and while the company is to be commended for innovation, it is difficult to separate the sledgehammer message of obvious truth from the minimalist deprivation of the senses. Still, the poetic nature of the piece is worth a listen (some of it in Spanish).


Hot Pepper, Air Conditioner, and the Farewell Speech
by Chelfitsch
directed & written by Toshiki Okada
at Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC)
514. S. Spring Street, Los Angeles 90013
running June 17 - 19












The Asian company Chelfitsch (roughly, selfish), combines simple stories with stylized movements (often as formal as in Kabuki theater). In "Hot Pepper, Air Conditioner, And The Farewell Speech," office workers contemplate an upcoming farewell party and some daily minutia of typical office life.

While three temporary employees are having lunch, they come up with ideas for a farewell to one of their own. Each of them stands and monologues his/her thoughts, while making deliberate movements to accent their ideas, which they also repeat endlessly. It is definitely amusing to watch them take so formal an approach to picking a take-out menu from Hot Pepper Magazine and the audience revels in this originality. Then two permanent workers discuss air conditioning in the office, repeating the dialogue and movements several times, with only slight variations. Finally, the co-worker being let go gives a rambling speech to her awkward colleagues.

The choreographed movements and repetitive dialogue are quite fascinating and Director/Writer Toshiki Okada shows this technique well, for the most part. By the end though, the final speech goes on a bit too long (and might be hard to follow, given that is in Japanese, with subtitled English, as in the rest of the piece). Actors Taichi Yamagata, Riki Takeda, Mari Ando, Saho Ito, Kei Namba and Fumie Yokoo do a good job of maintaining this highly disciplined blocking, however. It is a funny piece altogether and while some of the movements are inexplicable (touching toes while talking to a co-worker), others are delightfully quirky, like rapidly fanning a magazine. A fun show to take in, contemplate and discuss.


Neva
by Teatro en el Blanco
written & directed by Guillermo Calderón
at REDCAT
631 W. 2nd Street, Los Angeles 90012
running June 14 - 18














Teatro En El Blanco (roughly, Theater In The White) has been wowing Latin American audiences for years and now brings its latest production "Neva" to the festival. Olga Knipper (Trinidad González) is Anton Chekhov's widow and is found at a St. Petersburg rehearsal space during the Russian Revolution. Her fellow actors (Jorge Becker and Mariana Muñoz) take turns placating her diva tendencies, while worshipping her artistry.

Director and Writer Guillermo Calderón depicts a delightful peek into the absurd drama of the actors world, while real chaos and drama drum outside the windows. Olga is haunted by the death of her beloved and plays her heightened misery to the hilt (wonderfully played by González). Jorge Becker and Mariana Muñoz equal her in their schizophrenic back and forth rants, merging lines of a play with their own realities until no one is sure which world is real. The exaggerations are hilarious (even in subtitled English in a Spanish play) until the final speech by Mariana Muñoz takes your breath away.

The passion in this piece is riveting and very (literally) focused as the stage is a raised platform spotlighting the three actors in intimate detail. A definite must-see.
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BRIDESMAIDS























a kate west review

To call the new female comedy "Bridesmaids" a chick flick is to do it a disservice. It's a little bit of that, sure, but mostly it's so much more. It's really about the changing dynamics of friendships, the kind you have with old friends, with new friends and especially with yourself. But don't worry, fans of slapstick will get to enjoy some outrageous bathroom humor too, thrown in for good measure (if you're squeamish, beware the dress fitting scene).

Kristin Wiig (SNL) co-writes her first starring role as Annie, a struggling business entrepreneur who is thrown into wedding planning hell in the middle of her own personal crisis. Her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph, another SNL-er) is getting married and wants her to be the maid of honor. After her initial shock (and spurt of jealousy) wears off, Annie pulls herself together and tries really, really hard to make her friend happy. But it's a herculean task to create true beauty when you are truly miserable. Loveless, jobless and homeless, she makes every effort to show her friend how much she loves her, but is thwarted at every turn, primarily by her bridesmaid rival and nemesis, the impossibly beautiful and perfect Helen (Rose Byrne), not to mention hilarious little daily reminders of how much her life sucks. As things get worse and worse, the scenes get funnier and funnier, until the inevitable climax (no spoilers here).
What makes this movie work so well is the terrific ensemble cast for one thing, many of them from Wiig's day as a Groundling. Wendi McLendon-Covey (RENO 911!) is hilarious as a jaded and harried mother of monsters, balancing out Ellie Kemper (THE OFFICE) as the sweetly, naive newlywed. They are great foils to each other. Melissa McCarthy (MIKE AND MOLLY) is the real scene-stealer of the wedding crew, with impromptu rants of insanity that have to be seen and heard to be believed. The side characters are loads of fun too (Jon Hamm's slimy playboy, Jill Clayburgh's mother and the adorable Irish cop Rhodes, played by Chris O'Dowd, Rebel Wilson and Matt Lucas' nutty roommates, flight attendants Mitch Silpa, Dana Powell and Ben Falcone's mysterious airplane passenger, the stuffy boss Mike Hitchcock, to name but a few gems).
Through all that comedic genius however, is the touching friendship between Annie and Lillian, played with real poignancy by Rudolph and Wiig. Wiig's despairing looks as her life falls apart absolutely hit home with the viewers. We can feel her pain, while laughing at how extreme everything becomes. Just when you think it can't get any worse, of course it does. Exaggerate the tragedy and you've got humor. You haven't seen funny until you watch Wiig try to push over a solid fountain (or hallucinate a butter-churning pioneer woman). Her facial expressions alone say so much with so little effort on her part. She simply lives Annie.
Then there's the writing. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo (look for a cameo on the plane ride from hell scene) co-write a compelling human drama depicted by laughter. The essential things that happen, the losing of things, of self, we can all relate to, yet they are taken so outlandishly far it is safe to revel at the characters downfall. At the core of the story is of course sincere emotion, so we always root for poor Annie. She's pretty much our human condition, at one point or another in our lives, just trying to keep her head above water while the universe continues to hurl ridiculousness at her. Wiig and Mumulo demonstrate this truth very well. But there will be redemption, too - Annie's attempt to save her friendship ahead of her own needs will end up saving her own life.
On the surface though, the entire movie is non-stop fun. Director Paul Feig (KNOCKED UP) apparently allowed his actors to improvise in many scenes, giving them added spontaneity, though some of it could have been edited a little tighter. Some parts went on a tad too long at times so the pacing is sometimes off. But as a whole, the story works as a classic comedy, through ups and downs, and we are right there with the main character. Based on general audience reaction opening weekend, you will laugh until you cry.
So for the studio executives breathlessly waiting to see how BRIDESMAIDS does at the box office, congratulations. Yes damn it, women are funny and can write and deserve to be funded. Just ask Tina Fey. Well done ladies.
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Missed Connections







a kate west plea

Want to invest in your heart? Want to see someone else struggle to date in L.A.? Fund this!

Straight from the filmmakers:

I wrote this film, and my wife and I will be playing the two leads. The script was written specifically for people that we know. It's personal. We're shooting in our house and our friends houses. We've simplified the film making process to utilize what is available to us and what inspires us every day. I've been doing comedy in Los Angeles for eight years and have writing and performing on the biggest comedy stages in the city (The Groundlings, Upright Citizen's Brigade). While keeping with my comedic roots I really want to create something more, something deeper, something substantial. I have some insanely talented people involved with the project, and I'm certain that we are going create a truly funny film. We plan to shoot this project on the weekends. This is so cast and crew can still have their weekdays, if they need to go to work or auditions. We have friends working on every aspect of this film. Our editor is going to be editing while we shoot, our producer is working in her free time, and our actors are working for practically pennies. My wife is going to me making lunch and there is a good chance if I am not in a scene, I am going to be holding the boom. This project is all about friends - giving of themselves to create something special. It's our passion project.

See preview here:

Fund here:
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Cirque Berzerk














a kate west review
written by Suzanne Bernel, Kevin Bourque, Neal Everett, Barry Primus
music by Kevin Bourque
choreography by John Carrafa
directed by Barry Primus
at Club Nokia
800 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90015
contact (213) 765-7000 or http://www.clubnokia.com/
running January 7-30

Add a little Tim Burton-esque goth to a cirque-de-soleil style circus troupe and you get Cirque Berzerk, now playing in downtown Los Angeles' Club Nokia. Not the same top notch flawlessness as the Soleil troupe, but Berzerk definitely still has talent.

The theme is death (very in your face all evening) and a simple plot of a girl dressed in red (Emilie Livingston) who descends into hell, or purgatory or something, and is slowly seduced by the depravity of the departed. Everyone else is wearing black, including quite a number of audience members (so keep that in mind when dressing for the evening). Death himself (Kevin Bourque, also one of the creators) makes an appearance or two and harasses our heroine throughout the night. Clinging from brass rails and perching on cane-backs are the motley crew of the deceased, all cavorting and writhing in the background, to give us a sense of menace.

Aside from the basic plot of corrupting an innocent, there is not much else to the story, so it must be fleshed out with death-defying circus acts, like fire-swallowing, the requisite trapeze acts, bungee artists, contortionists and dancers and women on silks. The best act happens in the first half when four virile men bounce off a wall dividing two trampolines (Wesley Hatfield, Michael Hill, Michael Redinger and Russel Stark). They suspend horizontally in mid-air, zooming back to do it all over again. Very well done. A flexible young Hayley Kent bends backwards, while walking on her hands as if it weren't impossible and Neal Everett and Tavi Stutz spin on straps with the strongest, tautest muscles you've ever seen. Suzanne Bernel (also co-founder) has a nice turn on long red silks and our lady in red (Livingston) gets in some twirling herself by the end.

We also have a very basic clown (Brady Spindel) on stilts who pops in from time to time. Don't worry, there is no audience participation during the main show. We even have a little person as a petulant Madame (Katrina Kemp). Then there are three sirens (Antonia Bath, Jessice Childress and Gretchen McNeil) who wail mysteriously to a live band. The music isn't as apropos as a soleil show, but it works in the goth world.

Not that all these physical feats aren't amazingly and properly impressive, but that's pretty much it for the show. We get the theme once we take our seats, so the macabre starts to be a tad repetitive. The "plot" is the weakest link, but no matter since we have so much to look at with all the jumping and bondage style clothes (thank Mikiko Nagao and Heather Goodman). Plus the theater is done up in a cabaret style setting, the multi-lounges are fun and cool and the decor is goth retro. You can even browse some gypsy-like vending tables and buy leather, while munching popcorn.

They do create an agreeable carnival atmosphere so it's just as much fun to oggle the patrons as it is the performers, and since you'll get to meet both, if you're so inclined, you be the final judge.
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Running With Wolves






a kate west experience

Visiting the TWILIGHT Wolves

http://www.wolfmountain.com/Twilight%20-%20New%20Moon.htm

Today I ran with the wolves.

The Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, in the rocky desert terrain of Lucerne Valley (http://www.wolfmountain.com), houses rescued wild wolves, ranging from Alaskan grays to inbred accidents. Most of them are used to snow and cold so aren’t always happy with the blistering sun of the Mojave. Luckily for them, it’s been rather colder than usual this year. Tonya Littlewolf is their human Matriarch and has been in this location for “25 years too long”. They used to be on freer land, where the wolves could range far and wide (under proper supervision, of course), but due to leasing laws were relocated to Lucerne and are now kept in pens. Littlewolf hopes to move to Durango, Colorado soon and raise bison, along with her beloved wolves, but the money has not miraculously materialized to date.

Still, miracles continue to occur in smaller does, as when a Mexican family appeared outside the compound and set up a barbeque, settling in for a long stay. When Littlewolf ventured out to see what was going on, the only English-speaker, a little girl, told her that her grandmother had a dream about a Native American with blue eyes, surrounded by wolves. When they researched this, Tonya’s wolf preserve came up and the old woman recognized Tonya from her dream, so they all headed up to Lucerne Valley, sans vital directions (you can’t get here without them and they aren’t on the website). Tonya let them in immediately and the diabetic grandmother went straight over to the two healing wolves. They rubbed and licked her black legs and she said she felt better. After they’d gone, the little girl wrote to say that her grandmother’s diabetes was gone and her legs were as white as the rest of her.

In addition to the Holy Woman Littlewolf (she does not like to be called a Shaman), are several volunteers and dedicated family members, all tending to the expensive wolves. The electricity bill is astronomical in the summer, as they try to keep the wolves cool - then feeding them and bringing in the vet costs a pretty penny as well. The meat part isn’t so bad though, as it is apparently easier to get cast-off filet mignon than one might imagine. It’s no picnic keeping everyone fed and happy, but they are surprisingly resourceful and generous. In fact, the vet was there the day I visited and told me Tonya cured her arm pain, just by touch. With all the political nonsense they put up with, they manage to hold on to the positive vibe as well. Kudos for maintaining the center of peace they way they do.

As for me, I drove my rental pick-up from the 15 (you can keep going to Vegas that way) to the increasingly deserted landscape of Apple and Lucerne Valley along Highway 18. You pass signs with Native American names and see fewer and fewer cars and more and more boulders and cacti, or Joshua trees. Finally, you come to a couple of signs pointing out the sanctuary and pick you way carefully down a pitted, gravel, crazily bumpy road (the pick-up was definitely a good idea, but if worse comes to worst, you can always leave your sedan on a turnout and walk the quarter mile).

Friendly volunteers and pets (two dogs and a cat, at last count) greeted me inside the gate and everyone was warm and helpful. While waiting for Tonya, I signed liability papers (I was about to interact with wild animals, after all), and chatted with Tonya’s daughters. I signed up for the private tour so when my turn came up, we made the feeding rounds, greeting each wolf. There are so many (16!) and some have their own pen and some share. And some of them were even models for wolves in the movie TWILIGHT NEW MOON (http://www.wolfmountain.com/Twilight%20-%20New%20Moon.htm) so if you want to see movie inspiration, up close and personal, here’s your chance. You won’t be able to touch the TWILIGHT wolves, but they sure are pretty to look at.

Not all of the wolves are people-friendly and not all of the “safe” wolves are available all the time. When I went, I could only visit two of them, since the rest were in heat and not as um, restrained. All of them are fixed, but the drive is still there, so better to come back in February when the heat has died down (plus then, I was promised a cuddle with wolf cubs – I’m guessing from another site with unsprayed animals?) Tonya said I had a good spirit and probably a wolf side, which I am inclined to agree with. I felt in good hands, since she is definitely the Mama Alpha and the wolves obey her without question.

My first wolf sat behind me on a boulder and Tonya directed him to “hug me” with his paws. They are quite heavy and oh, so big and very much not dogs. Your inclination is to treat them like a dog because of the similarity, but make no mistake, you are among wild animals, so all their energy and connectivity is completely different (ask about their jaw strength). I was grateful they tolerated me at all. I actually got to pet two of them, including the sweet older wolf, Segoni. He just wanted to wander a bit and then sleep a lot. Tonya told me a couple of her favorite wolves had died recently, one from old age and one from eating a rawhide toy they had repeatedly asked tourists not to give him. She can still see their spirits in the pens, when they choose to visit their brothers. Apparently, some of my pictures came out with inexplicable lights, which Tonya was convinced came from wolf spirits.

The rest of the tour came with listening to dreams and stories, followed by wandering the walkways to film wolves. The neighbors complain about being afraid and of the constant howling, of which I saw no evidence. You can sign a petition at the end, verifying this if you are so inclined. The wolves are no threat and as usual, are misunderstood from every angle it seems, so if you visit, please spread the word. You’d think Hollywood would be more helpful to their werewolf inspirations.

It’s a great place to spend the day – the private tour is the most expensive, but you can do the speed-through version for $25. You’ll have less interaction, but anyone can see the wolves once there as the pens are out in the open. You’ll marvel at how big they are (especially their paws, which are webbed for natural snowshoes, as I found out). They always have specials and you are always welcome. You must make a reservation and you must be respectful (there’s a long list of rules to follow). No matter when you go however, it will be the experience of a lifetime and how many people can say they touched a wolf? I’ll never be the same and feel honored to have met (and been hugged by) a Littlewolf.

Wolf Mountain Sanctuary
www.wolfmountain.com
(760) 248-7818
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Happy Holidays!

a kate west greeting
from Nordstrom's Santa Anita Mall
Surprise! Xmas Flash Mob



Brought to you by All Saints Episcopal Choir, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pasadena Presbyterian Church Kirk Choir, Pasadena Master Chorale and many others! Read more!

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Staying Awake During the Night Shift


By Kate West

(originally published December 2010 on workingworld.com)

What you need to do:

·      Get quality sleep
·      Maintain quality lifestyle
·      Exercise and eat right

It’s been a rough year and you are very, very tired of looking for work and hearing about rough it is out there. You figure you’ll do just about anything to start working again and start paying some bills. Then just after you hang up on your last credit collector, you finally get terrific news – you’re hired! But the catch is, it’s the night shift. Ugh. So now what?

Having just started my very first night shift, I can attest that it's not easy to transition into the night world. The rest of the world lives in the daytime and you’re busy counting sheep then. There may be a few die-hard party friends who are up for a drink when you get off work, but you might not be. So you’ll have to adjust your lifestyle.

For one thing, make sure you have quiet uninterrupted sleep in a dark room. Get heavier curtains and earplugs if you have to. Turn off the cell phone.

To keep up your energy and avoid that jet-lag feeling from all odd hours, try to eat healthy and squeeze in regular exercise. Vitamins and antioxidants are always a great idea and especially helpful during tough shifts. Make sure you eat at on a consistent schedule, the way you would during the day so that you aren’t eating right before you go to sleep. Eat before your shift starts, with a small meal during break and then stop. Caffeine is fine towards the earlier part of your night, but cut back halfway through so it won’t keep you up at night. Work in a little aerobics (or whatever turns you on) soon after waking. It will make all the difference in the world.

It’s also important to get some decompression time when you come home, just like on a normal shift. Your mind and body both have to wind down from job stress so allow yourself to do this for at least an hour before trying to sleep, if you can. Watch some funny t.v. or read a graphic novel. Save the hardcore errands for whatever daytime you have. You’ll have to decide when the best time to work in time on that screenplay might be.

Cheer up, it’s not all bad! There are perks to this new job, of course. The commute will be much easier and who doesn’t want that, as a traffic-harried Angelino? That saves you on a masseuse and therapist right there.



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