“Barcelona,” by playwright Bess Whol, takes place in Barcelona, Spain in the present. The main window of Manuel’s apartment overlooks the famous Church of the Holy Family (La Sacrada Familia) which is still under construction. It is an important tourist attraction, one that Irene has on her “must see” list before she returns to the States for her upcoming wedding.
“Barcelona,” by playwright Bess Whol, takes place in Barcelona, Spain in the present. The main window of Manuel’s apartment overlooks the famous Church of the Holy Family (La Sacrada Familia) which is still under construction. It is an important tourist attraction, one that Irene has on her “must see” list before she returns to the States for her upcoming wedding.
The play begins with a bang, literally, as Manuel and Irene (Carlos Leal and Betty Gilpin) explode on stage, deep in a passionate embrace. It is obvious what is on both their minds, but as the evening and storyline progresses, you discover that there is a cosmic, spiritual reason for their mismatched meeting this particular night. Irene, a naïve young American girl and Manuel, an attractive continental man, seem to have nothing in common except their personal pain which is slowly and carefully revealed during the early morning hours.
“Barcelona,” directed by Trip Cullman, is fast paced and emotional, with sensitive stage lighting designed by Japhy Weidman. When the lights in the apartment go out, the candlelight and additional soft lighting provided create a sense of intimacy and shadows in the darkness that comes just before dawn. And even though there is a sense of total darkness, the audience can still observe the ongoing drama easily.
If you see the play on a Tuesday night there is an after play chat with the two person cast that is truly enlightening as they answer questions from the audience.
“Barcelona,” at the Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., L.A., through March 13. For tickets call 310-208-5454. On line: Geffenplayhouse.com.
***
If you are a fan of magic, illusion and sleight of hand trickery, “The Illusionists–Live From Broadway” should top your list of things to do. But don’t wait too long because the show, featuring eight stars, each a master in their own field, will only be in town at the Pantages for a limited three week run, ending March 13.
Each performer has a descriptive title, like Jeff Hobson, known as “The Trickster.” He serves as host and also comes into the audience allowing the viewer to be a part of the show. In fact there is quite a bit of audience participation throughout. Jeff not only involves the audience, he always leaves them laughing.
Adam Trent, “The Futurist,” is a multi-talented young performer–a comedian, dancer and magician. In fact if you watch a variety of TV he has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “America’s Got Talent” and the Disney Channel. He was one of my personal favorites.
The most elegant performer is Yu Ho-Jin, “The Manipulator.” In 2014 he was named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts (AMA). He is able to do unbelievable things with cards which flow effortlessly from his hands.
Cameramen photographed the performers throughout the show and the images were projected on a large screen center stage. This enabled everyone to see the magical feats up close and personal whether they were in the first row or in the back of the theatre.
“The Escapologist,” Andrew Basso, hails from Italy. His hero is Harry Houdini and in the show he is handcuffed prior to being immersed upside down in a tank of water high above the stage. Another large scale act was performed by Ben Blaque, “The Weapon Master” who performed skillfully using a crossbow.
Kevin James, “The Inventor,” created innovative illusions. Sometimes he used a chainsaw, at other times he did small magic like bringing a little piece of paper to life for a one of the children in the audience.
Other performers include James More, “The Deceptionist:” and Dan Sperry “The Anti-Conjuror.” Sperry created shock illusions in his eccentric and odd routines. His style is a mixture of gore, humor, and mayhem accented by his weird, punk appearance.
There were a few glitches on opening night, particularly in the sound department from time to time, but I am sure that this has now been corrected..
Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.HollywoodPantages.comor www.Ticketmaster.comor by calling 1-800-982-2787.
