****LA Critics Choice***

"a gold-plated hoot, guaranteed to deliver a full quotient of belly laughs." - F Kathleen Foley .....LA Times

"This captivating comedy...crackling dialogue...HILARIOUS" - Les Spindle ....Backstage West

"Blisteringly Funny" - Lovell Estelle.....LA Weekly

DADDY' DYIN - WHOS GOT THE WILL?
Now through May 31st
Theatre/Theatre, 1625 N Las Palmas Ave, Hollywood 90028
(plays Sat 8pm, Sun@3pm), 323 954 9795

APRIL 2009

MARCH 2009

By Jennie Webb
March 04, 2009

It's lovely to be reminded, every once in a while, to leave your jaded self at the door to the theatre. So, for anyone like me, who can't help but indulge in a little inner eye-rolling at the thought of, say, a dramatic ensemble exploration of contemporary women's issues, the Company of Angels' new offering is a welcome wake-up: It's a kick-ass evening that'll strike a familiar, resonant chord, even as it travels into unexpected places.

Carefully pieced together from a mix of new material, this is a cohesive and satisfying program, thanks to a strong ensemble and sharp direction by Nataki Garrett and Ayana Cahrr. Ruth Forman's brief and sometimes biting poems thread throughout, nicely framing scenes and short plays ranging in style and subject matter. First is Lisa B. Thompson's hilarious Mother's Day, which has a shameless sketch-comedy quality but also hits its intended targets. Lony'e Perrine is delightful as a corporate-climbing new mommy who, with her surgeon husband (Paul Mabon, wonderfully weaselly), is on a childcare search for a black Mary Poppins but instead finds spot-on African-American maternal stereotypes, played by a delicious Tamika Simpkins, Lee Sherman, and Kila Kitu, in one of many powerhouse portrayals.

Playwright Josslyn Luckett's Like Her Shanti Doesn't Stink is an absolutely wonderful, very funny examination of "colored-girl wounds among trust-fund feminists," in which Perrine and a solid and always nuanced Sherman play out the imbalance of women's relationships in a yoga studio; as narrator, Kitu makes Luckett's language soar. Writers Paul Mabon, Sigrid Gilmer, and Michelle Flowers -- with her laugh-out-loud second-act opener -- also provide strong material, and Nia Witherspoon's touching The Messiah Complex is especially fascinating, although it still feels a bit rough around the edges. But although this evening isn't a slick or particularly beautifully wrapped package -- the video aspects of the production are the least successful -- it's certainly enough reason to take another look at the power of actors, directors, and words with a purpose.

Presented by Company of Angels at the Alexandria, 501 Spring St., L.A. Feb. 20 - “March 15. Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. (323) 883-1717.