LA Theatre Works

Every single time I go to LA Theatre Work I am transported to an imaginary world, a world that is only created in my mind thanks to all the wonderful actors that participate in this kind of theater.
Thanks to my dear mother in law I have been able to enjoy many of the plays this year.

My husband and I have been yearly subscribers at LATW for over 7 years. We just arrived home from the play «The Other Place». Truly superb! Calista Flockhart was mesmerizing as was the other performers. The playwright should be applauded. as this was an enrapturing, fantastically written and pieced together deeply thought out piece. The fact that there is no staging or costumes makes it even better as it allows you to focus entirely on the words and the actors. In films and on stage, you are distracted by the movements, the sets, the costumes. Here it is mesmerizing, pulling you deeper and deeper into the lives that are being portrayed and oftentimes taking your breath away (as tit did this evening). We honestly have never seen a play here we have not loved. Tonight’s writer and performance of actors was in our top 5 favorites of all time. Someone mentioned LATW should be more forthcoming in their advertisements citing that they are «just readings». They are not readings — they are radio plays — plays specifically made for radio listening. This is an experience everyone should try. The acoustics are incredible. Small theatre, intimate; and being set on the UCLA campus in the theatre department makes it a totally fantastic experience.

We had a wonderful time seeing Neil LaBute’s «Reason to be Pretty» but feel that LATW should be more forthcoming in their advertising that these are not plays — they are readings. The actors read their lines from scripts facing forward (no one faces one another) reading into microphones like old time radio shows did.
Yes, the actors and material were phenomenal — still we’d have liked to have known when we spent so much money that we were actually paying for a reading into microphones. It was not mentioned in the advertising. In fact, it was misleading advertising.

I have some personal attachment to this company, I’ve first seen them on tour; watched their LA shows at the Skirball; listened to their recordings online and stage managed for them.
All in all a decent company. Their rotating casts and their selection of shows are usually good, but if you subscribe note that there may be changes in not just casts but full shows.
Their company has been downsizing it’s staff, the president of the company, Susan Lowenberg, started this company in prisons and has since expanded to full company.
Check them out if you haven’t already.

Enjoy.

What a great entertainment delight AND bargain! We’ve seen some very famous actors in a pretty intimate, relaxed setting and heard some really great plays. Highly recommended. (NOTE: we should have allowed more time to figure out the somewhat cryptic inner-​UCLA driving, parking AND walk-​to-​theatre-​doors directions on our first visit. We’re new to the area, but it still seemed a bit more complicated than necessary. Luckily, we were eventually able to find and follow some other folks.)

LA Theater Works gives you the unique and wonderful experience of watching amazing actors reading plays that are being recorded for public radio. There are no sets, costumes, or blocking, just really talented people reading really great plays in a very intimate and comfortable setting. I saw Frost/​Nixon last night and was completely entranced. Really awesome experience! They have some really great plays with some really great actors coming up and I am making plans to return.

The L.A. Theatre Works has a new location at the James Bridges Theater on the UCLA campus. This place offers a unique experience of watching and listening great actors reading plays recorded for public radio stations. Without sets or costumes (just mics and a man in the background doing some sound effects), it still proves to be an incredibly engrossing experience. Highly recommended.

Moved to The James Bridges Theater on the UCLA campus.
The new venue is spacious and beautiful. The play was Ibsen’s A Doll House. Calista Flockhart was the shinning star of the show and what an amazing performance she put on. The rest of the cast were equally as good but the roll of Nora keeps the focus on Calista and she did not disappoint. Only on ’til Sunday but each month they put on these terrific radio plays (professional actors standing behind microphones-​no costumes or scenery.) I have been a subscriber for 5 years and absolutely never been disappointed.

Well-​done readings of great plays by skilled actors. These readings are recorded for re-​broadcasting on public radio stations. Although there is no staging, it is still a pleasure to watch these actors at work and to watch and hear the creativity of the sound effects. And experiencing these performances is a more engrossing experience than listening to the plays over the radio. For 2011, LATW is offering 10 plays over 10 months.
You can sometimes find discounted tickets on Goldstar.
Note that the location is incorrect on Unilocal – at least some of LATW’s performances are now on the campus of UCLA. Parking is ~$ 11

I’m really looking forward to this current LATW season as they consistently cast exceptionally talented actors. I’ve listened to many of their shows on the radio but it is especially exciting to be there to see the performance.
I always know that there will be compelling, powerful portrayals on stage enhanced by foley artists adding sound effects in very creative ways.