OLESYA SALNIKOVA
Staff Writer
At Pepperdine’s recent production of the Irish satire, “Playboy of the Western World,” the actor’s thick accents, combined with the tavern-like set caught my attention right away and got me thinking.
It seems that people have stopped going to plays and have become so enthralled with Broadway musicals and other “popular” performances, that they have forgotten what its like to go see a regular show without flashing lights and catchy lyrics. Sitting in the quaint Lindhurst Theatre, I wondered about the appeal of plays and why virtually no one seems to find them interesting anymore.
Plays are worthwhile because, unlike musicals, they often have a deeper message to impart to their audiences. Musicals tend to be fun and entertaining, but most of the time there is nothing underneath the surface. There was something very honest about the down-to-earth pilgrim dresses of the women and the dirty boots and faces of the men in “Playboy,” which was profoundly realistic. To go see a musical simply to listen to the music is one thing, but to go to a play and experience a story that is uninhibited and honest is quite another.
While experiencing a play at Pepperdine is one thing, the productions in Los Angeles offer something entirely different. The actors are usually professionals and members of theater companies, and the performances are held in small theaters around the city. Theatre Row is one such place, where a variety of different theaters dot the length of the street.
The productions are independently funded, consist of minimal sets and are often directed by relatively unknown directors. But don’t be discouraged. Unlike Pepperdine’s limited number of shows each semester, there are numerous plays to choose from in Los Angeles. LAplays.com and World Wide Arts Resources (wwar.com) are two Web sites that feature information on plays or production companies in the area.
At LAplays.com, curious playgoers can search for all kinds of fun shows that will leave a theater-goer unexpectedly surprised by the unusual performances one can see. The Web site also offers discounts (as low as $15) for certain shows when buying tickets online.
Thanks to the Web site, I have seen a couple of really eclectic shows lately and can personally guarantee a fun time for those who decide to go. “Sweetest Tongue, Sharpest Tooth” is a hilariously modern and more “adult” version of “Little Red Riding Hood,” while “References to Salvador Dali” is a play about a wife whose husband abandons her for the army in the middle of a New Mexico desert.
Besides the performances offered on campus and the company-funded shows at Theatre Row, other universities offer a variety of performances all year long. The UCLA theater program has drama and comedies showing this spring.
“The Inspector General,” opening May 31, is a comedy about a town full of corrupt government agencies and selfish, backstabbing citizens. “A Bright Room Called Day,” opening March 14, is a chamber drama centered on a middle-aged actress and her friends caught up in the events surrounding the rise to power of the Nazis. Also, plays like “Barbarians” and “Ash Girl” are opening this spring at USC for only $10 for the public.
No matter where you go, you’re bound to get a different experience that will entertain and also introduce a different way of looking at theater. Whether at a university or a private theater in Los Angeles, plays are a way for people to taste a piece of life that is sometimes similar and sometimes different than their own.
02-08-2008