Altarcations

The Hollywood Fringe Festival, an annual celebration of independently produced emerging arts across all genres, is premiering new music, film, theatre and other performance events in multiple conventional and unorthodox venues from June 14 through June 24. More can be found at www.HollywoodFringe.org. On Sunday, I attended a Fringe Festival production, "Altarcations." Written by KPCC's morning news anchor, Steve Julian, it's a serious take on victims of abuse at the hands of clergy. But as Julian writes in his introductory notes, "It's not anti-Catholic. It is anti-abuse and anti-cover up," the key themes treated in his play. Looking at the seats from the theatre's center aisle, you might actually think they're pews, especially as you'... full review

"If you just let a play speak, it may not make a sound. If what you want is for the play to be heard, then you must conjure its sound from it. This demands many deliberate actions and the result may have great simplicity. However, setting out to 'be simple' can be quite negative, an easy evasion of the exacting steps to the simple answer. Deadliness always brings us back to repetition: the deadly director uses old formulae, old methods, old jokes, old effects, stock beginnings to scenes, stock ends; and this applies equally to his partners, the designers and composers, if they do not start each time afresh from the void, the desert and the true question - why clothes at all, why music, what for?" -Peter Brook I was reminded of this ... full review

Brave. That word came to mind after seeing "Altarcations." Add difficult topics to complex characters with a dose of the Holy Spirit and that might begin to describe my experience seeing this show. From the poignant imagery of the very first scene through powerful acting and surprises, you truly don't want to miss this show. Minus one production element that said a little too clearly the thoughts running through my head, the strength of this story and the people trapped within it will haunt you.... full review

Ok, this show dragged like no other. The transitions took forever. Even the ones that didn't have the answering machine. The acting was ok. Some definitely better than others. No names will be named The script repeated itself over and over. The audience gets told the same stories no less than three times each. Despite being about priests and boy rape, there weren't really any risks taken in any form. ... full review

Making highly flawed characters who can produce devastating effects on others, sympathetic is a very difficult task for a writer. Steve Julian does just that in Altarcations, creating characters who are so real we can understand their moral dilemmas as we compare them to our own.... full review