By Shari Barrett
Kentwood Players presents Neil Simon’s comedy FOOLS opening Friday, July 19 through Saturday, August 10 on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm, and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. Saturday matinees at 2:00pm will be added on July 27 and continue through the rest of the run at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90045. The production is directed by Jeremy Palmer and produced by Catherine Rahm for Kentwood Players with rights secured from Concord Theatricals.
Featured in the cast (in alphabetical order) are Elora Becker, Alison Boole, Elizabeth Bouton Summerer, Miles Garcia, Ari Hagler, Phyllis Nofts, Lyndsay Palmer, Perry Shields, Jon Sparks, Rhonda Yeager-Hutchinson, and Zahra Zaveri.
FOOLS is the comic tale of Leon, an enthusiastic young schoolteacher who seeks to cure the Ukrainian village of Kulyenchikov from the curse of chronic stupidity from which they have been suffering for 200 years. Hired to educate Sophia Zubritsky, the daughter of the town doctor, Leon falls in love with her at first sight, even though she just recently learned to sit down. Dr. Zubritsky is hopeful that this teacher will be the one to break the curse since the vendor sells fish instead of flowers, the shepherd is always losing their sheep, the postman keeps all the mail, while the townspeople sweep dust from their stoops back into their houses and milk their cows upside-down to get more cream.
Reserved seat tickets are $25 with a $4 discount for seniors and students, available online at www.kentwoodplayers.org, by emailing the box office at boxoffice@kentwoodplayers.org or calling (310) 645-5156. All box office emails and messages will be answered in the order received to confirm your ticket order. Group rates for 10 or more can be arranged with the box office. Based on availability, $10 rush tickets may be offered at select performances 30 minutes before curtain.
Kentwood Players will hold open auditions for MISERY, a thriller by William Goldman based on the novel by Stephen King, on Saturday, July 20 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, July 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Los Angeles 90045. Callbacks will take place by invitation only on Monday, July 22 beginning at 7:30 p.m. This non-equity production is directed by Kathy Dershimer and produced by Jenny Boone and Harold Dershimer for Kentwood Players with rights secured from Dramatists Play Service, Inc. The production is sponsored by Scan Health Services. Performance dates are Friday, September 13 through Saturday, October 5, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. will be added on September 21 and continue through the rest of the run.
MISERY follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by Annie Wilkes, his ‘number one fan,’ and then wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and it does. William Goldman’s spine-tingling stage adaptation based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel traps you in the room with Paul as he must outsmart Annie if he hopes to escape. Their tense cat-and-mouse game will grip you until the very end. And misery loves company!
The director is seeking a diverse and inclusive cast for the play’s three characters: Annie Wilkes, Paul Sheldon, and Buster with all roles requiring physical agility. No appointments are necessary to audition; please arrive to allow time to sign-in and complete paperwork during scheduled audition times. Please bring a current headshot and resume as well as your calendar as a rehearsal schedule will be posted and you will be asked to note any conflicts. For more information, please send an email to misery@kentwoodplayers.org or the Kentwood Players website at www.kentwoodplayers.org. You can also find Kentwood Players information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Another way to learn more about Kentwood Players and its members is to attend in-person Kentwood Players membership meetings, which are free to the public at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Los Angeles 90045. Our next meeting takes place on Wednesday, July 24 starting at 7:30 p.m. Come on down and find out more about the almost 75-years-old and going strong community theater group and how you can get involved as a volunteer!
Kentwood Players is a non-profit theatre group dedicated to enriching, educating, and entertaining our community through the transformative power of live theatre while creating an environment for inspiring human potential. As a 501C3 organization, donations to Kentwood Players in any amount are always greatly appreciated and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
High school students from across L.A. present original stories that integrate text, movement, video, and music. Ancestral Connections: Yanculia/Restoration is the culminating event of the Youth Theater Summer Intensive, a five-week program focused on theater arts, Greek and Mesoamerican mythologies, and themes from the exhibition Picture Worlds: Greek, Maya and Moche Pottery. The summer theater program is a partnership between the Getty Museum, About Productions, and Plaza de la Raza.
Performance takes place on Saturday, July 20, at 3 p.m. in the Getty Villa Auditorium, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades 90272. Free admission but tickets must be booked in advance by calling (310) 440-7300. On-site parking at a per car fee. More information at getty.edu
