The Relevance of Twitter

Twitter, whether you like it or not, is relevant. It is also a hell of a lot of fun, but more on that later.

I didn't much understand the importance of twitter until recently. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong - where else can you berate your friends with your humor? Where else can you win free screenings (I did, by the way - win tickets to a Paramount screening of Paranormal Activity)? Where else can you @ your friends? Twitter is a lot of fun for writers and for people who like to hear themselves talk. I am both of these things.

But relevant in my business? I never would have really guessed. Sure I would have stood by twitter and said "you can follow companies" to try and make it seem like something more than Facebook - but really, what did I know?

And then the Hollywood Fringe Festival happened. Hash tags (more in a bit) popped up like mad. #HFF from everyone associated and tweeting about the festival. And it worked. Suddenly we were bound. We could find and follow each other. We helped each other with costumes. We advertised our shows. We discussed venues and shared rehearsal pictures. We whored out the reviews we wrote (well.... I did). We were, in a sense, a mini online community. The festival was spread out, but twitter brought us together. I "met" other artists and writers and reviewers on twitter and then met them in real life. And it's not weird at all.

Hell, I got my job writing for the LA Theatre Review because someone posted it on twitter. Twitter makes things happen.

Reasons you should believe in twitter:

1) Like Myspace in the end, people want followers. Where in Facebook I will only accept friend requests from people I know, twitter allows you to follow anyone (whether they follow you back is another story entirely) but once following - you can mention (@) them in your tweets. It is much easier to connect to people you don't know yet, effectively building up your network, on twitter.

2) Hash tags (#LAThtr) instantly connect groups. Sure people tag things like #fail, but it works to unite communities as well. The LA Theatre scene has started to utilize twitter because of it's successful contribution to the fringe festival.

3) Jobs get posted on twitter. There are users you can follow that post job openings. You can follow people in the industry who might tweet job openings. Believe me, it happens. Just the other day I started following a woman (@cindymariej) who shares career advice to her followers and offers a weekly mailing of entertainment job openings.

4) As I mentioned before, you can follow companies on twitter. They post about what they're up to and what they want to be up to. I'm following every studio on twitter, and while it's often shameless self promotion of their latest action film, there often are tweets about the inner workings of the company as well. People hear things on twitter. It is often quoted. Hell, half the Emmy nominee reactions were quotes pulled from the nominee's twitter account.

5) In a world of instant news, twitter is the fastest. Earthquake? You'll know about it on twitter. Prop 8 trial won't allow cameras in? How about a live tweet from the courtroom. It happened and let all of us interested in the trial capable of following it (and not when its days old news).

So there you have it: my love letter to twitter. So the next time someone tries to tell you its just a string of status updates, slap them in the face with my blog.

And follow me on twitter - @marcusbkaye.

HFF: Days 7-11

It's over. It's hard to believe, really. Final show tally: 5 One-Woman Shows, 1 Musical, 4 Comedy Shows, and 2 Dramas. 12 Different shows. 13 performances. The Hollywood Fringe Festival was one of the best things I've ever done in L.A. Hell, it was one of the best things I've ever done in my entire life. Don't believe me? Let's recap:

-I got published.

-Tons of free shows.

-New friends.

-Did I mention I got published?

-I felt respected. Like my opinion counted.

-My networking ability went through the roof (as did my network!)

I can guarantee that I'll be back next year. I regret only finding Fringe Central (the bar/hangout of freaks like me) at the end. It's a great little hub where anyone talks to anyone and networks (and friendships) are made. It was a lot like summer camp. An 11 day getaway from life, where you make those amazing connections given your short amount of time together. It was a breath of fresh air in my work-filled life. And just like summer camp, I'll miss everyone I met and can't wait to do it again next summer.

This round of shows was vastly superior to the first batch. Standouts were The Birthday Boys and Medea. Both brilliant and moving. I saw The Birthday Boys twice. I would have done the same for Medea, had I had time. Congrats to both on their Fringe award wins!

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

The Birthday Boys at The Complex Theatres

by Marcus Kaye~

To say that this very well may be the best thing to go up in the Fringe is an understatement. The Birthday Boys is written, directed and performed to perfection.

Playwright Aaron Kozak effortlessly taps into the psyches of three Prisoners Of War in Iraq. Painting a vivid and accurate picture of America’s involvement in Iraq, the first act focuses solely on our three heroes, captured while keeping a storage unit secure. Bound and gagged, they are thrown into a warehouse, their futures left up to the darkness of their imaginations. They bond and somehow manage to find the humor in their situation, placing bets on whom will piss their pants first.

The second act introduces the terrorists and continues through their torture and plea videos to their families. As their bravery shrinks but their bond grows stronger, The Birthday Boys ends in a way you’ve got to see to believe.

The play is brilliantly acted by the three marines, who (given their blindfolds and arm and leg ties) are only allowed their voices and slight torso movements to communicate. And yet, they each draw distinct, believable characters from their limited range of motion. The emotions are real, and the play is dependent on the bond we see them form in the first act. Smartly written and thoroughly performed, nothing about these POWs feels disingenuous.

With raw emotion, distinct and intriguing characters and a look into the war in Iraq that is rarely seen, The Birthday Boys isn’t to be missed.

The Birthday Boys plays June 24, 25 & 26 at 9pm and June 26 & 27 at 3pm

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

Existential Crises at Art|Works Theatre

by Marcus Kaye~

Billed as comedy that explores the ironic questions of existence, Existential Crises, featuring Second City alums Mike Cherry and Matt Peterson, gets it half right. While the show is indeed a comedy (and a funny one at that) is does very little to look beyond the surface of “existence.”

Whether they’re lying about their past lives, hanging out with an old friend from high school, or living in a world where horses and humans have switched to be master and pet respectively, Cherry and Peterson have the successful comedic ability to draw laughs from their audience. They are, in fact, funniest when they are playing versions of “themselves,” as opposed to the half-baked characters they create.

While some sketches drag on too long, the bits as a whole are nicely written and showed Cherry and Peterson’s comedic ranges. Particularly funny were pantomimes spoofing 90’s action films and old Westerns. Audiences looking for deep meaning within their comedy should look elsewhere, but those simply looking for a few laughs should strongly consider Existential Crises.

Existential Crises plays June 19 & 20 at 9pm at i.O. West, June 25 at 10:30pm and June 26 at 8pm at Art|Works Theatre.

Medea at The Complex Theatres

I saw this one on my own, with no prompt from the LA Theatre Review. In fact, the very reason I went was because, as I was standing outside and waiting for Dancing with Crazies to start two Thursdays ago, I ran struck up a conversation with a boy with feathers in his hair. This boy was Ryan Mullins, of PaperStrangers and he was a part of the cast of Medea. He told me to come to the show and you know what.... I did.

Best decision I could have made. Michael Burke's interpretation of Medea was BREATHTAKING. Gorgeous. Haunting. Creepy. Wonderful. Powerful. Emotional. I was captivated by the precision of the chorus, the emotional depth of Medea (Melissa Fenton), and the two staring children hanging from the rafters.

Technically this show was spectacular and while this review is essentially me using words to tell you how amazing the performances is, nothing I say can do it (and it's feather motif) justice. It's coming to the DC Fringe and I suggest, nay urge, anyone in the area at the time to drop what they're doing and go find out how Medea could kill her children. Kudos to Burke and his PaperStrangers company. They quickly became Fringe friends of mine, and several drinks in - I'm going to miss them. They're a phenomenal, talented group and I can't wait to see what they put on next.

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived at the Hudson Theatre

by Marcus Kaye~

Lily Spottiswoode’s one-woman show, The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived, focuses on her grandfather’s last moments after being moved home to die. Playing a multitude of characters in her family that “doesn’t have breakfast, but has a morning cigarette,” Spottiswoode embodies each of her family members and each of their journey’s through dealing with the death of Spottiswoode’s grandfather, Jack Palance.

Spottiswoode’s strength is in her ability to vocalize. She is able to change her tone, inflection and sound in a heartbeat, easily creating a different persona for each of her family members. Her grandfather’s lover, Elaine, is particularly entertaining (as is her habit to drink, shed her clothes and run in the street). Spottiswoode has talent, and this show clearly showcases that.

Examining how people deal with death, The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived, could have had more meaningful, touching moments. It felt a little short and dry, leaving me yearning for more. More of Elaine. More of Jack Palance. More of Spottiswoode.

The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived plays June 19 at 8pm and June 26 at 9:30pm at the Hudson Theatre.

That's Funny. You Didn't Sound Black on the Phone at The Complex Theatres

What a title, right? This was another show I wasn't assigned to, but rather went out of sheer interest (and because my PaperStrangers friends were going AND because Jacquetta and I had become Twitter followers of one another [Twitter was a HUGE part of the Hollywood Fringe. Anyone who says it's not actually a networking tool did not witness the #hff tags that went up on half of Hollywood's tweets]).

Jacquetta's show about coming to terms with her level of "blackness" was hilarious (even to those of us who have never been to a gospel church, and have never been called out based on skin color). The fact of the matter is, Jacquetta didn't feel black. Sure she was, but she hung out with white people all her life and while she didn't want to BE white, she just didn't FEEL black.

Her journey is hilarious. Her delivery spot on and her themes, surprisingly, universal.

I got to talking to her at Fringe Central and to our surprise an hour had suddenly passed. She's an amazing, hysterical woman who is based in NYC and you can bet your ass when I go in August, I'll be seeing her stand up show.

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

Wet Cookies at Theatre Asylum

by Marcus Kaye~

Wet Cookies is the rare type of comedy show in which the laughter starts at the onset and continues, non-stop, for an hour. True, the show is only 45 minutes, but the first fifteen minutes spent out of the theatre will surely find audience members continuing to laugh at the multitude of comical moments in the show.

Whether they’re imaging what would have happened if the Magic School Bus stopped in Nazi Germany, recounting the time they accidentally called their fourth grade teacher “mom,” or holding a still pose for an absurd amount of time, the Wet Cookies sketches never fail to deliver. Notably funny was Mallie McCown’s retelling of the thoughts of a monarch butterfly.

If these sketches sound bizarre on paper, it’s only because they are. But the cast commendably makes each sketch memorable, true, and most of all- funny. The pace is quick and the laughs are big. Cleverly broken up into long and short sketches, Wet Cookies is a wonderfully devised little show.

Direction by Adam Sass and technical direction by Adam Griffith are top notch.

Wet Cookies plays June 19 at 5:30pm, June 20, 22 at 10pm, June 26 at 11:30pm, and June 27 at 7pm at Theatre Asylum and June 19 at 9:00 PM at i.O. West.

Reblogged from www.LATheatreReview.com

Eat, Pray, Laugh at Theatre Asylum

by Marcus Kaye~

Borrowing her title from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book about finding enlightenment in India, comedian Alicia Dattner’s one-woman show tells the story of Dattner’s excursion to India where she went looking for herself.

Eat, Pray Laugh is set on an empty stage, with only a chair. Dattner humorously recounts her search for self in India, focusing on the comedic moments, like learning to use an Indian toilet and the multitude of mustaches on the Indians she encounters. She often recounts how many men were in love with her there that made her feel great, but not fulfilled.

Her quest for fulfillment is told in a straightforward manner. It is not unlike being in a living room somewhere, nodding along at each picture of the Taj Mahal, but secretly wishing for this story to end. With frequent tangents and conversational moments with the audience, Eat, Pray, Laugh hardly felt like a performance.

Dattner is charming, likeable and frequently funny, but the show as a whole never truly takes off. The story is interesting; it’s the story-telling that needs polishing.

Eat, Pray, Laugh plays June 24 at 7pm, 
June 25 at 4pm, June 26 at 5:30pm and June 27 at 8:30 PM at Theatre Asylum.

How fitting that my last (and first) fringe shows were one-woman shows that mentioned their vaginas. Exactly what I expected from such shows, but not what I wanted to hear about!

Until next year!

HFF: Days 1-6

So this Fringe has begun! Three one-woman shows, a comedy game show and a musical later, I have my first batch of reviews (three of which were published: here)!

What was fun/terrifying about this first one is that everyone seemed to know the actress. After being asked several times, "oh what are you doing here?" I quickly developed a lie so all of Amy's friends and family wouldn't find out (until later of course) that I was critiquing her every move.



Reblogged from www.LAtheatrereview.com:

Dancing with Crazies at The Complex Theatres
by Marcus Kaye~

With an abundance of energy, Amy Milano took the stage for her one-woman show, Dancing with Crazies. The comedy follows Milano’s desire for acceptance and her search for the meaning of “home”. Milano unifies, through dance, her life experiences- such as childhood with her grandmother, study abroad classes in Africa, and dating in Brooklyn- looking for a place to call home along the way.

While Milano enjoyably captures the caricatures of those around her, it is the fictional version of herself that she seems to struggle with. Instead of presenting any depth or growth, she offers herself in a flat, one-note fashion.

The play, written by Milano, focuses on the idea of home, but feels purposeless. With no greater message about acceptance, or meaningful explanation as to what or where home actually is, Dancing with Crazies is simply a self-indulgent excuse for Milano to “showcase” herself.

Lighting by Sarah Templeton aided in varying the scenes and the sound by Andrew Wickens helped to unify the piece overall.

Dancing with Crazies plays June 17 at 9pm and June 19 at 4pm



Betty at The Asylum Lab
by Marcus Kaye~

If Kellydawn Malloy, as the 50’s Paramount Starlet Betty Hutton, seems slightly distracted and lost, there is no surprise why. This one-woman show, written and directed by Shelby Bond is scattered and disjointed and presented in a different order every night. The audience is given a series of topics allowed to ask Ms. Hutton in the press conference that is this play. The audience picks interview topics in any order, leaving Malloy to jump from one monologue to the next.

Malloy has Hutton down and is adorable throughout the tales of "Annie Get Your Gun," and working with director Cecil B DeMille during his heart attack. When asked about her time in the USO she skillfully belts out a number she did for the troops. When accidentally asked about her time in the USO again by a latecomer audience member, Malloy did a quick, comedic recap which was somehow even more entertaining than the first time she told it.

There is no denying Malloy's talent. She quickly switches from happy stories to her drug addiction and alcoholic mother. She juggles emotions as the audience juggles her interview topics. The structure of the play, however, hurts it. It provides no opportunity for through line or growth. And Malloy’s Hutton mentions things in one monologue that she comes back to in others because of the disorganized structure. There are no plants and payoffs because we’re often told the end before she is asked about the beginning.

Given a straight structure, this play would have been undeniably more enjoyable, and would have left Malloy considerably less flustered.

Betty plays at June 19 at 1pm, June 20 at 5:30pm, June 21, 22 at 7pm
and June 27 at 4pm at Theatre Asylum.



Jeb and Jeremiah at The Hudson Theater
So much fun, as always. Read my review here. I brought Banner and Mikey and they both laughed themselves silly. It was wonderfully received and my choice show the weekend (unbiased, I swear). Kudos to Janove, Collin and the wonderful cast!



Reblogged from www.LAtheatrereview.com:

Deadly Sin Bingo at the Second City Studio Theatre
by Marcus Kaye~

With no plot to speak of, audience participation, games and prizes, and a finale sing-a-long, Deadly Sin Bingo can hardly be considered the theatrical experience that it’s touting itself to be- but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

Led by Jon Marco as the enthusiastic game-show host, Father Chuck Martini, the Deadly Sin Bingo show is divided into three bingo games, each based on different deadly sins. Winning audience members are awarded prizes that reflect the contrasting heavenly virtue.

The show doesn’t branch out further than themed bingo, but Marco’s on-the-fly improv, and the supporting commentary provided by Jenni Lamb and Lisa Merkin as Sister Cherisse and Sister Roberta, respectively, moves the show along, providing a bevy of laughs along the way.

The show is ludicrous without ever being blasphemous, but it often opts for silliness over substance. Any real commentary about the nature of sin is avoided and while this might not be the proper place for righteousness, it is the proper place for entertainment. It might not have heart– but it’s got prizes.

Deadly Sin Bingo plays June 17, 19 and 21 at 10pm and June 20 at 2pm at The Second City Studio Theatre and June 26 at 1PM at ComedySportz LA.



Reblogged from www.LAtheatrereview.com:

A Picnic at the Asylum at the Hudson Theatre
by Marcus Kaye~

From the moment she steps onto the stage, Angela Neff has the audience in the palm of her hand, or rather, in the seat of her father’s woody. Neff’s stage presence alone is reason enough to see A Picnic at the Asylum. Factor in her seamless character transitions, a darkly comedic story, and a compelling examination of father/daughter relationships and what results is nothing short of a Hollywood Fringe hit.

Bravely portraying her bi-polar father, pregnant mother and 6 other siblings, Neff paints a fascinating picture of suburban life with her manic depressive dad. Through AA, asylum picnics and birthday dinners, the audience grows up with Neff, clearly seeing how she could both love and hate her father.

Neff’s mannerisms are so distinct, that she is able to fluidly transitions between her multitude of personalities by simply changing gesture. While other one-man shows rely on costumes or dialogue to mark the transition, it is Neff’s physicality here that does the trick.

The story hits the dramatic highs and lows of Neff’s childhood without ever dragging or feeling redundant. Expertly written and full of surprises, the script is pitch perfect.

A Picnic at the Asylum plays June 19 at 5pm, June 20 and 25 at 8pm and June 22 and 23 at 9:30pm at the Hudson Theatre.

Hollywood Fringe Festival

This Thursday marks the beginning of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. It's the first ever in Hollywood. Approximately 200 shows will go up in a scattering of theater across Los Angeles for 10 days. During those 10 days I will be seeing 9 shows and reviewing them for LA Theater Review (a job I'd like to thank both blogspot and twitter for helping me secure). My loyalty will temporarily shift to them, but expect the reviews to be posted here shortly after.

Here is what my week looks like:

Thursday Night: Dancing with Crazies - 1 Woman Show - 8:30PM @ The Complex



Sunday Night: Jeb and Jeremiah - Musical - 8:00PM @ The Hudson



Monday Night: Deadly Sin Bingo - Comedy - 10:00PM @ Second City Studio Theater



Thursday Night: The Birthday Boys - Drama - 9:00PM @ The Complex



Friday Night: Existential Crises - Sketch Comedy - 10:30PM @ Art|Works Theatre



Saturday Night: The Meanest Guy That Ever Lived - 1 Woman Show - 9:30PM @ The Hudson



Sunday Night: Wet Cookies - Sketch Comedy - 7:00PM @ Theater Asylum



Eat, Pray, Laugh - 1 Woman Show - 8:30PM @ Theater Asylum



Attentive readers will notice that that is only 8 shows, but have no fear... there will be 9. I'm just missing a Wednesday night assignment!

As a critic I get two tickets to each show, so if there is one you want to come see with me, let me know!

Jeb & Jeremiah: Alive in 2010

There is a problem with indie theater today- not enough show times. They just don't have the money. They go up, they close and if they are lucky enough to have a reviewer attend, it does little good when the review comes out. It gives readers and potential theater patrons about two shows to see before the show is rushed out of the theater. This year's Hollywood Fringe Festival is no exception-

That is why I, here at Old Hollywood Calls, have opted to do a pre-show, completely biased, review of Jeb and Jeremiah: Alive in 2010!!!!

Written by David Janove, with music by Collin Martin, Jeb and Jeremiah's opening could be right out of Singing in the Rain. The world famous silent comedy duo of Jeb (Clay Keller) and Jeremiah (Russell Ford) are on the verge of smashing success and the verge of "talkies."

At the request of their producer Marcy (Annie Chernecky, channeling her best Kate Hepburn) they move forward on their first "talkie," a musical about love. The best friends brain storm, and shortly after they learn that all love doesn't end in pedophilia, something strange happens: TIME TRAVEL!

In the future (our present) we quickly scoot past some off-color jokes to a bevy of strange characters (including, but not limited to): a hyper-sexual Rachel (played with a childlike intensity by the lovely Kate Alden), the elderly Francis (Craig Shields), a chorus of library singers and the least threatening gangsters you've ever met.

In a Wizard of Oz-esque fashion, our characters journey to find their way home (stopping of course, along the way, for a handful of musical numbers).

Ladies and gentleman, this show is funny. Aside from some stand-out one liners written by Janove (who also directs) the cast is on top of their game when it comes to improv and comedic timing. A challenge anyone to watch Russell's comedic idiocy without laughing, especially when paired with Clay's stone faced Jeb.

Vocally, Britt Keller, as young Francis is the stand out. Her solo during the opening number is gorgeous, and I couldn't help but wish for her to sing more in the show. That's not saying the rest of the cast is something to plug your ears for. Their all perfectly capable singers, who thanks to Martin's gorgeous music - are made to sound extraordinary. The songs are yet another high point of the show, ranging from the gorgeous, with "Someone to Sing With" to the wildly comedic "Train to Ohio" (which is young Kimmy Shield's time to shine as a puppy drowning gold-digger).

So what I suppose I'm trying to say here is COME TO THIS DAMN SHOW. It's funny. The cast is talented (and good-looking) and it's an all around good time. Come for the fun that you'll have in the audience and that feel-good feeling when you leave.

The costumes look fantastic (shameless plug! I did them) but the credit has to go to the extremely passionate, dedicated, talented and ballsy David Janove and Collin Martin.

Showtimes: Click here!

Tickets: Click here!

See you in the future/past/theater!