A diner, a wide-open road, and a story that proves even the smallest places can hold the biggest hearts. Sadie Black. Photo courtesy of American Coast Theater Company. by MaryAnn DiPietro American Coast Theatre Company is heading somewhere a little quieter this summer, somewhere with porch swings, mountain air and the kind of stories that sneak up on your heart. The company invites audiences into the small town of Gilead, a place where folks know your name and all of your bus

A Close-Up, Heartfelt Production About Defying Expectations. Sammy Spiegler. Photo courtesy of Laura Lejuwaan By Shannon Cudd Omigod you guys! Westminster Community Playhouse looks good in pink, a make-over courtesy of its latest production, “Legally Blonde.” This high-energy musical is based on the 2001 hit film of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon as the charismatic and intelligent ingénue Elle Woods. After her college boyfriend, Warner, dumps her because she isn’t s

Shakespeare comedy reimagined through a Western lens. From left: Mary Price Moore, Shane Murphy, Jeremy Krasovic, Taylor LaBarbera, Sarah Jane Fince, Charlie Massey. Photo courtesy of Cabrillo Playhouse By Anne Reid “Twelfth Night” is a beloved Shakespearean romantic comedy about twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated by a shipwreck. In this modern take, it’s set on the coast of California, where Viola seeks to rebuild her place in the world. She disguises herself as a

A picture-perfect 1950s dream, a life styled to perfection, and the moment the fantasy starts to slip. From left: Shane Murphy, Jeremy Krasovic, Taylor LaBarbera, Charlie Massey, Sarah Jane Finch, Mary Price Moore. Photo courtesy of Eric Modyman By MaryAnn DiPietro At first glance, it looks like perfection. But in “Home, I’m Darling” at Cabrillo Playhouse, that polished facade is only the beginning. In a production that leans into both nostalgia and nuance, director Hilary Pe

Two teenagers confront identity, belonging and change in post-9/11 New Jersey. From left, Vicky Yvonne and Spike Pulice. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller. by Anne Reid Where were you born? Where did you grow up? For most people, those questions are answered without much thought. In Martyna Majok’s “Sanctuary City,” opening May 1 at Chance Theater, they carry real weight. Set in Newark, New Jersey, in the years following 9/11, the play follows two teenagers known simply as B an

An innovative reimagining of a classic Christie mystery. From Bottom Left; Clockwise: Sawyer Reece Maier, Paul Burt, Holly Jones, Abel Miramontes, Shawn Plunkett, Noah Chin, Tanya Raisa, Catalina Tan, Emily Hood, Olivia Oakley. Photo courtesy of Katelyn Abaya by Anne Reid Just after midnight, a snowdrift brings the Orient Express to a halt, stranding its passengers in the dead of winter. By morning, one of them is dead: an American tycoon found in his compartment, stabbed ei

A courtroom in purgatory, a cast of saints and sinners, and a story that asks the big questions arrive in OC with urgency, humor and heart. From left, Will Thomas as Judas and Majd Khdair as Jesus . Photo courtesy of Miguel Angel "Mack" Tapia II. By MaryAnn DiPietro There’s something especially exciting happening in Orange County theater right now, the kind of collaboration that feels a little spontaneous, a little serendipitous and completely meant to be. “The Last Days of J

Paranoia, human nature and potential societal collapse are explored as the sky rains down birds From left, Lauren Belt, Zack Mallgrave and Mimi Franks . Photo courtesy of Eric Modyman. by Anne Reid When the birds attack, the real danger isn’t outside – it’s inside the house. In “The Birds,” a stage adaptation of the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film, strangers take refuge from a relentless, unexplained wave of bird attacks. But as the threat closes in, the play shifts its focus fr

Mistaken identities, theatrical ambition and a dash of Shakespearean mischief. From Left: Bobby D Lux & Adriano Brown. Photo courtesy of Laura Lejuwaan. by Anne Reid In Westminster Community Playhouse’s (WCP) new production, “Leading Ladies,” two down-on-their-luck actors turn female impersonators in an attempt to swindle an elderly woman out of her fortune in 1950s Pennsylvania. Written by Ken Ludwig, the show, which premiered in 2004, is generally praised for its charm and

Musical revisits the 1970s with a satirical nod to free love, open marriage and a flirtation with ménage-à-quatre From left, Ryan Rees and Sawyer Reece Maier. Photo courtesy of No Square Theatre by Anne Reid “I Love My Wife” is a 1977 Broadway musical comedy about two suburban married couples who start to question whether they’ve missed out on the sexual revolution of the 1960s and ’70s. Largely left to the dustbins of history due to its provocative nature, the musical is act

Four women. One truth. And the dangerous cost of carrying it. From left, Kallie Pong, Megan Sigler, Juliet Fischer and Rori Flynn . Photo courtesy of Shinshin Tsai . by MaryAnn DiPietro At Chance Theater, the stage becomes a crossroads of memory and consequence. In “The Messenger,” written by Jenny Connell Davis and directed by Katie Chidester, a nonlinear drama unfolds as the stories of four women, decades apart, speak into the same restless space. “Four interwoven monologue

A Whimsical Invitation to See the Best in Others From left, Barry Ko and Angie Chavez . Photo courtesy of Katelyn Abaya. by Shannon Cudd We all know that one person who embellishes every story they tell. On the surface, this can be an exhausting character trait because it feels like you can’t discern the truth. Now imagine this individual is your father. That’s the dilemma at the core of Alchemy Theatre Company’s upcoming production of “Big Fish.” Based on both the 1998 novel

A Musical That Dares You to Hear Women’s Voices From left, Mariah Martin, Arianna Nelson, Danielle Heaton and Mads Durbin. Photo courtesy of Ophelia's Jump Productions. By Shannon Cudd Ophelia's Jump Productions’ upcoming musical “In the Green” is a rarely produced show that will stimulate your brain and challenge you to think about a new subject matter.“ In the Green” tells the origin story of Hildegard von Bingen, a German Catholic Benedictine abbess and polymath during the

Sandy Rustin’s 2023 Broadway farce arrives on a newly renovated stage. From Left: Zoe Nauman, Garrett Claud, Jack Cooper, Shelby Perlis, Ashley Montgomery and Martin Ba lcaitis. Photo courtesy of Cabrillo Playhouse. By MaryAnn DiPietro The art of farce depends on confidence and precision: confidence that a door will open at exactly the wrong moment, that a secret will be overheard by precisely the wrong person, and that the audience, delighted co-conspirators on the journey

A riotous Renaissance comedy that’s rip-roaring fun. From left, Spike Pulice and Taras Wybaczynsky Jr. Photo courtesy of Francis Gacad and Jon Infante. By Anne Reid The Curtis Theatre is about to be taken over by ruffs, tights, tap shoes and an avalanche of theatrical inside jokes as “Something Rotten!” takes the stage in a collaboration between Southgate Productions and the City of Brea. Set in the bustling world of Renaissance England, “Something Rotten!” centers on Nick an

When the Truth Won’t Stay Buried From Top Left: Feyara Bellefleur, Zion Aguilar, Lars Toler, Sophia Gonzalez. From Bottom Left: Jarid McCarthy, Josh Causley, Mae Montgomery, and Rosa Sandoval . Photo courtesy of Lizzy McCabe. By MaryAnn DiPietro Family reunions are rarely clean and simple, and in “Bug In Mouth Disease,” the sharp, dark yet funny new play making its world premiere, the secrets are undeniably messy. Produced by The Larking House, “Bug In Mouth Disease” arrives

A quiet, heartfelt love story and joyous musical journey. From left, Emma Laird and Morgan Hollingsworth . Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller. by Anne Reid At a moment when the world feels increasingly fractured by grief, isolation and uncertainty, the musical “Once” arrives not as an escape from reality but as a gentle, deeply human response to it. With a book by Enda Walsh and music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, “Once” is based on the Academy Award-winning f

A newly raised roof sets the stage to examine isolation, commitment, and intimacy. From Left, Front Row: Kathy Villanueva, Eric T. Anderson, Sophie Matossian and Katie Nicol. Middle Row: Jeff Tierney, Mackinzie Rummell, Elana Harnack, Ariana Nin, Robert Krattli, Marc Marger. Back Row: Will Minton and Juliet Fischer. Photo courtesy of Cabrillo Playhouse. By Shannon Cudd In a world where modern technology increasingly isolates, one brave community theater in San Clemente pla

Would you answer a stranger’s phone? And how far would you go once you do? These questions ring through this Obie Award–winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist play.

One of the funniest Christmas stories to delight holiday audiences comes to Laguna Beach From Left: Jen Kucera Rothman, Teddy Rayburn, Adam Ferguson and Lila Etherton . Photo courtesy of No Square Theatre. by Anne Reid Based on the beloved book by Barbara Robinson, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” brings holiday chaos, comedy and unexpected heart to No Square Theatre this season. In this hilarious classic play, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is face