I was never a huge fan of health class (yes, I faint at the sight of blood) and I was raised hard core Catholic where I was never even aloud to swear let alone talk about STD’s. I had rebelled during my college years and performed in The Vagina Monologues, so how shocking would be a show called Herpes Tonight be?
I knew nothing about the show and asked a friend to come along with me because how humorous does the title sound? As I sat awaiting the show to start I was entertained by a projection slide show of movie posters edited with herpes humor and I even learned fun facts like how Mr. Robin Williams was sued for millions by an ex-girlfriend for giving her herpes (it ended up being settled out of court).

As the show begun, the audience was packed. Were all of these people interested in Herpes? No more than 3 minutes into the show I was exposed to two shocking photographs (side by side) of the opposite sex genitalia with an out break of, of course, herpes. Mr. Corey Moosa (who looked a lot like Seth Green) explained that this was not his penis but this is what herpes looks like with an outbreak.

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Cult films are so in, bra, and the 1991 stage adaptation of the Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze surfing action flick, “Point Break,” is no exception. “ Point Break Live!,” which opened at a new venue in Hollywood called The Dragonfly, this past Friday, is not just any film to stage adaptation, but rather an interactive show where — get this — a different audience member plays Keanu Reeves each evening for “ultimate realism.”

Flippin’ sweet, dude.

Like the hipper grandson to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show“, “Point Break Live!” has its own loyal following of fans who spout off the lines like high school pep rally cheers responding to the actors in the tight, dimly-lit Dragonfly venue. Moved from a theater in Downtown LA, “Point Break Live!” features the same cast of enthusiastic, energetic actors who seem to relish the opportunity to fight, surf, mug, and, perhaps most importantly, over-act.

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Theater is living on the edge this weekend with a smattering of shows with gun-slingers, revenge-hungry divorce lawyers, rock n’ roll, and… Keanu Reeves? Read below for more information on this weekend’s selections, including Love, Janis, Where’s My Money?, The Lonesome West, and Point Break Live!

Love, Janis: A rock concert and biography rolled into one, “Love, Janis” recreates the ’60s with disco lights and groovy Joplin vibes. With the biographical information taken from Laura Joplin’s biography of Janis, discover more about an iconic rock star.

May 29th-June 1st. Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays: 8 P.M. Sundays: 2 P.M.

• Price: $30.00-$100.00 (Buy Now)
• Wilshire Theatre
• 8440 Wilshire Boulevard
• Beverly Hills, CA 90024 (Map)
• More info at: Wilshire Theatre

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Sick of LA? Take a theatrical trip to another center, whether it’s Manhattan, Renaissance Italy, or futuristic Anywhere USA. Well there are a number of plays including The Hiding Place, I Gelosi (The Jealous Ones), 7 x 7, and Natural Selection that will take you outside of Los Angeles without ever having to leave the city! Keep reading for more information on times, tickets, locations, and more!

The Hiding Place - A quirky romantic comedy from the writer of the Tony-award winning musical hit “Avenue Q,” Jeff Whitty, expect a satirical, youthful production satirizing literary and art culture in mid-90’s Manhattan. While “The Hiding Place” won’t show how everyone’s a little bit racist or feature any Gary Coleman cameos, anything by Whitty should please and provide some bittersweet insights into relationships.

May 23rd-June 8th. Fridays & Saturdays: 8 P.M. Sundays: 2 P.M.

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Just like at the movies, it can be difficult to find excellent theater opportunities in the pre-summer period. However, Los Angeles never really faces a dearth of theater-going opportunities for those serious enough to delve into different neighborhoods. Read more for information about the upcoming performances of Teen Girl, Trying, Kindgom Come, and An Afternoon with Jason Robert Brown throughout the LA area!

Teen Girl - A retro throwback to the 1960s, “Teen Girl,” nevertheless, captures the turbulent essence of what it means to be a teenager. When teen girl Susan’s mom goes out of town, what else could ensue but partying? Expect a good dose of rollicking sex, drugs, and hormones.

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Ellen Geer and Melora Marshall will be bring you Shakepeare’s As You Like It in the hills of Topanga. If you’ve never been to The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum then you’re in for a real treat. The theatre is located quite literally in the hillside of Topanga Canyon (they suggest you bring your own pillow for seating). The Geer’s have been putting on shows in Topanga for ages and always do an amazing job. You are more than welcome to come early and enjoy a picnic before the show or pick up snacks at the Hamlet Hut.

For those of you who don’t know the play As You Like It is about:

Two brothers alienated by ambition. Two more estranged by envy. Rosalind, daughter of a banished Duke, is forced to flee the court and enter the Forest of Arden when her uncle, usurper of his brother’s estate, threatens to have her killed. Accompanied by her cousin Celia, Rosalind disguises herself as a man for safety’s sake. The disguise comes in handy when she tests the devotion of her noble admirer, Orlando - who is also on the run from his hostile older brother. With Rosalind’s wit leading the way, the forces of true love and justice eventually triumph.

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Looking to be a part of something from the beginning? New and upcoming theater writer, Drew Larimore will be having a very polished reading of his new psychological, semi-absurdist drama, THE ANNIVERSARY BOX at the Studio Stage Theatre on Sunday, May 11th at 2 PM. Larimore has been developing the play with Ensemble Studio Theatre- LA in bother their Sunday Best Workshop and their Playwrights Unit.

LA.CityZine sat down with Larimore to ask him a few other questions about his new and upcoming play.

What initially inspired you to write this play?

THE ANNIVERSARY BOX is a play I have been working on since I moved to Los Angeles two and a half years ago. At the time, I wanted to write a play that dealt with science because when I was getting my undergrad I studied evolutionary ethics/psychology in conjunction with writing. (I know - quite the pair!) I was really interested in how scientific knowledge effects and ultimately, changes people, because my perspective had so rapidly changed after studying material by Frans De Waal, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Richard Dawkins and Joan Roughgarden - really groundbreaking and prominent evolutionary ethicists.

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Twists upon favorite scenarios provide interpretations that can lead to hilarity, contemplation, or simply… entertainment. Check out the following shows this weekend that defy expectations:

Compleat Female Stage Beauty - Even in the Shakespearean era, drag queens defended their roles on the stage like fierce lionesses. In a new comedy as the inaugural production for Rogue Machine, one of the Renaissance’s most popular and famous actors, who always portrayed women, named Edward Kynaston, enjoyed fame and glory until women were allowed to finally join men on the stage. Based on a true events, “Compleat Female Stage Beauty” addresses issues still prevalent of sexuality and creativity still prevalent in modern theater.

Through June 1st. Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays: 8 P.M. Sundays: 3 P.M.

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Political concerns often inform theater to create relevant productions for modern audiences. While political shows don’t always tend to capture interest (or can even run the way of propaganda! Eek!), War Spelled Backwards: A Trilogy, Rising Water, The Common Air, and He Asked For It broach political, economic, and social concerns in ways that capture general undercurrents of disgruntlement, frustration, and fear with modern government. Beware to the easily offended! These could be some discussion-worthy shows. Read below for more information!

War Spelled Backwards: A Trilogy - A one-weekend only performance, “War Spelled Backwards” shares home-front and battlefield perspectives on the Iraq War. Get ready for a production unafraid to tackle war-time brutality.

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Nothing brings down a good dinner like dropping a bombshell right before dessert. This is exactly what happens in Donald Margulies’s Dinner with Friends. And with that bombshell neatly dropped on a plate of lamb and risotto, it sets off a series of chain reactions that resonate through both couples in the play, and trickles out into the audience-leaving no relationship unturned.

Dinner with Friends came out of the 22nd Annual Humana Festival and went on to receive the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It’s easy to see how this play touches a nerve with theatergoers because no one can escape from the simple truths that the playwright touches upon with such dexterity and nuance. It is even more palpable as you observe the audience members react to the drama in giggles, or as they elbow their partner when they recognize themselves in the situations and conversations these characters are living.

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There are few things less funny than a potentially fatal illness, yet writer/star Hal Ackerman (read Hal Ackerman’s CityZine interview here) cruises past a minefield of male taboos with heart and sly absurdity in Testosterone: How Cancer Made a Man of Me.Ackerman is “Hal,” a working writer trying to raise a teenage daughter and navigate the LA dating scene. Three months into a steamy relationship with a career driven woman, he’s diagnosed with prostate cancer and turns to an unconventional treatment that depletes his body of testosterone. As his masculinity is afflicted, Hal searches for a new definition of manhood.

Held at the intimate, fifty-odd seat Powerhouse Theatre, the play is tailored to Ackerman’s gifts as a storyteller. From the stealthy opening monologue he engages the audience point blank and being that it’s his story, Ackerman is undoubtedly the voice of authority. The surprise of the production is how delightfully skewed and bracingly candid that voice turns out to be.

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Let’s face it: too much cleverness can get cloying. Self-referential humor only functions well when handled in small doses or when handled extraordinarily well. However, when a sharp remark, a sarcastic set-up of a particular scenario, or a lampoon of your greatest pet peeve causes insuppressible laughter than there’s nothing better than a heaping dose of comic brains. Check out Ten Little Indigenous People of America, No Exit, KLUB, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, and Cell Phone Funeral (I’ll Text You When I’m Dead) this weekend for surefire shots of wit.

Ten Little Indigenous Peoples of America - You just knew that one day someone would deem the title of Agatha Christie’s famous mystery novel politically incorrect and adjust it accordingly. What you may not have foreseen was a comedic adaptation of the famous murder mystery, which will take place over a nine-week run where one cast member dies each week. Get ready for fun audience participation and plenty of morbid gags.

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