I love speaking to a kindred soul whose passions are rooted in another field different from mine. It always fascinates

I hate writing bad reviews. Honest. I’d rather write glowing reviews, pouring forth accolades and singing praises to high heaven. I truly would. Now

A lot of attention is being given to that first basket, the “basket of deplorables,” as Mrs. Clinton called it

By Ernest Kearney — Premise-wise "Small Mouth Sounds," by Playwright Bess Wohl, has a lot of potential. The highly touted

By Ernest Kearney —  The story of Jim Jones­ has material enough for any ten dramatists. In the production "White

By Ernest Kearney  —  Of all Shakespeare’s plays save "Hamlet," "Othello" offers the most challenges to any cry of players,

In an isolated study room, set off in a forgotten wing of a cavernous comprehensive school tucked away in a

If that be the fashion of your dreams then I say hold on to those dreams

The Republican side of this primary season, nearing its final throes, is playing out like a vintage horror movie that

After a wait of more than a decade since her last release, Melissa Manchester's 20th album, You Gotta Love the

The question, for all (or it should be) GOT viewers: Will the Snow 'who knows nothing' return? HBO’s just released promotional

By Ernest Kearney — In "Jocasta A Motherf**king Tragedy," Brian Weir and the Ghost Road Theatre Company have

Actually, “muttered” does no justice to the chanting and booing that echoed like city noise down an abandoned alleyway as

By Ernest Kearney  —  "American Conspiracy," playing during the Hollywood Fringe 2018 at The Lounge Theatre, recounts the trials and

You’re in Los Angeles and looking for the perfect space to mount your production. Available for your play, meeting, workshop or

"The more things change the more they stay the same" (Les Guêpes, January 1849) Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr They are ale drinking, rabble-rousers. Musket

A lot of us who respect Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House want to curl up and hibernate

Talk about being overly optimistic. My previous TheTVolution post seems positively Pollyanna-ish. The headline read: "The Voice Finally Acknowledges Songwriters."

Rectify creator Ray McKinnon had a seed of an idea: "I was just interested in the life of a man

by Ernest Kearney  — The origins of Taiko drumming in Japan is lost in that vast attic called history, but

"It was like the eve of a battle; the hearts beat, the eyes laughed, and they felt that the life

I’m wondering how I will suit up for the coming debates. No need to choose. I’ll don wings and a

The Robey Theatre Company and Los Angeles Theatre Center have partnered for the staging of "Dr. Du Bois and Miss

There have been three truly great social humorists in American history, Mark Twain, Will Rogers and Jon Stewart. The least

Star Bill Nighy and writer/director David Hare on the character evolution of Johnny Worricker, his true intentions, and where he

By Ernest Kearney  —  Still is a stylishly staged deconstruction of a murder mystery, involving three high school students, that

This is a lovely little documentary about the history of American ventriloquism over the last 70 years. While not comprehensive

Post-debate note: The political wind seemed to change at the second debate. So--praise cheeses!--this may be the last Trump-centric column. He’s

Now we know. The Game's Episode 5 delivered—as promised—the identity of The Mole. Clever writing, this, from series creator Toby

"If you want to live, come with me – and keep in harmony" Yes, I troll Netflix, the cable channels, and

Political Survivor: USA. This show plays almost continuously, with an ever-changing cast, on many shows and many networks. I discovered the

Queen Latifah stars as the legendary Bessie Smith whose talent and perseverance resulted in her becoming an iconic "Empress of

When I first heard news of a weekly series set in hip hop and R&B music industry with a predominately

Even the best magicians never actually do magic—they give you a believable illusion that they are performing the impossible. Mostly,

by Ernest Kearney - Epics tend to be about champions, giant defeaters, kingdom conquerors, warriors of a thousand battles.

By Ernest Kearney — There is a great deal of talent involved in "Two Fisted Love" at the Odyssey Ensemble

By Ernest Kearney  —  "Baba, Jee (Father, Yes)" is a solidly written, smartly directed and tightly performed piece. The story

With hardly an exception the American Experience historical programs are gems. That the dumb heads in congress have succeeded in

"Kinsherf’s Coat" harkens back to one of the Sixties most lamentable losses – “The Happening," which was was an indiscernible

A Mexican Trilogy: An American Story, a multi-award winning work by Evelina Fernández is fiercely ambitious, thoroughly and intelligently mounted

A friend of mine, (one who knows I’ve just finished a year long project of re-reading the Bible—for the fifth

We love Angela Lansbury. And PBS announced today, "She's ba-a-a-ck." Dame Lansbury with Michael Gambon will head the cast in

Hollywood Fringe 2016 is bubbling over with choices. Here we have two shows that share common ground and perhaps even

You enter the REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CaLArts Theater) to find a mass of chairs arranged seemingly haphazard in the

THE GOLD MEDALS: ANNA IN THE DARKNESS LA LA LA STRADA NELL GWYNNE – A DRAMATICK ESSAYE ON ACTING AND PROSTITUTION SHAKESPEARE'S LAST NIGHT

"Nothing Bad – A Werewolf Rock Musical" has spun the 1987 vampire film, "The Lost Boys" by way of the

I really love theatre that boldly goes where no ensemble has gone before. In the past William A. Reilly and Gary

by Ernest Kearney — Forough Farrokhzad was the subject of Sussan Deyhim’s The House is Black which I recently reviewed

This production has it all. 'Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities' is running now through March 26 at Lone Star

The folks who produce Survivor think that they understand tribes. Jeff Probst’s first official duty, on the first episode of every season,

The movie Jurassic Park removed an intriguing side plot from Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, that I think applies directly

"Comic-Con The Musical" celebrates that Mecca of Nerd-dom, The San Diego Comic-Con International aka Comic-Con. Four magical days every

The TVolution Hollywood Fringe Festival Awards Coming Soon!

by Ernest Kearney — Forgiveness seems to be the theme of “Redline,” now playing in rep with “Sinner’s Laundry”

“Hell is really cold, wet and smells like fish.” In the tale of his time as a greenhorn on a commercial

Whether you view the later works of Irish playwright and novelist Samuel Beckett as avant-grade, Theatre of the Absurd, tragicomic

"Herpes: A Love Story," a show about the scourge of the sexual revolution, provides creator/performer Cherise Pascual with the opportunity

by Ernest Kearney — In "Keith Moon the Real Me," playing at Hudson Theatre’s Maintstage thru April 15, writer

By Ernest Kearney  —  It’s that time once again L.A.! — June! The six month of the year, one of

A life lacking passion is paralysis. The particular focus of that passion counts for beans. Take your pick: Video Games, Persian rugs,

Just two years ago, documentary filmmaker Asif Kapadia began interviewing Amy Winehouse's family, friends and collaborators in a darkened London

American Falls by Miki Johnson is a lovely and touching piece of writing. It is a work about time and history,

By Ernest Kearney — This was my first “mashup” of theatre and film with soundtrack framed within a concert rendering.

The wait’s been long, but the time is nigh: April 24th is coming. Books in the series whose stories will play

In his latest recorded musical venture, Grammy-winning jazz pianist Billy Childs takes on the music legacy of Laura Nyro–and the

As part of the Replacement Parts film and discussion series, the Velaslavasay Panorama will be host to a screening of

Jesus Christ Superstar is a great show. Lyrics by Tim Rice, and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and for my

The family that fights together stays together—or at least becomes more tolerant of each other—could be the subtitle for Episode

As casual as can be, Julia Migenes strolls on the nearly bare stage at the Odyssey Ensemble Theatre. The only

Can the lightening in the bottle that was the essence of the limited special event of True Detective, Season 1

"Nothing is so firmly believed as what we know least." Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) In viewing Peter Landesman's Parkland (2013), it is

When the bar is set as high as writer/director David Hare and thespian extraordinaire Bill Nighy (yes, I am biased)

In James Cougar Canfield’s historical play Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII the “ladies” in question are the

The film opens with a laconic, heart rendering simple and sincere shriving, "I'm sorry. I know that means little at

By Ernest Kearney  — Bill Posley’s superbly slick, and raucously funny show, "The Day I Became Black," reveals to

The Fall: Season 2, on NETFLIX, got more personal and crossed more lines than could be handled by the Paris Metro

Do you know his favorite Karaoke song? I do. And he sings it with me. The man, the legend talks

Well, here we are at about the mid way point in the Fringe. So far 31 shows seen and 23

The Bravest Show of the Summer goes to: The Honorable Woman. Series creator Hugo Blick's masterful eye created a world of

Wendy Graf has written an intelligent, craftsman work about an idealistic All American Girl seeking to convey her love of

By Darwyn Carson — Writer/Performer Katt Balsan is a force of a singular nature. You can catch her through the

From the first moments of "Mary’s Medicine," currently running at the Complex Theatres during Hollywood Fringe 2017, playwright/director Matthew Robinson

The most disappointing feature of Lee Blessing’s succinct if a tad “lite” A Walk in the Woods now gracing the

The Fringe Week One Continued

I can always appreciate Long Beach's International City Theatre even when I don't necessarily enjoy a particular production. Case in point

Suffering from Copper withdrawal yet? No worries. Another period-based crime thriller is just around the bend. Lying in wait down

By Ernest Kearney   — If most non-artists know the name Chris Burden (1946-2015), it is for the art installation “Urban

All playwrights of any merit explore those vast and stretching abysses that form human relationships. In his earlier work, “The

The Echo Theater Company is one of the newer jewels in the crown of Los Angeles theatre, and with their

Indeed, four men like them, four men devoted to each other from their money to their lives, four men always

TheTvolution.com Award Tallies for mid run of the Hollywood Fringe Festival ‘18 (HHF18): We rank all the shows we attend

by Ernest Kearney  —  Imagine if Donald Trump was president for life, that all the TV stations were operated by

In the words of an FTWD character: “When civilization ends, it ends fast.” That’s Right. I love The Walking Dead. The discovery that I

THE GOLD MEDALS: ANNABELLA BOOZE, BALLS AND BLUEGRASS THE DEVIL YOU SAY RESERVE CHAMPION REVOLUTIONARY LOVE THE THREE MUSKETEERERS: CLOWNS WITH SWORDS THE BRONZE MEDALS: FIFTY SHADES OF

Well another Fringe has come and gone. I attended 60 shows and managed to review 55 (denoted by the asterisk:

Panos Vlahos, making his U.S. debut at Hollywood Fringe (2017) in “Mistero Buffo,” combed three pieces from the last half

I always feel a kinship between August Wilson and the ancient Greek playwrights. Like the dramas of Euripides and other Athenian

Wow! What a remarkably haphazard and poorly structured thesis to use as the foundation for a documentary! A more insipid,

Ready. Set. Time for more AMC’s Better Call Saul and Fargo (FX); among the most—if not the most—highly anticipated return

By Ernest Kearney  —  In these turbulent and twisting times that find so many bewildered and baffled, suckered punched by

Above: Screen grab from a YouTube video of the 2018 Golden Globes on NBC. There are so many ways to be

The Latino Theater Company offers up a first-class troupe for the world premiere of Jonathan Ceniceroz’s “The Cruise.”

By Ernest Kearney  —  Now the funny thing is that the title, We Need This Musical to Stop Us From

Wow. That’s about the most apropos comment across the board on Squeeze My Cans, Cathy Schenkelberg’s riveting, heart wrenching and ultimately

As the nerdiest kid this side of the Rockies, I lived for the cheesy Sci-Fi that oozed out of the

Our little game of Political Survivor abruptly expanded to the House of Representatives last week, with potentially explosive results. Speaker John Boehner

Recorded in Hollywood has been extended. What's this, you say

Santiago Cabrera is Aramis.  Though they are, the four of them, multilayered individuals, Aramis would seem to be the one

Sunset Baby is an intelligently written play with a superb cast that positively gleams from those benefits which blesses any

By Ernest Kearney — Bad Jews at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble was hard for me to watch. Hard in the same

By Ernest Kearney  —  Many found 2018 a rather soft year for theater, and it possibly was.  Or perhaps it

The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2015: Final Tallies & Reviews HOUSE OF RABBITS CHARIVARI IN VOYEURVILLE (Platinum Medal) House of Rabbits Charivari in

By Ernest Kearney  —  I can’t say I am very conversant with the 17th century Spanish Playwright Tirso de Molina. 

Modern technlogy has given Barry Manilow the opportunity to record "dream" duets with his own musical heroes on MY DREAM

Forever Flamenco, have I said it once?  Have I said it twice?  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve

By Ernest Kearney  —  In my opinion, Long Beach’s International City Theatre artistic director, caryn desai has a genius for

By Ernest Kearney — “DoubleDouble,” playwright Guy Zimmerman reveals in the program notes, “came out of a case I wanted

I expected President Drumpf to embarrass himself—and us by proxy—when he went abroad last month. He did not disappoint, so

There have been a number of performances that will travel with me for quite some time during Hollywood Fringe 2017…

By Ernest Kearney  —  "Fool for Love" by Sam Shepard, which just closed the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood, is

Coming Soon!!

Above: July 18, 2017 MSNBC screen grab. At you thought he couldn’t look stupider! Let’s be truthful about the reason that

The Antaeus Theatre Company always amazes me. The work they do is of the highest quality, and the actors that make

In Part I, we celebrated two dazzling effects of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s landmark musical Hamilton: with his theatrical retelling of our

"The Tomb" by Ed Sharrow (at the Complex Theatre during Fringe 2017) is an encapsulated tale of Anthony the Great,

…and the biggest problem with democracy is that every damn fool gets one vote. You heard me right. The metric

A few weeks back, Molly Ball wrote in the Washington Post about the 2016 Presidential Campaign’s “…rich irony that America's

During Empire Entertainment's famous white party, Lucious reminds Jamal that music is the truth. So Jamal explains his sexual preference

By Ernest Kearney  —  We are told by author Alan L. Brooks, he is "a doctor, not a playwright –

Cyanne McClairian’s one woman show, I Died

Wait, don’t put away the Christmas decorations just yet. I’ve got one more present for you—and you’re gonna to hate

At the top of where the Angel’s Flight Trolley once deposited its riders (and hopefully will again one day), nestled

By Ernest Kearney Playwright Greg Kalleres opens "Meanwhile Back at the Super Lair" interestingly enough; with a

Forgive the projection, but are producer/writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss attempting to 1) let us down easy by forecasting

Pete Docter began Inside Out with a seedling of an idea, after he noticed the transition that his adolescent daughter

By Ernest Kearney  —  There is an adage in the creative pursuit of playwriting: “It’s easier to set them up

The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2015 has drawn to a close. The following is the Medal Tally for the 57 Shows I attended: 13

For a complete medal tally for all 60 viewed by this contributor see click HERE.  Below is a The TVolution

There are a number of events and venues here in L.A. which I maintain are under appreciated. I’m talking about

Let’s say you’re a hotshot movie producer and I’m this schlub of a writer who thinks he’s bringing the next

In the real world April means springtime and showers. In HBO time, it means winter is coming. In the land

The Hollywood Fringe is in full-on fourth gear mode. Festival Director / Fringe Founder Ben Hill with his “crack team

Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts is a stunningly sincere and heartfelt drama that is sure to move any audience. That may

What do you think? Have your say HERE: #Savetwinpeaks14251

The Lula Washington Dance Theatre (LWDT) the Los Angeles-based repertoire dance ensemble will perform in a joyous evening of dance,

Seven years prior to American Idol breaking out on Fox to become one of the most successful and talked about

This 10th episode delivers a surprising Didn't-See-That-Coming moment: Just when it seemed that Jamal is all set to step up to

by Darwyn Carson  —  With an eye and a heart dedicated to cohesive connection and support of local theatre, Better

…that’s the current liberal fantasy, and we can sweeten it even more by taking the rest of America’s “left coast” with

Well, what with the solid production at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble of the seldom seen Kingdom of Earth, and now

"A Hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer."        

I must admit an admiration for Tricia Aurand’s undertaking in "Nicaea." Not only does she present an historical tale, but

The old elephants in the room for Republicans—racism, sexism, disdain for the poor (to name a few)—are no longer invisible

Just for a bit of fun: Emmy Speech Master Class featuring Parker Posey Be sure to suscribe to the TV Academy's You Tube

Director, Christopher Johnson is too clever by half, which is clearly demonstrated in his current Fringe offering: a raucous, genderbending,

For the first decade of this century I didn't pay much attention to the music business. After close to 30

Americans should watch this film, especially those who pride themselves, as I, patriotic Americans. Now honestly this is not an

I can’t tell if Donald Trump is brilliant or an idiot—and maybe he’s both. On Monday, August 8th, he trotted

I wanted "Zombie Clown Trump" (Surprise! It's a musical), so badly, to be great.  But if wishes were horses….

It is odd to admire the seed but fault the fruit. But Brittanie Richardson’s solo show "Art and Abolition" has

The Algerian War, 1954-1962 is a struggle, all but, forgotten today in the West. For brutality, employment of terrorism, and the

Well on here I am: Hollywood Fringe Show number forty-five now and here’s a just a recap of some of

By Ernest Kearney  —  "Jack Benny (A Ménage En Train)" is the first perfect Fringe show of 2018.  What does

First a bit of Irish history. The Black and Tans were a force of mostly former soldiers enrolled in the

By Ernest Kearney  —  "The Big Picture" is as cluttered, chaotic and confused as your average, interstate, multi-vehicle pileup and

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is a premier example of a thriving Los Angelean creative arts scene. Modeled after the famed Edinburgh

What: BBC America’s Psychological Detective Thriller— One Night, Three Hour Movie Event TVolution Quick Take Summary: We thought we’d seen the

Director/writer/set designer Donovan Glover won the 1991 UCLA Best-New-Play-of-the-Year Award for this work and at times "Just Like Life" certainly

It is not with eyes alone that we read a novel’s passage or play’s scene; we read them through the

By Ernest Kearney  — "Dracula's Taste Test" is no great shakes, but neither does it hold itself up as anything else.

Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel drew its inspiration from a 2012 article in The New Republic concerning the assault

by Ernest Kearney As he espoused passion for both the city and its theatre, it is fitting that

People are funny. In the way we keep making the same mistakes. Even when we're conscious of our tendency to run

I’m a big mouth white guy of Irish descent who, most likely, has ancestral ties to former President Barrack Obama,

When the topic turns to the worst series ever, one is walking a tightrope of wet tissue.

Office Beat: A Tap Dance Comedy playing now at 2016's Hollywood Fringe: A review

I initially reviewed John Posey’s one man show, Father, Son & Holy Coach when it played at the Whitefire Theatre

In spite of a ferociously inappropriate title, "Two Motherfuckers on a Ledge," running at Asylum @ Studio C during the

What’s so embarrassing for me (an old white man) about watching an old white presidential candidate say—almost indignantly—“Well

Terrifying in some circles, hotly desired in others: the party divided by a populist revolution and defeated by an electorate

A recap of The Musketeers — Season One. Season Two begins January 17, 9/8c only on BBC America.

Welcome to Springtime TV Madness: Sarah Manning faces off against manic Castor Clone Rudy (Ari Millen) aka "Scarface." Watch "The Weight of this

Imagine a petting zoo where Caffè Latte is served. Or imagine you’re in the mood to find a cat to

Ironic, isn’t it? We’ve endured eight years of haters excoriating Barack Obama for his use of teleprompters, and a year of repeated

Summary: What would it be like? It’s 1962, fifteen years after the end of World War II and the ultimate

"He was looking for someone else, you say—someone who was not you?" "He was looking for little Miles." A portentous clearness

John Farmanesh-Bocca has in the past impressed me. Now he’s pissed me off. Though, I am still impressed. A number of years back

OMG Moments on Empire • An unexpected gift, a single red rose, is dropped at the entrance to Cookie's swank apartment

By Ernest Kearney  —  "Desert Rats" by Nate Rufus Edelman is hardly the first play ever written about a kidnapping. 

Not much delivers more joy than the reup of a favorite TV show. Case in point: The third season of

The Democratic field has lost half since we last spoke. Not the Republicans, the Democrats! Joe Biden: gone, even if

By Ernest Kearney  —  It is regrettable that more audiences didn’t have the opportunity of seeing "Butoh Medea," an adaptation of

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language has five definitions for "entropy" [ěn′ trә-pē]. Four of the five could

Walking Dead, Season Five

At 11:30 on New Year’s Eve, a friend asked me what actual “new” things would come in 2016. The political

By Ernest Kearney — The Silence of the Lambs, the 1991 thriller directed by Jonathan Demme—based on the Thomas Harris

It is surprising how a vocal style dating back before the 1500s can still strike one as so immediate. Such

Let the Games Begin in How To Get Away With Murder

The Chromolume Theatre at The Attic has been the site of some stunning successes, and while their current production of

Friday, June 5 we will discover what it means to be "reborn" as a "Sensate." That's the day Netflix unveils

There's a lot of hot to the touch TV to watch these days. Only a few shows on the buzzed

By Ernest Kearney  —  The Unconventional Empire’s production of "Matthew Marcum’s Pollock: A Frequency Parable" proves they are more than

by Ernest Kearney  —  That Sussan Deyhim’s The House is Black Media Project had such a limited engagement at the

Unlikely heroes unite against an unknown making its way through the underground of New York and perhaps

It is always a pity when a show falls through the cracks, and with 375 Fringe 2017 shows that is

If you're not excited about the return of Matthew Rhys on The Americans tonight on FX, then you haven't been watching.

Back in the days of the Soviet Union, there were two official newspapers: Pravda (“The Truth”) and Izvestiya (“The News”). A

In the U.S. recently: Pope Francis. Chinese President Xi Jinping. Russian President Vladimir Putin. And a political zombie—yet another threat

Some of the most jaw dropping, chill raising, and yes tear inducing, imagery ever shot makes up BBC America’s prequel

By Ernest Kearney  —  Writer/director Giovanni Zuniga has succeeded in doing what few playwrights seldom do: knock one out of

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 14. 2016) — Members of L.A.’s “PRO-99” theater community continue to gather signatures to demand a new

OMG moments on Empire: • While trying to steal a top rap artist from a rival music competitor, Lucious and Anika

"My Janis," at The New Collective during Fringe 2017, is not actually a play. It is a moment

Okay, a quick side bar. My mother came to Los Angeles in the early '50s as a single parent. She was a

• With the title, Out, Damned Spot, you probably would've expected the sixth episode to keenly focus on eldest son

Heck

by Ernest Kearney — Playwright Henry David Hwang has joined the ranks of an exclusive group. James Thurber the humorist best

Arya now: "She could feel the hole inside her every morning when she woke. It wasn't hunger, though sometimes, there was

An advisor to Donald Trump recently explained the candidate’s multiple (and conflicting) positions on most issues with: Words don’t matter. Wow,

The Wrecking Crew were a group of uncredited Los Angeles studio musicians who played on and created hundreds of hit

By Ernest Kearney —  "A Very Die Hard Christmas" is a rough little laugh-fest and delivers on what it promises quite nicely. 

By Ernest Kearney  —  The Open Fist Company under Ben Martin’s skillful direction have done well by Author Dylan Thomas

May 25, 2018  —  "Theatre 40, the award-winning professional theatre company in Beverly Hills, announces its fifty-third season. The schedule is

Hollywood Fringe 2016 is better than ever and continues on for two more weeks: dance, artistry, plays. There's also plenty

The personalities with whom playwright, Steven Vlasak populates “Nights at the Algonquin Round Table” are some the most acerbic wits,

In the 1998 film Bulworth, Warren Beatty played a disillusioned politician who puts out a contract on himself, and then feels

By Ernest Kearney — " Coasterthon Catastrophe: An Amusement Park Musical" is a rough, dopey, kinda silly, rather

WHEN TO WATCH: Pick a broadcast network and watch the nightly news. Any day. Or pick a cable network opinion-veiled-as-news

One of the high points for me in Fringe 2015 was the Proboscis Theatre Company’s La La La Strada! An

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsYJyVEUaC4 So Leslie Gore is crying because someone messed with her party? She’s clearly not a 2016 Republican. The sound you hear out