Boneyard and Talisman

Tim McNeil has once again proven that he is Los Angeles' premiere playwright. These two short works from the writer/actor shed an incredible light on the human condition in all its frailty and wonder. The cast is exceptional. A standout is Kate Huffman, who does double duty and delivers two completely different characters full of depth and insight. Under the capable direction of David Fofi, the plays take us on an incredible journey through despair, loss, yearning and eventually salvation. A great evening of theater. And a wonderful representation from the never-disappointing Elephant Theatre Company! Go see this show! ... full review

Kate Huffman was brilliant. ... full review

Fantastic performances in an immersive story. ... full review

I wanted to see this show because it was directed by David Fofi, even though I knew nothing about it except it was a pair of one-acts with a central theme. While it was wonderfully directed, with an incredible performance by Kate Huffman in both shows, I found very little that connected the shows. True, they were both set in post-apocalyptic LA, but the only connection I could see was that each had a character who stole from the dead. In actuality, they couldn't have been more different. Still, the show is worth seeing, if nothing else but to see Kate Huffman as a dying Natalie Portman, too proud to accept an offer that could save her life. ... full review

There’s no L.A. actress whose work I enjoy seeing more than Elephant Theatre Company’s Kate Huffman. Elephant artistic director David Fofi is one of the consistently finest directors in town. Timothy McNeil’s Supernova was singled out for a Scenie as one of The Twelve Best Plays Of The Year and McNeil’s performance in The Little Flower Of East Orange won him a Best Lead Actor Scenie. That’s why it’s disappointing to report that their latest collaboration as star, director, and writer/star of the pair of one-acts entitled The Boneyard and Talisman ended up not this reviewer’s cup of tea despite three excellent performances and Fofi’s sharp direction. Both of O’Neil’s one-acts take place in an apocalyptic Los Angeles under siege by a myster... full review

The Elephant Theatre Company has used its home-field advantage to stage a show during the Hollywood Fringe Festival that is so professional it could reasonably be considered a tryout for an offering later in their regular season. If that happens, I’ll be extremely excited to see the moody, brooding, and complex The Boneyard & Talisman a second time. In the meantime, this is one current production that should be on all Fringers – and all non-Fringers – short-list right now. Full review at Bitter Lemons http://losangeles.bitter-lemons.com/2013/06/23/fringe-review-the-boneyard-talisman/... full review

Liked it alot. Intriguing, fun. The fem role in the first act started out very shrill - which made me worry about the upcoming performance, but she toned it down to an amount still appropriate for her (scary) character soon enough.... full review

Riveting performances given by all, in these two intriguing well written pieces. Excellent direction ties the two together with haunting results. Highly recommend this production as an allegory for our times.... full review

From my FB page: Saw this tonight. Totally twisted, pretty darned terrific. Tim McNeil is one of our best playwrights, and he has a real knack for the one-act form. Doesn't hurt that he, Joseph Tomasini and the redoubtable Kate Huffman go for it under Dave Fofi's direction. Representative Fringe fare.... full review