| The authentic, annual LA tradition of Brazilian Carnaval erupts on Saturday February 20, 2010 at Club Nokia/LA Live, transforming the massive dance floor into a true Brazilian party, for the first time in Downtown LA. |
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| Give your special someone an experience this Valentine's Day. Flowers, chocolate, disappointing dinner out? NOT! The annual love-athon is on Sunday of a 3 day holiday weekend this year (President's Day is on Monday the 15th) which opens up many possibilities for planning a completely unique day or weekend... |
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"SHINING CITY" SHINES @ FOUNTAIN THEATRE
By Mike Buzzelli
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 The psychological blends with the parapsychological in the Los Angeles premiere of Conor McPherson’s, Shining City.
John (Morlan Higgins) is distraught over the death of his wife. He seeks out Ian (William Dennis Hurley), a local therapist in Dublin, to help him deal with his feelings. John is being visited by the ghost of his late wife. He flees his home and takes up residence at a local bed and breakfast. Ian spends a great deal of time trying to convince John that there is no such thing as ghosts.
Meanwhile, Ian is dealing with his own problems. He’s fled his home as well. He left his living wife and child and sought a self-imposed solitude in the basement of a building that he has converted into his therapy office. Ian’s wife, Neasa (Kerrie Blaisdell) pleads with him to return home, but he is cold and distant to his wife. He screams, yells and berates the woman until she can no longer bare it. At one point, Ian seeks the company of a male prostitute, Laurence(Benjamin Keepers).
Physician heal thyself.
All the while, John slowly integrates back into a new life. It takes a few sessions, but John finally unveils the root of his problem.
McPherson’s play takes several dark turns, but never loses its sense of humor. The Irish are notorious for laying down laughs to mask their pain; laughter and lots and lots of alcohol.
Shining City is an exciting work from the prolific young playwright. The story is fraught with twists and turns. It is a ghost story, but it reveals a deeper truth; the true horror is living a life of quiet desperation.
The two men are completely different from one another, yet connected by their deep despair. Both of them are driven mad by being stuck in loveless relationships. John is crippled by the loss of the wife he never loved, and Ian desperately tries to find love any way he can.
Director Stephen Sachs does a magnificent job breathing life into this modern ghost story.
The cast is spectacular.
Higgins’ John is perfection. He is the quintessential model of a shy quiet man trying to break out of the boredom of his run-of-the-mill marriage. The tremendous guilt he feels is palpable.
Hurley matches Higgins with raw talent. The two men complement each other flawlessly. Both are adepts in their field.
Blaisdell does a great job as the spurned wife, Neasa. She can’t understand why her perfect husband has abandoned her. Of course, she is unaware that her husband cruises the public park looking for a little man-on-man action.
McPherson manages to surprise the audience several times. He doles out morsels of information in delicious mini-bites. The dialogue sounds very natural. It is punctuated with the ‘uh’s’ and ‘um’s’ of everyday speech patterns.
Special praise must be awarded to dialect coach JB Blanc for his outstanding work at getting the actors to speak in a delightful lilting Irish accent.
Shining City is a shining example of the right way to do a play in the Los Angeles local theater scene.
--Mike Buzzelli
(Shining City runs from Sept. 19 to December 19 at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029)
EDITOR'S NOTE - FREE TICKETS. Eye Spy LA has a limited number of free tickets to this show - go to the Free Tickets page.
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