Intimate space showcasing rare and original works with great actors, directors, tech, crew, and…read morelots of memorable imagery in every show. Free neighborhood parking. Central heating, A/C They have a deal at www.sonofsemele.org/allaccesspass.html to get a year-long pass from the date of purchase for $99. This gets you into as many performances of any show performed in this theatre for an entire year. The ensemble performs two of their own shows a year, but also host theatre festivals, late night events, and guest artists. It's possibly the best theatre deal in Los Angeles. Highly recommended. Note: Most all of their shows contain adult themes, so leave the kids at home.

I have seen two shows at Son of Semele -- The Ridiculous Darkness (Nov. 2016) and As Long as Fear…read moreCan Turn to Wrath (2012). Here is why 5 stars: A lot of the theater in L.A. is instrumental, meaning it is people using the theatre as a tool towards another medium: mainly scripted entertainment. Here is the part where I put a reasonable sentence about "That doesn't mean it's all bad, but..." Strikingly, it does mean that so much of it is bad. "Bad", subjectively (DUH), if what you value in theater is not televisual fourth-wall scripting and commonplace quotidian stuff, but the exercise of form and the mind that the theater is capable of, and that makes it--if you agree with me (DUH)--a unique and invaluable resource. Both shows I have seen at Son of Semele unquestionably fit the bill of 'theater for theater's sake'; not meaning that they were up their own b*tts (they were not, neither of them), but meaning that they were invested in creating a fluid narrative space that played around with the conventions of the theater in fun, silly, exploratory ways. And, in both cases, did so to tell a story with meat on its bones -- a story of 'social substance', although what that substance was or meant was, in both cases, open to interpretation. So yeah, I'll throw down. As opposed to some strikingly big-name theaters in L.A., they do bold theatrical theatery theater here; I'm glad we've got Son of Semele in town. Oh, next reason: my sister and I accidentally bought 3 tix when we only needed two, and even though I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that Son of Semele doesnt have tons of excess revenue to toss around, they friendlily and promptly took care of it for us. Very high level of 'customer service' from a scrappy little theater co.; better than you'd get at some of the big venues, and much appreciated.

We're here for the West End Production of Phoebe Waller Bridge's one woman show titled FLEABAG!…read moreProjected into a Cinema screen at James Bridges Theater; a 276 seat theater in Melnitz Hall UCLA campus.... Tickets were $25 each Phoebe's TV series FLEABAG on Amazon Prime is based on this one woman show... And much of her recent success; including being cast alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones is attributed to her bold and VERY personal take of her Brit life experience in this "balls out" one woman play... https://www.ntlive.com Mind you Fleabag the one woman show is much raunchier than the Amazon series; so be forewarned it's not a normal day at the Theater lol

LATW is for LA theater lovers!…read more Their live radio-show-like productions feature top-notch talent including Alfred Molina and Stephen Weber. I recently saw the Charles Busch in his classic camp "Die Mommy Die," and Jonathan Cake and Sarah Drew in "Pressure," both superb. The shows are not staged plays, but readings, with the actors at microphones, recording audio for later broadcasts. Because the actors and direction are always so fine, it's an entertaining show. LATW also hosts NTLive, the National Theater of London's recorded plays. Nobody does theater better than the National Theater, and nobody makes videos of plays better, either. The results are that you can literally see the best theater in the world, right at the UCLA James Bridges theater for around $25. Recently saw Fleabag (brilliant), and the Lehman Trilogy (one of the best plays you'll ever see). Just buy your tickets early as they sell out! LATW is a fantastic resource for theater lovers in LA!

Much of the modern theater world equates itself with the history of England. Theater was very…read moreprevalent at Tudor England courts, entertaining King Henry VIII with masked dramas and comedies to distract him from cutting the heads off of even more wives (that isn't the real reason, but it should have been). There is something special about this heightened level of performance, which includes elaborate set design, masks, avant-garde costumes, and unique story-telling versus the traditional performance merely involving actors proclaiming rehearsed lines. This depth I speak of is encompassed with the Roque Artists whom evoke emotion using puppetry, masks, lighting/special effects, various media, and illusion to heighten all of your senses. This isn't your typical drama club. A product of graduates from the University of California; the Roque Artists are relatively new (founded in 2001) and yet have taken the theater world by storm... and they deserve the recognition. I had the honor of watching "Hyperbole" which implemented the aforementioned effects and it tickled my entire body. Hyperbole didn't include any "lines" and yet enticed and kept your attention for the entire hour and a half while also incorporating indie (think KCRW) music into the mix. The actors are passionate, talented, and convey such emotion without ever speaking a word. The most impressive is their talent with the puppets whom look so real in their actions (soft and personified versus a puppet on strings). One should certainly check out a Roque Artists performance if you want to spice up your traditional theatrical cup'o' joe. "Off with their heads!" is not something King Henry would have shouted had he seen this troupe perform.

I just attended Senior Plummer's Final Fiesta, where the idea is you dive deep into the characters…read moreimagination and relive a combination of his scariest and happiest memories. You participate in them as you run from room to room, where there is music singing, dancing, the short stories and food. I wont say what the stories are but each one ws either funny or scary and you were guided By members of a well polished team (No getting lost in this immersion experience) and you leave with a massive smile on your face. Wont tell you why. Its worth checking out! I will go back for their next show for sure! Side note, there is free parking but it can fill up so you may have to find street parking. You can buy beer in there and soft drinks but its best to not liquor up before the show given your participation.

If you've been in Los Angeles long enough, you probably remember the days when it was easy to get…read moreinto a Jon Brion show, before the Entertainment Weekly crowd caught on to the fact that A-List talent like Michael Stipe and Fiona Apple were often in the audience and sometimes could be coaxed onstage for thrillingly intimate performances. Acker and Blacker's Thrilling Adventure and Supernatural Suspense Hour is kind of like that, but with an "old-time radio show" setting. The second Saturday of every month, a cast of genius comic irregulars you'll recognize from sitcoms-that-don't-suck (including Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, and Dave Gruber Allen) are joined by surprise guests, as well as a sound effects artist and a live band to produce an hour of snappy comedy that riffs on classic radio without feeling old. It's a great night out with friends, as rare and refined as a stiff gin martini.

It's hard to come across truly unique offerings in your city because there's always a million other…read morepeople before you who have "been there, done that." The Thrilling Adventure Hour might just be one of those few local treasures that has yet to be infiltrated by the masses, but it's time to blow this shit out of the water! I bought a ticket to the April performance (they come to Largo once-ish a month and the May show is already sold out!!), and am so grateful for that fleeting moment of wanting to do something different. It was a 90-minute hoot. Super entertaining and hilarious. What is it, you ask? It's really tricky to articulate, but essentially it's a radio show performed live on stage - before TVs, when families used to crowd around the radio to be engrossed in stories, plays, commercials, etc. It's rooted in nostalgic Americana, with throwback commercials and Pleasantville-esque segments. There are an abundant amount of celebrities who participate as well, which was a lovely little surprise. Get tickets here (http://thrillingadventurehour.com/). Immediately. Like, now.

Really nice theater in a good location. Street parking nearby, great staff. Nice place to see a…read moreshow.

The Road is a small, nicely maintained theatre. The play we saw last year ("Scintilla") was…read moreall-around excellent: great acting, set design, and direction. Tickets were priced fairly for the quality of the show. They have wine and snacks for sale before the show, encouraging patrons to mingle in the lobby before the doors open. Free street parking is within a couple blocks' walk down Riverton Avenue.

Theatre of NOTE has produced or housed many solid shows over the years. I've seen solo shows, as…read morewell as Shakespeare. The black box theatre is a staple among the 99 seat venues that work their heinies off for little, if any money. It ain't easy, but they make it look relatively so. Theatre of NOTE has their own company, but other shows come here, too. They are one of the Hollywood Fringe Festival spaces, so there is at any time, several different shows in residence there. They have a cool lobby and bar, too. Some shows are PWYC (Pay What You Can), while others have a set price. I've probably seen five shows here over the years, and look forward to coming here. Modest, but comfortable seats and working A/C - gotta love that. Right off of Sunset, it's super convenient to get to and easy to arrange pre or post activities. Been a fan awhile, but just had never reviewed them before. So, go support local theatre. There's some great stuff out there, and very often, it's at Theatre of NOTE.

This business does fantastic work and shows that have deep social impact. I can tell this theater…read moretakes its social responsibility seriously. All the producers writers and members are super intelligent generous innovative and forward thing artists

I came to Theatre Theater to see Rogue Machine's production of "Dying City" and the review is for…read morethe theatre itself. The building houses two theatres. The one the play was in was the smaller of the two, a 40+ seat small venue. The other theatre was being prepared for another show, I presume as there were some men working on a stage and the seats there were covered with plastic. That appeared to be the main stage as there were more seats. The seats in the B Theatre were very comfortable, cushioned movie theatre style seats. The venue is so intimate there really didn't appear to be any seat that wouldn't be good. A woman was there when I entered and she marked me off the list. I bought my ticket online and it was a will call matter. She handed me a program and as with many theatres, that is your ticket. The house opened about 10 minutes before the play started. Across from where she was doing the ticketing was a small area with snacks and drinks. There are bathrooms down a hall. This is a perfect venue for staging small plays.

Burai - Standing All Alone - an original Japanese Stage Play…read more This play, written, directed and produced by Naoki Fujiyama is why I made my way to Theatre Theater one Saturday night. That and an invitation from one of the cast members. This venue is pretty intimate, in other words, small, but it allows those in the nose bleed seats to see and hear the action too, unlike other venues where you might need a pair of binoculars. Everything is definitely worn but it works and I'm sure it's how admission costs are affordable. I'm not of this world of entertainment so I can't comment on the acoustics or lighting except that everything seemed to work. Seats were ok. Not in the best condition but, I also wasn't sitting on springs or metal. As for parking - this theater is on Pico. Street parking is available - just have to find a space. Overall - the place is OK. Been to better. Been to worse.

Best theater going experience I've ever had. Forget traditional theater with the proscenium stage…read moreor theater in the round. You are immersed into the story within earshot of the actor, walking down the dark, long, candle lit corridors right alongside the characters. You transcend the grand staircases with the villain or hero. You're sitting right in the church where all the scandalous affairs are revealed. And yet the whole time it is as if you yourself are a part of the cast and story and yet you are not. Forever damned in limbo... Which makes the experience all that more exciting. It begs the question, are we the ghosts or are they? The sound effects and lighting are spectacular. The production is very impressive for the scale. This has the potential to revolutionize theater in a way that keeps it relevant and competitive to cinema. Fewer people will, in essence, be able to experience it, which is worth paying a little bit more than a movie ticket for just for the experience and memories created. Mausoleum is a monumentally gorgeous architecture. Once the night falls and the candles light the hallways and spooky music echo the quarters, this place really turns into a magical otherworldly place indeed. Don't come alone, come at least 2, you'll each experience different bits of the story as you'll get split up... and afterwards you'll want to spend the night piecing it all together! so fun.... so magical. Highly highly recommend! They deserve the communities' support, admiration and love for all the hard work they put into bringing live theater to the world. And they hire an amazing ensemble of talented actors many of whom I can tell have extensive training in improvisation and theatre. Great work done Downtown Repertory Theater! You are one of a kind and breath of fresh air around this town and in general! We will be returning for your future productions, and so look forward to it!

A small number of audience members are excluded from 1:1 interactions during their immersive shows…read moreand do not receive a gift. The gift (usually a hat/mask/necklace) that 90% of people receive is very visible -- meaning if you are in the 10% who don't receive a 1:1 gift, you feel bad. And everybody knows who didn't get one. This has happened to multiple people I know across multiple productions of theirs. Fangs, Witch, Masq, Noir. My friend emailed them and complained and they never wrote back. I wrote a comment on their Instagram and they deleted it.