The Actors Workout Studio presents “Taboo II,” written by Frank J. Avella, Tom Coash, Jenny Mead, Eric Pfeffinger, Steven Reveles and Tanya Linette Smith.
Directed by Ian McClure and Stacy Ann Raposa
Running January 10th through February 8th, Friday, Sat at 7.3-pm, Sun at 7pm.
The Actors Workout Studio, 4735 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91602
The Actors Workout Studio showcase some pretty interesting work.
This is the second year of their “Taboo” series, which is what you might imagine it to be…a selection of shorts about adult subjects. The playwrights are from all over the US, the studio selects only the very best of the submissions, and the actors in their company perform them under the gentle guidance of Ian McClure and Stacy Ann Raposa.
The subjects vary from suicide to incest, attempted murder, volatile sexual fantasies, Muslim stereotypes and a teacher’s divorce-induced very bad behavior.
They are all really excellent. Well written, thoughtful, provocative and very, very darkly funny. Of course, material like this needs total commitment from its actors and a very loose reign from its directors. No need to get too controlling when the point of the material is to lose control…a least a little. The actors are wonderful, they hold nothing back, funny, poignant, moving, frustrating…real.
A couple of these walk a pretty tight line between bad taste and good theatre. But then this is “Taboo,” so it’s to be expected. But none of it is at all gratuitous. Pushing boundaries is a big part of the theatre’s ethos after all. These actors certainly seem to rise to the material too. Not shying away from the darkness of it, embracing the risks, which is what makes it work of course.
Supporting emerging actors and playwrights is what The Actors Workout Studio is all about. This is yet another collection of interesting and powerful stories from the outer edges of our imagination. It’s important to push us to our artistic limits sometimes and to remind ourselves that we are all human…even the more monstrous of us.
It’s running until February 8, well worth your time and your dollars!!!
Featuring:
Rachel Christianson, Justin Hankinson, Bonnie Jean, Joey Jupiter-Levin, Nick Lavin, Chris Markel, Monica Mauro, Irene Muzzy, Natasha Simone & Sarah Zavala