Comedy

When the reputable Dr. Prentice takes a more seductive than medical approach to interviewing an aspiring secretary, he sets in motion a series of events that make it harder and harder to hide his true intentions. His botched seduction leads inevitably to comic bedlam involving his insatiable wife, a randy bellhop, a befuddled police officer and, ultimately, the formidable manhood of Sir Winston Churchill. Please join the Fools as we present this classic sex farce featuring Ovation Award winner Carolyn Hennesy (General Hospital) and an accalimed comic ensemble.

Presented in the original, unbowdlerized British edition rarely seen in this country!

"The laughs are steady... starts off with a bang... wit enough to match some of Shakespeare's best comedic tricks." -BackStage West

RECOMMENDED by the LA TIMES, and a CRITIC'S PICK in both BACKSTAGE WEST and CITY BEAT, here's what the critics are saying:

The subject is sadness but the colorfully lighthearted treatment ...
makes you smile....
Thanks to pinball-paced direction, a crack cast of kooks and an eye-
catching pastel production design... there's sweet delight in the
theatrical moment.
--Charles McNulty, The LA TIMES

Ruhl’s lark has fun with the conventional wisdom that drama requires
unhappy characters ... staging is perfectly in tune with the play’s
tongue-in-cheek disposition.
--Don Shirley, LA CITY BEAT

Sarah Ruhl's wistfully romantic absurdist farce is an artful blend of
loopy Charles Mee, vintage Woody Allen, and cinematic surrealism in a
Bergman or Fellini vein....Bringing Ruhl's delicate work to life
requires keen sensitivity to her idiosyncratic style. Her plays walk
a tightrope between goofy humor and profoundly incisive subtext. In
the expert hands of director Barbara Kallir and a spirited ensemble,
this charming fable is a richly satisfying treat.
--Les Spindle, BACKSTAGE WEST

Equal parts funny and hopeful, the two-act, two-hour, fantasy-filled
production brilliantly displays Ruhl's ability to turn normalcy on
its ear while still making perfect sense. To succeed, it requires a
versatile actress who fully embodies melancholic Tilly. [As Tilly,
Kristen] Brennan possesses that versatility, and is mesmerizing in
every scene.... The supporting cast is equally impressive....
--Jeff Favre, DOWNTOWN NEWS

In Melancholy Play, a group of cheerful Illinois residents are shaken up by a melancholy yet attractive young stranger, Tilly, who works at the bank. Tilly’s aura of sweet sorrow draws others toward her causing them to fall instantly in love with her, but when Tilly becomes happy it wreaks havoc on their lives. Frances, Tilly’s hairdresser, becomes so melancholy that she turns into an almond. It is up to Tilly to get her back. Every scene is accompanied by an on-stage cellist whose emotionally resonant musical numbers are like an additional leading player.

Ruhl is one of the most talked about playwrights of her generation and was recently named a 2006 Fellow by the MacArthur Foundation. Her plays have been produced at theaters internationally and across the country, including Lincoln Center Theater, the Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, South Coast Repertory, Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, among others. She is the recipient of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the Helen Merrill Emerging Playwrights Award and the Whiting Writers’ Award.

“School House Rock” was an ABC TV series that enchanted late boomers and Gen Xers for thirteen seasons from 1973 to 1986, returning to the air in 1992. It developed a cult following, featured on literally a dozen fan sites with the emergence of the Internet. It was referenced in motion pictures (“Reality Bites”, “Detroit Rock City”, “Never Been Kissed”) and in the ultimate form of tribute, spoofed by “The Simpsons”, “Family Guy” and Drew Carey.

What was “School House Rock”? One of the select few of television series ever to possess redeeming social value, it was comprised of fifty-one animated short films that combined cartoon animation with bouncy pop songs with remarkably infectious hooks that addictively entertained while simultaneously educating its audience on a wide variety of subjects, including mathematics, science, American history, civics and government and even progressive gender politics ( via a segment on women’s suffrage and the contributions of women).

Despite being educational, it was, above all else, loads of fun. The music would be considered pop rather than rock by 2007 standards, but it was rocky at the time of the series’ genesis.

A company in Chicago called Theatre BAM created the stage version of the show “School House Rock Live!” in 1993, taking it off-Broadway in 1995, where it was a hit and ran for 11 months. The new 2007 L.A. production by Greenway Arts Alliance marks the show’s professional Los Angeles Premiere.

The show’s plot is simple: Tom, a young teacher newly credentialed, nervously anticipates teaching his first class. Trying to relax with a video game, he encounters five characters who are actually different aspects of Tom’s personality emerging from various objects in the room as Tom’s imagination takes flight. The five are there to prepare Tom for his first day of teaching. The story is, of course, a device to launch twenty-or-so musical numbers from the original TV series, performed live on stage with the magical immediacy that only live theatre can provide. Will Tom ultimately emerge fully prepared to fill the bright young minds of his students with useful and fun information? You betcha.

Director Mark Savage’s concept updates the original proceedings to bring the show into the 21st Century. The original audience interaction is still there, but the introduction of gadgetry and technological innovation will bring additional visual appeal into this wonderful new staging.

Although “School House Rock Live!” is eminently suitable for the entire family, it should NOT be dismissed as kiddie theatre. Adults, especially those who watched and remember the original telecasts, will enjoy this live show at least as much as the kids, if not more so.

The hit comedy returns for two nights only... plus a little something extra: a preview of Dean's new Russian Bride Spam Scam Scam!

After receiving spam EMail from Nigeria, Dean Cameron assumed the identity of a sexually confused Florida millionaire, whose only companions were his houseboy and cats, and began a nine month correspondence with the scammer.

With Victor Isaac as the bewildered Nigerian, the show, taken from the actual letters, documents the hilarious relationship as it descends into misunderstanding, desperation and deception.

A true story.

"An absolutely brilliant show – a masterclass in comedy writing." –The Stage Online

"As hysterical as it is absurd." –The Scotsman

"A delight... an engaging, witty tale." –Chortle

"Like Larry David on happy dust... screamingly funny!" -L.A. Times

"...possibly the silliest look at human greed currently running!" –BackStage West

"Funny stuff... Cameron has sharp comic skills!" –L.A. Weekly (RECOMMENDED!)

Christmas Eve, 1944. Biz Billingham's Radio Revue tours with the troops through the recently recovered regions of France. Perhaps a little too close to enemy lines.

Jokes ~ Christmas Songs ~ and more
including “Buzz Edsel & the Santa Surprise”
“The Oconomowoc Mock Amok”
and “The Halls of Suspense: The Perilous Christmas Journey”

L.A. TIMES Recommended & Best Bet!

"...executed with dash, humor and a refreshing lack of pretension." - L.A. Times
"Very witty and very funny!" -Accessibly Live Off-Line

Ah, the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays approach and with them our most cherished Yuletide traditions: children singing carols, families sharing special moments, the umpteenth production of the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol.” Certain Christmas hallmarks, however, inspire nearly as much dread as they do joy: children singing carols, families sharing special moments, the umpteenth production of the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol.”The Ark Theatre invites you to fend off the incoming onslaught of holiday sentimentality with a decidedly unglamorous but hilarious spin on Christmas overload, “A Christmas Twist.” A relentless assault on one of our most revered holiday institutions, “A Christmas Twist” skewers, in the most pitiless ways, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” For good measure, the play spoofs “Oliver Twist,” “Little Orphan Annie,” and, what the heck, we’ll throw in a few Shakespeare allusions and a healthy dose of rapid-fire, Borscht Belt comedy. It all makes for an unlikely but side-splitting hybrid guaranteed to shock and delight.
Join the tragic man-child Tiny Twist as he winds his way through an alternate universe featuring Ebenezer Scrooge, Fagin, Mr. Fuzzywig, Artful Annie and even a few characters who don’t quite seem to know what play they’re in. The Ark’s rotating cast of cracked comedians will surely chase away the holiday blues as they gleefully deflate our most sacred paragons of Christmas schmaltz.

THE YEAR IS 1914.

the world is on the brink of war and chaos. millions of lives hang in the balance and the fate of future generations is being shaped boldly by a few good mad men...

GRAND DELUSION, the brand-new, biting black comedy from playwright DAVID ROCK, finally reveals the shocking truth of how intrigue and deception, along with gingerbread cookies, the ghost of edward vii, a talking wildebeest, a stolen diary, poisoned creamer, and a scorching case of oral herpes changed history forever. It's a comedy of tragic proportions...
or is it all just a grand delusion?