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“The Diary Of Anne Frank” – Vista’s Broadway Theatre

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Pat Launer, Center Stage on KSDS JAZZ88 September 18, 2015 Some plays are tailor-made for a small, intimate theater. That kind of setting enhances the claustrophobic feel of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” which makes it just right for The Broadway Theatre in Vista. Adapted in 1955 by screenwriters Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, from Anne’s published journal, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play is set in the cramped Amsterdam Annex, upstairs from Otto Frank’s business, where 13 Read More →

“The Comedy Of Errors” – The Old Globe

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Pat Launer, Center Stage on KSDS JAZZ88 September 11, 2015 An early work by William Shakespeare, “The Comedy of Errors” is so silly, with its multiple mixups and mishaps, that setting it almost anywhere can’t harm it. The two sets of identical twins, each matched pair bearing the same name, is separated pretty much at birth, growing up in disparate places – Syracuse and Ephesus. So, why turn Ephesus into New Orleans? Well, why not? The place Read More →

“Violet” – San Diego Repertory Theatre

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Pat Launer, Center Stage on KSDS JAZZ88 September 4, 2015 Nobody makes it through life unscarred. But Violet wears her wounds more prominently than the rest of us. A native of rural North Carolina, she was facially disfigured by a wayward axe blade at the age of 12. Taunted and rebuffed all her life, she’s become tough, insightful and resilient. Her faith, her father and her late mother’s Bible have helped her survive. Now an adult, Violet Read More →

“Parlour Song” – Backyard Renaissance Theatre

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PAT LAUNER - TIMES OF SAN DIEGO 8/29/15 “PARLOUR SONG” AN OMINOUS AND AUSPICIOUS START FOR NEW THEATER The identical houses, just six feet apart, line up in neat little rows. Behind the tidy lawns and closed doors, menace lurks. Welcome to suburbia, English style, as imagined by playwright Jez Butterworth in “Parlour Song,” his 2008 drama (with comic relief). In this dark-hued portrait of middle age, some of the symbolism is a bit heavy handed: there’s the demolition Read More →

“Return To The Forbidden Planet” – New Village Arts

Views:1078

Pat Launer, Center Stage on KSDS JAZZ88 August 28, 2015 Fasten your seatbelts. It’s a bumpy ride: an intergalactic space flight that is a mishmash mashup of B-level 1950s sci fi, The Bard and 1960s music. Sounds wacky, right? It is. And not always in a good way. At New Village Arts, “Return to the Forbidden Planet” has a far better cast and production than it deserves. This jukebox musical spoof, created by playwright Bob Carlton, Read More →

“Shrek” – Moonlight Stage Productions

Views:1288

RUN DATES: 8/21/15 - 8/29/15 VENUE: Moonlight Amphitheatre We all know it’s not easy being green. Just ask Kermit – or Elphaba. But it’s even harder if you happen to be a scary ogre with a soft heart. Poor Shrek has had a rough life. Now, all he wants is solitude, and a nice piece of swamp to call his own. But he’s invaded by a horde of Fairy Tale characters, led by a belligerent Pinocchio and a feisty Read More →