Shari Barrett (she/her)

Mariah Bonner strikes quite a figure as the narrator of these 5 short plays by The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP). Encouraging the audience to post on social media about the show, many in the audience were more than happy to oblige! Each of the 5 plays poses questions about sexual orientation, attraction, and how social media has affected our relationships. Each story is simple in the telling, but deep in human interaction. HAPPY AND GAY by Mary Steelsmith centers on two women ... full review

Having recently seen a production of LITTLE WOMEN The Musical, I was very familiar with the story but was totally surprised and laughed repeatedly at this very fast-paced hysterically modern take on the story by Beth Dies, Inc. Each of the women are perfectly cast and take their characters seriously and firmly tongue in cheek at the same time Be prepared to laugh at the scenes go by at an astonishing pace! Poor Beth (Rachel Lin) takes the brunt of abuse for her coughing, carrying it to the ... full review

Kyla Garcia portrays dozens of characters in her amazing one-woman show. Besides her ability to totally transform herself moment to moment, sometimes presenting conversations with three people at once with each defined through both body and spirit, Kyla is also brilliant modern dancer and created scene breaks with soulful dance movement accompanied by voice over describing the scene. I was totally captivated throughout the hour long show. IT is a shame there are only a few chances to catch this... full review

Janet Miller has magnificently directed a show close to the hearts of many of us. The music is divine, enhanced with the addition of a lovely harp, played by Jillian Risigari-Gai. I have never seen the show done with a harp before and it makes a wonderful addition to so many scenes, often adding magic to the sweep of a hand in the air. It's no wonder that the original production included a harp! All of the actors bring a sense of wonder and joy to their roles, with tall, dark and handsome Chri... full review

One thing I will say is these are the bravest actors in the Fringe Festival. Yes they keep the promise of full frontal nudity and simulated sexual acts going on throughout the show. Yes it is titillating. But it is also a show with actors comfortable in their skin and willing to bare it all for art. One quote from the show interested me the most: "Lust only increases with the lack of love." This to me is the true libertine motto on display during the show. Special kudos to the actor w... full review

For anyone who has gone through losing a loved one to cancer, bring lots of kleenex with you to this show as it will tug at your heartstrings and bring up emotions that live deep in your soul. There is no greater compliment you can give an actor than to say I hated the character you were playing, and you will feel that way about the father and mother in this play. They cannot help who they are, but you really do want to reach out and slap some sense into them more than once during the show. remin... full review

Those of us who were alive on November 22, 1963, will never forgot where we were when Kennedy was shot. In the days that followed, we were glued to our television screens watching with devastated hearts as the tragedy played out live in our homes. And if, like me, you were watching at the exact moment that Lee Harvey Oswald was shot, then you too certainly felt as if the rug had just been pulled out from beneath the American people. But who was Lee Harvey Oswald and could he really have acte... full review

The show stars Anastasia Barnes as Ruby Besler who shares the story of her life through bawdy tales from her birth through the loss of her first love to achieving success on stage. Although Ruby is definitely the star of the show, she is by no means alone on stage. There’s pianist Dorothy Diamond (portrayed by musical director Gere Fennelly) and also her dancers, The Rubies (Tatiana Giannoutsos, Regan Carrington, Laurel Vecsey, and choreographer Flame Cynders, all from the Fishnet Follies Clas... full review

I was at the preview performance on June 9 and agree that the sound problems caused the band, as good as they were, to overpower the singers. And I really wanted to know what they were singing. Having been a fan of the movie my whole life. I really wanted to LOVE this show, but walked away just liking it. The lead actor, Steve Altman, is wonderful and the ensemble numbers were fun to watch even if you could not understand all the words. But why in the world did they leave the part of about... full review

I know this fantastic musical production, brilliantly directed by Janet Miller, is going to the THE HIT of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. It's all about love and embracing how lucky you are to find it in your life, no matter the form it takes. Dominic McChesney is perfectly cast as are all the actors in the show, and their harmonic mastery will enthrall you from start to finish. Rush to get your tickets before they are gone!... full review