The distinguished Antaeus Company, L.A.'s classic theater ensemble of extraordinarily talented actors, presents Arthur Miller's tale of the Salem witch trials, his parable of mass hysteria and the dangers of theocracy, or any blind ideology, for that matter. Co-directors Armin Shimerman and Geoffrey Wade...

Placido Domingo has long had an interest in new works on Latin American subjects. His collaboration with composer Lee Holdridge and librettist Richard Sparks dates back several decades and includes a number of commissioned operas for young audiences. The collaboration continues with the premiere of Dulce Rosa, which is based...

By attacking the president on every front -- from Obamacare to Benghazi -- the Republicans are following a tried-and-true formula for a party out of power, especially during a second-term presidency. They did it with Clinton, and the Democrats did it with Bush. But this is a different era --...

The debate in America has shifted from gun control versus gun rights to the larger issue of preventing gun violence. Whether gun control advocates like it or not, the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms, with certain restrictions. And whether gun rights advocates like it or not, society...

Senator Kelly Ayotte this week became the poster child for callousness in her confrontation with Erica Lafferty, the daughter of the slain principal of Sandy Hook. In a single stroke, Ayotte committed perhaps the swiftest and most devastating act of political suicide in recent history. Sure, she is likely to...

In 1996, when Rupert Murdoch hired Roger Ailes, a Republican political consultant, to launch Fox News, his mission was simple: to provide a counterpoint to the "left-wing bias" of the national media. But Murdoch and Ailes weren't simply on a right-wing propaganda crusade; they also aimed to capitalize on what...

British playwright Mark Kenny's ode to love and loss gets a marvelous, magical west coast premiere at the 24th Street Theatre under the inspired direction of Debbie Devine and with an extraordinary cast.

Kenny's play -- which is actually in the form of a lyric poem -- is about a...

Los Angeles has a star shining brightly in its theatrical firmament. Parson's Nose Productions, a small ensemble troupe in Pasadena, has the unique mission of presenting classic stories in shorter, entertaining and more contemporary formats to appeal to the broadest possible audiences, young and old. Their dynamic and wickedly talented...

Kyreeana Alexander performs at the New World Center during YoungArts Week 2013. Photo by Katherine Bollens

If you ever had any doubts about the incredible young talent in America today, just check out the next generation of visual, literary and performing artists who...

Kathryn Graf's paen to the perils of middle-aged dating has a solid premiere under the skillful direction of Steven Robman and a very talented ensemble of actors. Set in the romantic jungle of New York City, Graf's play focuses on the lives and loves...

As someone who has traveled extensively in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe over the past several years, I have experienced a nearly universal opinion of America society as violent and crime-ridden. Most Americans would probably be surprised by this view, but it is no wonder, with the...

House Republicans should listen to Newt Gingrich, who is warning that holding the country hostage with debt ceiling brinksmanship will backfire. Gingrich, who after all was responsible for twice shutting down the government, argues that the American people won't stand for Congress jeopardizing our national credit by refusing...

Okay, it's clear they don't get it. After several elections, the Great Recession and lots of moaning and groaning about the stalemate in Washington, our national leadership still can't manage much progress on the issues that are most important to our future as a country. As one commentator recently pointed...

Kaufman and Hart's comedy about the eccentric Sycamore family opened in 1936 during the depths of the Depression and won the Pulitzer Prize for that year. While it has long been regarded as an old chesnut in the theater world, there is a refreshing contemporary resonance in the revival at...

Mitt Romney's comment in the first debate about defunding Big Bird was the fodder for lots of jokes, but it has more serious implications, not just for public funding for the arts, but for the future of America's global competitiveness. As America's economy has become less focused on manufacturing and...

Fifty years ago this week, I was a high school freshman in Washington, D.C., playing on the basketball team, rehearsing for the school play and dreaming about having my first girlfriend. That same week, my father was working especially late at the office, and being very tight-lipped about what was...

Plays about writers and writing present major challenges for both audiences and playwrights. Because writing is such an internal process, full of grinding frustration and occasional exhilaration, it is a tough subject to portray on stage. Playwright and film/TV writer Theresa Rebeck makes a valiant but flawed assault on the...

Despite the considerable doom and gloom from Democratic quarters and the tightening poll numbers in the wake of the first presidential debate, it is important to remember that President Obama has a distinct advantage where it counts most -- in the Electoral College. While it may seem wonky to dig...

David Mamet's political farce November, which ran for six months on Broadway in 2008, gets a crackling revival at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Of course, this is lightweight Mamet, stuffed with one-line throwaways and f-bombs. But, in this election season, with the presidential campaigns spending...