Acorn TV’s most recent original dramedy: the small-village, untrained, but good at crime solving diva, Agatha Raisin.

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

Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop won the 2010 British Olivier Award for Best New Play. In 2011 it opened in New York

Memories from a long ago hit spark flames between Lucious and Cookie and ignite the passionate encounter we've been waiting

"Stringmates" by Amanda Noriko Newman takes its core concept from the Asian legend of the “Red String of Fate,” the

Jack Lukeman has a voice that feels like a friend’s hand on a troubled shoulder.  From his 1995 debut album

Set in suburban New Jersey in 1985, Red Oaks centers around college student David Meyers—a young man at a crossroads

"How to Love Your Dictator: Olga & Ludmila’s Guide to Fascism" is an American broadcast of the popular Russian talk

Let the Games Begin in How To Get Away With Murder

Here you have reviews of two shows The Princes of Kings Road at the Neutra Institute Museum and Gallery, and Café

“I was trained as a classical musician, so my approach to theater comes from a different perspective than most playwrights.”

Playwright Laurel M. Wetzork has filled Blueprint for Paradise, now playing at the Hudson Theatre, with fascinating tidbits plucked from

How rare a thing; a thinking man's sci-fi both stimulating and satisfying. Penned by Jerome Bixby known for such works

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

When I started on this mission of writing about songwriters and how they weren’t being properly acknowledged, I had absolutely

Now I’ve seen some truly remarkable acting at this year’s Fringe, but here are two amazing ensembles that stand out

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

Coming Soon!!

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

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

Starting June 1st and running throughout the entire month Hollywood Fringe 2017 will be offering up 356 shows; all vying

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

By Ernest Kearney  —  "Fresh Meat" is set in a dystopian future where the world order seems to have fused into

On second thought, don't flash that cash—I'll get ill. The Koch brothers have reportedly committed $900 million, give-or-take, to Republican

Brace yourselves. It's Hollywood Fringe time. The Hollywood Fringe, for the uninitiated, is a glorious explosion celebrating the arts and artists. If

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

Monday night, January 30, is Acorn TV night with the premiere of another Agatha Christie reinvention. Based on one of

By Ernest Kearney  —  Michael Shaw Fisher has apparently taken to heart George Burns’ sage advice on how to be a

The TVolution Hollywood Fringe Festival Awards Coming Soon!

The Coeurage Theatre Company has a mission statement, startling in both brevity and boldness: “…to make impassioned theatre accessible for

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

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

By Ernest Kearney - The Cherry Poppins Productions have embraced a formula which has served them well in Hollywood Fringe

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

By Steve Schlich  —  Admit it: you’ve clicked on the link “How the Right Lost Its Mind” and read with anxious

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

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

Who wouldn't be excited to see what the producing team, who gifted viewers with the much lauded Entourage, has in

Check out this "Game of Thrones" location video focusing on Iceland and Spain; just luscious

I haven’t teased you with a Survivor metaphor in months. Well, the last time someone got voted off the island was in

The tunes in "Save Me a Spot" were both charming and moving, and wisely limited to ten in number.

Just as we were about to yawn and say pass the potatoes please, three unique Points of Play in The

Heck

By Ernest Kearney - "House of Tales" is bursting with concepts and ideas to the point of avalanching the audience

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

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

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

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

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

By Ernest Kearney  — The Fountain Theatre's production of  "Runaway Home" by playwright Jeremy J. Kamps, is a cannonade of

"Monsters, John! Monsters from the Id!" That's the warning delivered by a dying Warren Stevens to Captain Leslie Nielson just before

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

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

Periodically in the theatre certain works crop up at the most crucial of times arising in answer to some distinct

Here’s a quickie to help you prepare for the Republican debate on Thursday August 9. In 2012, my wife and

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

By David Nairne  —  Damn! "The Joe and Joshua Show!" is clever and funny. Writer performers Joe Hernandez-Kolski and

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

What do the New Players Bring to the Game?

What "Help! I Might be Fabulous" presents is a modern fable by way of Stonewall and "La Cage aux Folles,"

As I write this, it’s just a few days until the crucial Wisconsin primary, and the impossible is seemingly in

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

Let's imagine one could take a heaping jigger of Citizen Kane, another of Blade Runner, pour in a dash of

Candidates, hang yourselves! Nobody does it better than you. The victories scored by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the April

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

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

By Ernest Kearney — At the very least, congratulations must be bestowed on Writer/Director Amit Itelman’s "Bride of Blood" as

Placas: The Most Dangerous Tattoo has only a week left on its limited run at Casa 0101 in Boyle Heights,

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

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

by Ernest Kearney — Ice at the 24th Street Theatre is really a matter of  “All the King’s horses and

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

A one-woman-show on Barack Obama’s mother

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

Game of Thrones Season 5 is coming. It's time to prepare. Take a look to see glimpses of interactions

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

Victorian era pulp fiction by another name could have been Penny Awful, Penny Number, Penny Blood or Penny Horrible. The

For those of you unaware of the fire storm unleashed on Colin Mitchell, former editor of Bitter Lemons, L.A.’s ground

Never start off your career with a masterpiece. Where do you go from there? Known in some circles as the Joseph Kesselring

Well Hollywood Fringe 2016 has come to a close and with it comes the last of the Round Ups

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

CURSED “MY ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD” is an Ear Wax Medal Winner I write this without the least rancor towards Ms. Mendoza. I

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

I’m sorry, but the Hitler analogy is at last appropriate. You can hear the original Führer’s hateful nationalism in nearly

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

"The Second Coming of Klaus Kinski" writer, performer Andrew Perez presents Kinski and all his demons with such unnerving commitment

Let us talk the lowest of high concept. Take the most obnoxious representatives of our society’s ills: A woman (Rebecca Larsen) obsessed

Round One has begun, a first clang! in the bruising prize fight that Donald Trump’s presidency threatens to become. It’s

There were Poirots before him. There will be Poirots to follow. Right now, for over seven hundred and fifty million

These days, every comedian and commentator seems to be paraphrasing Bette Davis in All About Eve: “Fasten your seat belts,

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

Think of a row of dominos as scenes in a film. The first domino strikes the one before it; the

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

It's been nearly two years since The Reichenbach Fall and the deadly confrontation between Sherlock and his psycho-nemesis Moriarty, wherein

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

Two more clips released from HBO with hints at what we can expect this coming season: Cersei Lannister all but threw

If you follow economic or political news at all, you know there has been a lot of discussion about our

by Ernest Kearney —  My Own Private River Phoenix is a smart and funny piece that is just not ready to

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

The Fringe Week One Continued

If not for a twist of fate and a bit of luck we might never have been witness to David

"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

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

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

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

What does this all mean? A flashy, vulgar celebrity/businessman runs for public office with no prior experience except having run a

Hamid Rahmanian is a film maker and graphic artist who in 2013 undertook to illustrate the Shahnameh.  He has now

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

Not only will I tip my hat to The Coeurage Theatre Company, but if you don't tip your hat as

Is the secret of succeeding in this messy business called life acceptance? Is the only hope of defeating life's chaotic conflux

The train metaphor was spot-on when Trump was unstoppable. And it would be easy to call what’s happening now a

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

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

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

By Ernest Kearney  —  There is some solid writing in Playwright/Director Travis Snyder-Eaton’s "Glitch," a two-person play about Rachel, a journalist

In deciding to watch this documentary it doesn't matters greatly if you support capital punishment or oppose it. This is

In the Good Old Days that Donald Trump talks about at rallies, jackboots are apparently the style. And I say “are”

Arms and the Man is one of George Bernard Shaw’s most appealing plays; which is what he intended it to

The peaceful dawning has come and gone. This day is like a long breath of air that has been held

by Ernest Kearney - Richard Lucas' award-winning  "Bono and the Edge Waiting for Godomino's," has been remounted and is running

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

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

The 2014 Pulitzer prize-winning drama, “Water by the Spoonful,” at the Mark Taper Forum through March 11, is Act II

By Ernest Kearney  — I once taught a class entitled “Industry Reality 101.” The purpose of the class was

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

Ivo Van Hove’s production now at the Ahmanson has worked through both London and New York with great triumph.

Four Chords and a Gun at the Bootleg Theater, which relates the stories of when The Ramones worked with Phil

"Blue," by filmmaker Charles Huddleston, is not a complex plot. It’s a pretty straightforward morality tale wrapped in the landscape

(Now please, if you can’t make it through this rather long winded harangue of homage, simply scroll to the end

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

The year 2015 is slipping away into history, and more importantly into memory. We are oblivious to the value of memory

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

The Puckwit Gang’s "Chimpskin" is a stylishly clever history of Lucy (1964-1987), the chimpanzee raised by Maurice and Jane Temerlin,

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

Donald Trump knew that he lost the third debate long before it was over. As he seems to know, finally,

Check the trailer for Sense8 from the creative minds of the Wachowskis, Grant Hill and J. Michael Straczynski. Streaming everywhere

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

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

Okay

What strikes one—when inspecting television’s hugest failures—is the large percentage of those which are remakes and retooling’s. Now with the right

"Do You: Migration of the Monarchs" is a dazzling concept conveyed in a visually rich language, not a play as

By Ernest Kearney  —   There is nothing so evasive as engendering effective and credible dread in a live theatre environment.

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

In “The King’s Language,” writer/director Chris Yejin, has presented the Fringe with an entertaining and intelligent little history lesson of

When Stephen Colbert coined the word "truthiness" in 2005, he meant "

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

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

By Ernest Kearney — "Earhart: More Than A F**king Mystery" is your basic fun-time show.  It doesn’t go into the

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

Is Hillary honest? Does she lie? That seems an odd issue for the Trump camp to obsess about, considering the

Well if you don't know Spike Milligan you darn well should. Along with Harry Secombe, Michael Bentine, and Peter Sellers,

No reason to hide it. I'm in good company by admitting that, there's a soft spot in my heart for

This long runnng Brit series, which has been refreshed, all to the good, several times over is available for viewing

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

By Ernest Kearney — Actor, Playwright, Joshua Thomas was last at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2014 with

"The Spidey Project" has been one of the most popular shows at Fringe 2017 and it’s easy to understand why

Admittedly, I'm not a music streaming customer. While I channel some (but not most) of my entertainment through my computer,

By Ernest Kearney  —  There is a great deal of love and passion that has gone into Shannon Penrod’s one

In the hands of the right actors "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare," by playwrights Adam Long, Daniel Singer and

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

For Daniel Holden, danger lurks not just behind shadows, but in the harsh light of day; often prancing down the

For those of you who are unschooled in America’s favorite pastime, Van Lingle Mungo was a Major League pitcher who

I love Shakespeare. Straight up. If I could cook him down I'd probably be mainlining the Bard. Any Shakespeare junkie has a

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

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

Good news here. Acorn Media Group, the first company to provide live streaming of the best in classic and contemporary

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

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

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

Conceived, written and produced by Linden Waddell — who also performs, with Miller directing — Hello Again! The Songs of

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

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

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

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

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

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

For those who have not cultivated an appreciation for the theatrical craft and are unaware of the merits and delights

THE PLATINUM MEDALS: BRIGHT SWORDS THE LEGEND OF BOBBY DARIN: AN UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY SIMON CORONEL: GLITCHES IN REALITY TIANANMEN ANNIE NO TRAVELER: A COMEDY ABOUT

Playwright Michael Leoni’s characters connected with the audience to an intense degree, and yet

"Secret Honor, The Last Testament of Richard M. Nixon" is a torrential tirade spewed by a scotch-soaked Richard M. Nixon,

Surprise. You don't have to be a zombie movie lover to enjoy the three part mini-series premiering tonight on BBC

Do not be fooled by the title, One of the Nice Ones. There is nothing “nice” about Erik Patterson’s play. Point

Theatre Unleashed, who has employed a sense of intelligence and willingness to push the envelope over the ensuing years,

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

A HORSE WITH A VIEW Last year Christopher Piehler delighted audiences with Reserve Champion, an autobiographical tale of how as a

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

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 — It would be difficult to find two more dissimilar figures than the British lay theologian, academic

Obama’s had a great couple of weeks politically, but he’s still gone as of January 20, 2017. That leaves a

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

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

No, not that race card. But some candidate will play it before the election. Promise. I mean the horse race card.

You don’t have to be paying rapt attention to the 50-inch rectangular flat screen hanging above the fireplace or the

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

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

Last year (2014) The Honorable Woman snagged two TVolution Honors: the Bravest and the Best Freshman Drama of the summer. A creative

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

By Ernest Kearney  —  James Royce is an okay mime. It’s ironic in a way that he’s performing his show in

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

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

Billed as an exploration of music and magic "Incantesimo" relies heavily on the ability of music to take us into

By Ernest Kearney  —  “I was like Mozart in his day,”  announces Bartholomew (Writer/Performer Montana Cypress) from his sanctuary in

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends We're so glad you could attend Come inside! Come inside! There behind the

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

Frankly, I wasn’t planning on writing this review. I saw the show, and well

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

The Clone's world has expanded

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

Long-awaited "Game of Thrones'" Season Seven—winner of 12 Emmy's just last September, remember— is no longer coming. It's Here: July

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

I’ve started this column several times, but the news keeps getting ahead of me. And not in a good way.

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

By Ernest Kearney  —  Cooper Bates’ one-man show, Black When I Was a Boy is a truly heartfelt tale of

For the Hollywood Fringe 2016, I employ a rating scale that should be familiar to my readers. For newcomers, I've inserted

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

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

For the most part, Korean cinema has not rung the dong for me. I Saw the Devil (2010) Kim Jee-woon’s brutal and

Start in a state with an active electorate of six million (say, Pennsylvania in 2016). Now poll a thousand of

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

Wendy Williams stops by Books and Books in Coral Gables to sign her new book Ask Wendy. How you doin'?

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

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

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

In "Ashlee Olivia Presents E.A.R.T.H.A.," Ms. Jones delivers an exceptional performance of an exceptional performer

The surest way to appreciate Steven Berkoff’s Hairy Ape now playing at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is to have acquaintance

"Ascent" features the talents of dancer Adam Kerbel and Taiko drummer Shih-Wei Willie Wu in a fusion piece that displays

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

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

For me, the internet can be like standing in line at the supermarket. Oh, those tabloids! My eye is also