War & Peace: The One Man Show

#ChanceItLA - This production is billed as a workshop, and it is indeed just that. However, Brad Griffith's energy and obvious love of this book is contagious. Over the course of an hour, with the help of a grid of note cards, Griffith gives the audience a cliff notes summation of all 1200+ pages of War & Peace. Complete with witty commentary and a rather versatile scarf that stands in for different costume pieces. The audience gets to join in by picking the cards and hissing whenever the villain is mentioned. This is not a show for everyone, but if your interest is piqued, check it out. I walked away wanting to read the book, so that says something.... full review

Can a single actor in 60 minutes tell the whole story of War and Peace? Truthfully no -- the book is after all over a thousand pages long. But Brad Griffith does a valiant job of delivering the key elements of the Tolstoyan epic. Working off pinned note cards, Griffith describes the main characters and the central story lines in speed reader fashion. Despite having to race against time, Griffith turns in a tour de force performance that Tolstoy himself might have enjoyed. Willard Manus Total Theater... full review