By Shari Barrett
Kentwood Players is celebrating its 74th Anniversary this year by presenting Private Lives January 19–February 10; Steel Magnolias March 15–April 16; the Tony Award-winning musical Once on this Island May10–June 8; Neil Simon’s comedy Fools July 19–August 10; the suspenseful thriller Misery September 13–October 5; and Mel Brooks’ musical comedy The Producers November 15–December 14; as well as Sunday Night Readings of new plays.
And in the lead-up to Noël Coward’s worldwide 125th birthday celebration in December 2024, Kentwood Players is proud to present Private Lives, the English playwright’s uniquely humorous comedy of manners from Friday, January 19 through Saturday, February 10, 2024 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. will be added on January 27 and continue through the rest of the run at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue, Los Angeles 90045. The production is directed by Richard Perloff and produced by Gail Bernardi and Rhonda Yeager-Hutchinson for Kentwood Players with rights secured from Concord Theatricals.
Featured in the cast (in alphabetical order) are Allen Barstow (Victor), Alyssa Berkowitz (Sibyl), Matt Landig (Elyot), Ingrid Leventhal (Louise), and Courtney Shaffer (Amanda). The production team includes set design by Ben Lupejkis, lighting design by Michael Thorpe, costume design by Daniel Kruger, and property design by Sheldon Cohen.
Private Lives centers around Amanda and Elyot, a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses Victor and Sibyl, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetually stormy relationship, Amanda and Elyot realize they still have feelings for each other – and it soon becomes clear they cannot live with each other, but also cannot live without each other! This fast-paced, witty, delightful, and passionate Noël Coward comedic romp exemplifies the wit and cheeky-chic style of one of the most important artists of the 20th Century, now being honored by Concord Theatricals and the Noël Coward Foundation during a two-year campaign commemorating all things #Coward125.
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 at $19 per ticket, and season tickets for six consecutive productions for $95 can be arranged with the box office. Based on availability, rush tickets will be available at the box office on Saturday, January 27 at 1:30 p.m. for that 2 p.m. performance only.
Are you ready to appear in a Kentwood Players production this year? Open auditions are being held for Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling on Saturday, January 20 from 10:00am to 1:00pm, and Sunday, January 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, January 22 beginning at 7 p.m. This is a non-equity, all-volunteer production directed by Jon Sparks and produced by Alison Boole and Kirk Larson for Kentwood Players with rights secured from Dramatists Play Service. Performance dates are Friday, March 15 through Saturday, April 6, 2024, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. will be added on March 23 and continue through the rest of the run at the Westchester Playhouse.
Steel Magnolias follows the trials and tribulations of six sassy and formidable women in 1980’s Chinquapin Parish, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are anybody in town meet at Truvy’s Beauty Salon every Saturday to have their hair done and exchange news and gossip. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle, the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to her regular clients: Ouiser, the town’s rich curmudgeon; Miss Clairee, an eccentric millionaire with a raging sweet tooth; and M’Lynn, the local social leader whose diabetic daughter Shelby, the prettiest girl in town, is about to get married. The play draws the women together to deal with life, love, and loss, based on their underlying strength and devotion to each other in good times and bad.
Director Jon Sparks is seeking a diverse and inclusive cast. For character breakdowns, visit https://kentwoodplayers.org/auditions.aspx No appointments are necessary to audition; please arrive to allow time to sign-in and complete paperwork during scheduled audition times, and 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 Magnolias@kentwoodplayers.org.
Along with its six-production 2024 season, Kentwood Players presents Sunday Night Readings at the Westchester Playhouse, open to the public free of charge with donations accepted. The currently scheduled readings include A Place to Land by Neil Koenigsberg, directed by Neil Koenigsberg and produced by Susan Goldman Weisbarth on Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 7:00pm. Just as the pandemic has shut down the world in March 2020, three people are thrown together to quarantine in a grand old house on remote, beautiful Orcas Island in Washington State: Lydia, an ex-actress now purveyor of essential oil products, her teenage nephew Jeffrey who lives with her, and Edward, an unexpected guest with a troubling past who invades their space with his desire for immediate shelter. Sparks fly as all their wants and needs play out in unforeseeable and surprising ways.
A reading of Dog Door by Grant Gottschall, directed by Grant Gottschall and produced by Shari Barrett, will take place on Sunday, May 19 at 7 p.m. It centers around four seemingly random dogs who find themselves in a room with only one way out – and they can’t leave until they’ve bonded together as a Pack. Fortunately, Stella, a former military K-9, is there to help “shepherd” them. But when an uncontrollable and foul-smelling stray suddenly joins them, Stella and her group are thrown into chaos. Can these canines discover what unites them and realize the promise of being a Pack member? Funny, smart, and ultimately moving, it’s a play for our times about acceptance, forgiveness, and the power of storytelling. More info at https://kentwoodplayers.org/special.aspxIt
Metro Train riders can take the K Line to Kentwood, exiting at the Westchester/Veterans station at Florence and Hindry, just a short one block walk from the Westchester Playhouse. For drivers, the Hensel Phelps free parking lot at 8330 Hindry Avenue (across the street, next to the Metro train tracks) opens an hour before each reading, is locked during and reopens afterwards. Free street parking is available on 83rd Street and in the adjoining neighborhood, but do not park on Hindry. Please read all traffic and parking signs carefully.
Another way to learn more about Kentwood Players and its members is to attend an in-person Kentwood Players membership meeting, which are held at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Ave., Los Angeles 90045. The next free-to-attend meeting takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24. Come on down and find out more about the 74-years-old and going strong community theater group, its productions, auditions, readings, and how you can get involved!
