The Orange Curtain Review

Written by Patrick Chavis 2022 had some very strong productions from many theater companies in the area. On April 17th, Orange County Theater Guild put on their second-ever awards ceremony and invited me to cover the event. If you missed my live Instagram posts of the winners, below is the official list congrats!!!! Mission Statement: OC Theatre Guild’s mission is to nurture, support, and…

photo credit: Francis Gacad Written by Patrick Chavis In the arts, there’s always a battle between what sells and what moves us. Sometimes, they are the same thing. One of the things I appreciate about theater is I still see a hunger to experiment and fail on a grand scale. There’s something brave, honest, and necessary about taking those kinds of risks. After stepping out of In the Green at the…

Photo credit: by L. Hill-Mears Written by Daniella Litvak In her Director’s Note, Amanda Zarr recounts how she discovered Toyer. She was at the Samuel French bookstore in Los Angeles and asked an employee about plays he wished were produced more often. He directed her to Toyer.   Given the true crime-obsessed times we live in, where it seems like a new movie, TV show, or podcast belonging to the…

Photo by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio. Written by Patrick Chavis Pho is a delicious Vietnamese noodle dish I have often heard put in competition with Japanese ramen, probably because they’re both noodle dishes in a rich broth. But there’s no reason to put these dishes in competition. They are both so different and have a depth of flavor all their own. In the Rolling World Premiere of …

photo credit: Timothy Huynh  Written by Patrick Chavis NO MSG ADDED is an Asian American Comedy skit group based out of Orange County, California. The Empress of OZ is their latest skit show at the Chance Theater in Anaheim. Using a loosely based Asian OZ tease, the cast treats the audience to 20 unique short comedic skits based on-what else?- Asian American Culture and some of the thematic…

Photo Credit: Francis Gacad, Kendyl Grbac, Alyssa Ahle Written by Patrick Chavis Life can be fascinating sometimes. I watched a short play called “Anti-Soulmate” at the Wayward Artist in Santa Ana. It was part of a grouping of one-act plays, and the theme was communication. This show had multiple short plays, but “Anti-Soulmate” really stood out to me. The play, at most, runs somewhere around 15…

photo credit: Matthew M. Hayashi Written by Alina Mae Wilson One of the more interesting aspects of watching Shakespearean theater is seeing the theme–often highlighted through costume design. Will they opt for traditional realism, donning attire of the Elizabethan era? Will they emphasize the similarities between the past and present by eschewing historical fashions and wearing the most modern…

Written by Patrick Chavis Photo credit: Patrick Chavis & Doug Catiller It was the opening night of the California premiere of Ride the Cyclone at the Chance Theater in Anaheim. I was there to, what else, review the show. As usual at the Chance on opening night, the lobby was packed with theatergoers and the familiar Chance staff gallivanting through the busy hallways, greetings guests and…

photo credit: Amber Scott Written by Alina Mae Wilson  Originally a novel by Jane Austen, the play Sense and Sensibility follows the lives of the Dashwood sisters as they maneuver the social complexities of the upper class in late 1700s England. While this play’s formal speech and historical realism begs a certain degree of patience and maturity in its’ viewer, Costa Mesa Playhouse’s production…

Written by Daniella Litvak Local playwright Anders Hosek does not lack ambition. To create a night of theater about the themes of affection, reflection, and connection, he staged two of his original works: The Saguaro Dove and Love In The Mirror.   One is an apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic survivor story. The other is a fairy tale. Both are love stories. (more…) “”

Written by Patrick Chavis Childhood is where everything begins. Those early moments can change so much in a person’s life. It’s an area of storytelling ripe with possibility. This new work by Playwright Simon J.O. Martin explores these possibilities, the happy and the sad moments. It was almost like watching a modern-day Peanuts-but no Snoopy.  Just Charlie and his imagination. (more…) “”

photo credit: Jayson Antonio Written by Patrick Chavis Disney, Disney, Disney — is it possible to escape the Mouse when you live down in Orange County? I think it’s possible, but it’s very difficult. If you’re not into Disney, you most likely have a friend who is and who, in the last few years, didn’t watch a Marvel movie. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one of the most popular movies of all…

Written by Daniella Litvak It was a dark and stormy night, but I ventured forth to the Lyceum Theater to see The Drowsy Chaperone. I’m glad I made the journey. Cold, rainy, and windy as it was outside, everything was red hot on stage. (more…) “”

Taken from the press release: February 11th, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Music Man By Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey is coming to Irvine High! Irvine High School is proud to present the hit sensation The Music Man this spring at 4321 Walnut Avenue, Irvine, CA 92604. The Music Man follows con man Harold Hill on a quest to organize and lead a boys band. He scurries around selling innocent…

(Photo credit: Doug Catiller) Taken directly from the press release:  Congratulations to all of the Nominees.  LIST OF THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES Outstanding Production of a Play Actually, The Wayward Artist Cry It Out, Chance Theater Kim’s Convenience, Laguna Playhouse King Kong, Maverick Theater The Whale, Costa Mesa Playhouse   Outstanding Production of a Musical Green Day’s American Idiot, Chance…

Photo by Francis Gerard Written by Patrick Chavis You know you’ve struck gold when you’ve created something that is rewatchable. People will rewatch new productions of Les Mis and Into the Woods until the cows come home.  These are good stories and good plays. Even when we know how it’s going to end, we want to watch it again. I experienced this with the musical comedy A Gentleman’s Guide to Love…

photos by Jon Blea Written by Patrick Chavis This was a unique experience. One, I don’t often see plays at 9:30 am. Second, besides a few teachers, I was noticeably one of the oldest people in the audience and was surrounded by a bunch of kids from Orangethorpe Elementary. However, there I was to review the new, original play by OC playwright Callie Prendiville Johnson. She is also the director…