Caught the play "Guac" this weekend at Kirk Douglas Theatre and had such a great experience. The…read moretheatre itself provides a very intimate audience experience and every seat feels close to the action, which made the performance feel really immersive. The staff was friendly and organized, and getting in and seated was smooth even with a full house. The Center Theatre Group hooked us up with a pair of second row tickets for this play when we were at the LA Times Festival of Books, and we purchased an additional pair for friends to join us for the show. Guac was a hilarious, creative, and heartfelt production. What amazed me was how the star of the show managed to pull off such a spectacular performance as a one-man band. His energy combined with the excellent crowd work on the audience made the whole night feel surreal. Without giving away too much of the plot, I can tell you that this play is very much on the nose for today's social climate and the timing couldn't be more perfect with upcoming elections. You can tell this theatre really supports bold, original productions instead of just playing it safe. Also appreciated how clean and well-maintained the venue was, plus there are plenty of good spots nearby to grab food or drinks before the show, like ramen at Ippudo or Mensho Tokyo. They also validate parking for an additional two hours if you park at City Hall, so I recommend taking advantage of this. The recommended attire is more on the casual side compared to Broadway shows you'd catch at Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, so leave the suits at home and pack a comfy outfit instead. Already looking forward to coming back for another production!

PRO-TIP: You can get free parking at City Hall across the street and they validate up to 3 hours…read more(1st hour is free). The ticket validation scanner is in the lobby area and staff are there to assist if need be. Came here to see the "Enormous Crocodile" with some other fellow adults. Probably one of the few groups here without children. For some strange reason, after purchasing my tickets, it said to pick them up from the box office, but that was no issue and we were able to get physical tickets ASAP, around 20 minutes before the musical. There's concession where you can get snacks (must finish before entering the theater) or drinks (can bring inside). They had some specials for the season and some specials for the showing, which we got both of. I really liked the non-alcoholic Swamp Water, very refreshing and fruity and the little palm tree umbrella was very cute and on theme. My bro and his friend shared the Croc Cooler, which was made with vodka, blue curacao, orange juice and bitters, and sprite and a stick of cinnamon. Very strong, had to water this down with the Swamp Water, but overall, definitely much more affordable than the spirits at the Ahmanson theater. There's also complimentary water. For the families there, there was a table for coloring and craft making, a wall to share your artwork, a nook of books recommended by the Croc, and a small table selling merchandise. For concession and merch, it was cashless only! It's a smaller theater but it uses the space pretty well, some seats to the side, and some balcony seats too. The stage is at ground level meaning you can walk in from the first row of seats (some parents had to reel in their toddlers from doing this). We were in the 3rd row from the front and the sound was nice and crisp, lighting was great, and it was nice from where we were at to see the details in the set, costume, and puppetry. Overall a fun experience and a good theater.

The Morgan-Wixson Theater is located in Santa Monica. Parking is on the street, but mind the signs…read more You can park without any problem right down the street at the Family Clinic for free anytime and it is not a long walk at all. This is a not for profit and it has professional actors, kids and armatures. It is small and there is not a bad seat in the house. Most of the staff are volunteers so be nice. You can order from their website. It has a great selection of plays, from kids plays (called the YES program) to musicals and some very serious plays. We have been so many times and have never seen a bad play and if you have a kid, it is a must you take them there. The prices are so fair and they a little snack bar inside. There is nothing not to like about this theater. It has nice places to eat nearby and it is a great area.

RENTERS BEWARE!!! Not reliable management. The theater…read moreitself is nice. But our dance studio had horrible experience with administration multiple years. 2026 was the worst experience. We reserved theatre for our concert a year in advance. They kept refusing to send us contact (like previous years), probably waiting for some bigger renter to offer them something more. 3 DAYS BEFORE OUR RENTAL THEY CANCELLED ON US! We had to find a new theater, change program, rearrange performances, reprint all tickets/booklets,posters, tell 40 families to change time and location of the event. This was the most stressful experience ever. It's too bad. We were ready to rent their theater every year. And we have rented twice before, having same problem- no contract till last minute! Bill(William) is not responsive. You will call, text, email and have no response. If you're up to get your hair turn grey while dealing with them, go for it.

I loved the Taboo Tales Workshop! What a great way to spend a day. I'm so thankful I took the time…read moreto encourage my inner artist. It would have been easy to fill up another Saturday with a to-do list related to everyone else in my life, instead I experienced a day I will never forget. Writing and laughing with a room full of like minded individuals gave me the courage to push myself in ways I hadn't previously explored. A huge thanks to all the Taboo Tales team for creating an amazing environment for writers to grow.

I recently took the Taboo Tales writing workshop and had one of the most enriching experiences of…read moremy life! As a writer, I'm always looking to expand my skills and go deeper. Laurenne and Corey were wonderful instructors and their writing prompts were inspiring and helpful. I got to spend the day with eight other writers. We laughed. We cried. We wrote. I highly recommend this workshop for anyone who is looking to explore deeper writing and further develop their storytelling skills. Also great for anyone who is thinking about telling their story on stage. Oh, and the food was great too!

This review is about my recent experience with attempting to see Sex, Lies and Harold Pinter. I…read morearrived to the theatre only to find out that the director had decided to cancel the show and turn it into a dress rehersel. This is information you need to let people know earlier in the day not wait until they waste their time and gas money and arrive at the box office. The girl running the box office was apoigetic and nice. Someone associated from the production was trying to have the people that did buy tickets be able to sit through the rehersal since it would be a full run-through. He later told me that he was overruled and it was a no go. I did receive a refund, but even the refund doesn't cover the price of gas that was spent and sitting in traffic driving there and driving back. Not to mention there are different things I could have done with my day if i wasn't going to attend this show. Astronomical unprofessionalism and zero regard for the audience's time and frankly money. If you have already purchased tickets to one of their performances I highly recommend that you confirm if the show is still going on so your time isn't wasted. I have to say out of all of the plays I have seen in LA this is one of the worst experiences I've ever had. I won't be going to any future plays put on by this production company. Do better. This is pretty disgusting.

Odyssey is such a wonderful local theater. I have enjoyed attending many events there and have seen…read morenumerous plays in both English and Farsi. The Iranian-American playwright Houshang Touzie and his production company, Work Shop 79, are presenting his latest play at Odyssey this weekend, and I attended their rehearsal last night to be part of it. What I love most about Odyssey is that every seat is a "good seat." The lighting director and the sound engineer were busy setting everything up, and I sat silently in the darkness, watching everything come together in preparation for what was to come this weekend. Thank you, Odyssey, for welcoming plays from other cultures and languages into your theater.

We attend each show Creating Arts puts on. My daughter loves every performance and takes pictures…read morewith the cast members after the show. I HIGHLY recommend The Creating Arts Company to everyone. We arrive on time and always get amazing seats. The cast sings,dances and interacts with the kids. We love it!!!

Soon after I wrote my first review, I learned that Creating Arts has an outreach program. My…read moredaughter attends a local elementary school and they came out for free! For our upper grades they performed Beauty and the Beast, and lower grades they performed Pinocchio. A great opportunity for students who've never been to the theater. And hopefully, great exposure for the dedicated workers this company has to offer. Thank you!!

TL:DR - An emotionally moving experience that immersed the senses…read more Located South of Ktown and in the same building as Lab Rat Escape Room. There is street parking on the adjacent streets. Before I begin to gush about how much I love this experience, I think its important to note that this is not an escape room. There are puzzle elements but it is first and foremost a story. And that story is fucking good! I had done the Lab Rat escape room the previous year and it is still the best escape room I have ever done. I wanted to see what else Hatch Escapes offered and the Nest sounded great, so I went with that. My wife and I showed up on a cool Sunday morning and we're unsure of what to expect. We were lead to the 5th floor of the building and down a row of storage units. We were handed a flashlight, a tape deck, and then were guided into one. What would ensue for the next 2 hours was a beautiful story of promise, romance, dreams, heartbreak, and the memories of a world that might have existed. I was honestly not ready for this. I am not a crier in the slightest and found myself tearing up as I progressed through the rooms. The final room took all my will to not just break down bawling. When we walked back out into the sun, I felt a renewed sense of appreciation for the people in my life. If you're on the fence about going, just do it. You will have a great time and a moving experience.

It was my friend's birthday and I wanted to surprise him with something fun especially since he…read moreloves games and puzzles. Luckily there was openings on Wednesday evening. The Nest says online that 2 to 4 can sign up at once, but honestly after going through it, I felt two of us was perfect, as noted in another review, some spaces are tight and you do have to duck under some areas. I don't want to give any secrets away or spoil anything, because you want to arrive and immerse yourself in the experience. Let's just say I didn't understand the other reviews about that it can make you feel emotional, until halfway through, something got me in the feels, and then at the very end, just when you think it's over, one more thing got all my emotions hit (in a good way) and I didn't want to leave. It was so special. The Nest is similar to an escape room as you are still solving some puzzles, but it's without pressure and everything builds upon itself as you go. I definitely recommend The Nest. I know it's strange but, I almost want to go back and do it again alone, just to absorb it in all over again.

*** Wow, what an excellent play on childless motherhood. ***…read more When I read of this play starring Charlayne Woodard, I initially thought "omg a play on motherhood, urgh, how boring is that"? Yet this one-woman play was most entertaining to say the least. Thx Brittany and Yelp for providing a few complimentary tickets. Although tix are $20 thru 18Dec, Yelp comped a few folks today. Sweet b/c I hadn't realized the Kirk Douglas Theatre was so nice. Now back to this play ... how can a childless professional woman speak about motherhood and make it entertaining, you might ask? Well, it seems that Woodard tailors real life stories to best illustrate thoughts of conscientious LA women who have maternal instincts. She undoubtedly proves that no woman needs to bear a child in order to be complete or worthy in life. Basically ... "just be you". As a role model and aunt she is a better matriarch than many. She makes you lol a lot, and at times, she saddens you to tears. All in all I'd say "The Night Watcher" is a personal gem for sure. *** I will certainly return to the Kirk Douglas Theatre again. ***

An amazing must-see!!!!! Charlayne Woodard is absolutely incredible in her play, "The…read moreNightwatcher." Via a Yelp Elite invitation arranged by the one and only Brittany B., I was invited as a +1 by Yelp Elite Ming-Jou C. to check this play out. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. Walking towards the theatre, we passed the uber-famous Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken, which we vowed to hit if the play sucked and we left early. Well needless to say, we never made it to Honey's............. Parking is quite reasonable even in the nearby pay structure - 2 hours free then $1/hr after that. City Hall has a good amount of free parking as well, so try that first since you'll save a couple bucks. Street parking is also no charge after 6pm, but that might be a little more sketchy to find since this is quite the bustling downtown spot with its cluster of cool restaurants and little shops. Upon arrival, we ran into super cool Yelp Elites Kent D. and Tuan C. in the lobby (who drove ALL the way from Orange County!) and did some nice Yelp catching up with them. As I looked around further, I knew this was the Yelp spot to be, as I saw quite a few other Yelpers checking in on their smartphones (with their white screens and telltale red Yelp banner across the top!) I had never been to this particular theatre before, and was pleasantly surprised by the cozy size. The staff are super polite and helpful, and the lounge and lobby areas are a great place to relax before the show. There's definitely not a bad seat in the house, and the venue was perfect for Woodard's non amplified solo performance. I purposely didn't look up the theme of the play beforehand so that I would have a fresh impression of what was going on. With that, I was immediately latched onto Woodard's intense and amazing presence on the stage. A truly phenomenal performance going on here, and that is an understatement. A single chair was her only prop, with minimal visual support from some overhead images on the screen behind her. Some background audio was also used here and there to add drama to some of the scenes, but the focus and energy of the audience was definitely on Woodard herself. The play itself is a series of stories about how this budding actress has been vitally involved with friends' and relatives' children from their youngest ages, but never having the privilege of actually having her own child. Deeply emotional scenes are retold in such detail that the audience can't help but feel as if they are witnessing these events unfold before their eyes in real time....amazing considering all of that comes from just one person standing there with some lights shining on her. One doesn't know what to expect from each scene - or even when it begins or might end - with each story painting a clearer picture of this woman's genuine and sometimes heartbroken efforts to better innocent childrens' lives. A great experience, and from what I understand, Woodard doesn't do this performance very often so definitely check out this VERY limited engagement if you have any possible opportunity to do so. Seeing it at the iconic Kirk Douglas Theatre will only make it 1000000x better! And be sure to check out other plays here too, I know I will!

Amazing 1st Class Performer & Artist!.... I was fortunate…read moreenough to be able to book Hillel ("Mr. Balloon Man") for my event and he was astonishing! His performance literally held our entire party of over 200 people completely spellbound for his entire show.. His act combined so many different elements (from mime, to comedy, to illusion & performance art) that there was something for everyone in the audience. I can also say without hesitation that he is easily the most "user-friendly" obliging performer I have ever booked and he was a complete joy to work with. Everyone is still talking about his performance days later. If you want to create a lasting impression, something people will always remember, then I urge you to book Hillel- you will be glad that you did!

We were lucky to be at the Magic Castle when Hillel The Balloon Man was performing in the Palace…read moreTheater. His act is fantastic and unique. He combines mime with magic and comedy. He is a great performer for adults and children and we look forward to seeing him again.