I stumble upon this casual space after buying a ticket on Goldstar for the show Best Man, 1960 a Gore Vidal play, on a Sunday afternoon. This corner building itself hosts two small theatres in a small art complex on Santa Monica Blvd. Open the red door and through a tunnel lands you in the check-in table! The lounge in the back has a raised stage with an immersive set design. The first-come-first-serve seats are comfortable with just enough legroom, and there wasn't any obstructed seat. The show itself was a joy to see a diversity in age among the cast, yet every one brought quirks and personality to their characters. This political play with its insightful take on the role of morality in politics is ever more relevant - what a great choice for a revival run. There was a 10-minute intermission, quick enough to wait for the one-stall restroom and even grab a $5 beer you are going to need for the second act! For parking, street spaces were available if you give yourself a few minutes around the blocks, but make sure to check the signs for enforced LA residential permit zones. read more

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(Attended 11/13/16 SU @ 7:00pm): There was a bit of "lounginess" to this theatre...but I wouldn't get too comfortable or you'd miss the show! Thanks to the discount entertainment service, Goldstar, I spun the bottle and treated a friend to the final world premiere showing of "Siamese Sex Show" at The Lounge Theatres. Located along famous "Theatre Row Hollywood" at the intesection of Santa Monica Blvd. and El Centro St., would this playhouse and show get us all hot and bothered and ask for more!?: Refreshments (n/a) - We grabbed a pre-show meal elsewhere since we had no idea of the food situation. However, they offered minimal smattering of drinks and snacks that ranged from $2.00-$5.00 with a $5.00 minimum credit card charge. Seats (FREE + $6.50 service fee ea.; regularly priced between $15.00-$30.00) - General seating first-come first-serve. All sightlines were unobstructed. However, each creaky cushioned non-cup holder seat was rather small, cramped, and certainly no sufficient passing room in front of each row of seats so you were required to stand up. Since the theatre was tiny, you were figuratively and almost literally on the stage with the performers if not at least part of the set design! The Show (10/08/16-11/13/16) - [Provided synopsis] "Siamese Sex Show" is the world premiere hip-hop musical that smartly blends Lady Gaga-esque popstar theatricality with Blade Runner's dark comic vision. In a future so near that you can taste it, the mysterious conglomerate Monocorp fabricates an epidemic condemning intimacy to profit from its "safe" new pseudo-sex product called the "Love Light". Meanwhile, at an underground "intimacy" speakeasy called "The Siamese Sex Show", four fallen popstars gather in collusion to plan their revenge against Monocorp's devious CEO. As the world teeters on the brink of destruction, can these unlikely heroes overcome their differences in time to stop Monocorp's evil agenda? Helmed by award-winning director Kiff Scholl... The musical includes rap lyrics from hip-hop legend Kool Keith, Mistah Fab, and J Diggs. Here were additional tidbits: 1. The set design consisted of risers, stairs, steps, a wall with projected images, private curtained rooms, a catwalk, and "red-light district" lights to represent a seedy speakeasy club. They certainly utilized the lack of space provided. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=xmUtOyfC1VybfITH0otkYQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw 2. Costume design was contemporary, inventive, sexy, and relatable to the current dance club scene with some flair. 3. The script was decent but the musical numbers with its creative lyrics kept me tapping my toes. 4. Each member of this ensemble cast was energetic and hilarious. Those who stood out were Erin Rye (the luscious "robotic" sex kitten Cherry ["Your pleasure is my pleasure!"]), and Eddie Gutierrez (the naïve marketing genius). The four women who represented "The Board" had me "rising" in my seat! Service - The easy-peasy play-by-play: we walked up to a young woman at a counter inside the lobby, provided my name, scored our tickets (our FootLights program https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=PFMVNQ92FhKOZeQCCykb0w&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw), waited a bit as they prepared the theatre, and finally allowed into the theatre. Parking (Varies; FREE this instance) - No private lots, there was plenty metered parking (2-hour limit enforced daily 8am-6:00pm excluding Sundays) along the main drag of Santa Monica Blvd. (where we parked for a short walk) and all surrounding streets. Atmosphere, décor, ambience - Two stages were housed in a non-descript corner concrete exterior building while a simple marquee adorned the façade https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=zvvptaY6dI4eqHYO6MIg0g&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. The ticket counter was located inside a cramped lobby with a few chairs and couches. No natural lighting whatsoever, so electric ceiling lights filled the area. Finally, you walked into the 69-seat Lounge 1 Theatre (Lounge 2 held 46 seats) which was equipped with snug cushioned seats. The basic sound system was fine for this facility. There were no stage monitors or background music. Attire - As I've always said, "it's the performing arts in a theatre so show respect for the craft and medium and dress at minimum business casual." Sorry, no t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops this time around. Overall, I will probably find myself at The Lounge Theatres. I found deficiencies regarding theatre size and parking options, but places to drink or eat were within waling distance. I was still happy for the fact of another place to get my theatre on! I found fairly good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was $13.00; no tip required). I'd be satisfied to pay a percentage of the asking price, but the nearly 90 minutes with no intermission was an enjoyable evening. And, my credit card of choice was accepted...AMEX! 3.5 STARS read more

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The theater -.Charming little local theater. Very cozy & intimate. Every seat is a good seat. Very well maintained. Nicely decorated in the lobby area. Few sofa for seating. There is a concession stand, selling beverage & snacks. All the staffs are very friendly & helpful. The show - Seeing "Sight Unseen". The parking - More free parking on Lodi Bl, only few minutes walk. Sometimes can find free parking right outside the theater on Santa Monica Blvd or El Centro. read more

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Comfortable and intimate, there's not a bad seat in the house. And the lobby is a fun, quirky space, too, where you might grab a snack or a beverage to bring inside. Yeah, no problem bringing stuff in this theatre. Perfect for solo shows, but can also be a fun place to see an ensemble piece. I've seen both here, and have always enjoyed it. They've been able to do sparse sets, as well as some pretty intricate production design here, too. It really depends on who is bringing what show in. Parking might be something you don't enjoy, but give yourself a few minutes to spare, and you can find something on Santa Monica, or maybe Vine St., possibly El Centro. Would certainly recommend. read more

Came here last weekend to watch a friend's show "Blood Fruit." The performance and all technical cues were pretty much spot on. I have no complaints about the performance... HOWEVER, upon finishing the show, as any show goes, folks go out to the lobby and kibbitz a little bit with friends about the show. Whoever was in charge that night of scheduling one show on top of each other like that, should practically be horsewhipped. Never in my life have I been rushed out of a theater like that. "Thanks for spending your $$$, now we need you out." Friends had just purchased a glass of wine and were forced to down it...How absurd! The Star of the show deserved a little more time to meet with audience members afterwards, and I feel he was cheated out of a great experience. Didn't even seem like it was 10 minutes before being shushed out...something I don't take kindly to. I do hope for the remaining two performances for the show, they won't try to pile in people to see the following show into cramped corners when people are trying to get out. Can you say, Fire Hazard? A little more professionalism would be nice, not to mention spacing shows out a little more, so that people can enjoy the ambiance of going to the theater to enjoy the art....not performance art of being a sardine. PERFORMANCE: 5 Stars QUALITY OF TICKET PRICE: 3 Stars VENUE: 3 Stars (too cramped) HOSPITALITY: 2 Stars read more

I came here to see 60 Miles to Silverlake. The play was EXCELLENT. But, the theater wasn't as excellent. Parking was an absolute nightmare. It took us 15 minutes to find a spot. Also, walking around this neighborhood was a bit scary. Most of the homes were boarded up and had bars on the windows. Shawshank Village, California. The venue itself is easy to find. It's on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Vine. Street parking ONLY. Inside the venue, the box office is just a cardboard table with a Polly Pocket money organizer for ticket sales. I paid with card and this seemed to be a chore. I basically had to fill out my life story on a piece of paper to use a debit card. My MAJOR gripe with this venue: $30 tickets!!!! The play I went to was good, but not $60 good! (I paid for my date) Was this Broadway? Was Daniel Day Lewis doing a question and answer segment after the show? What was $30? The play was an hour long. The seating was also a bit suspect. The theater probably seated 25 people. I didn't even get to sit by my date. She sat in the row in front of me. The seats were so uncomfortable. I found myself moving the entire time. The people next to me probably wanted to kill me. Silver lining: the performance and atmosphere. Old - Hollywood - style theater. This play was awesome. Amazing acting. Great style. Intimate. Funny. Heartfelt. Genuine. Original. I REALLY enjoyed the performance, but I will never go back due to high ticket prices, parking, and just being uncomfortable in my seat. Pros: FANTASTIC performance. -Old Hollywood Vibe -Easy to find CONS: PARKING EXPENSIVE UNCOMFORTABLE See for yourself. Sean read more

We came to the Lounge Theater to watch "Love and Other Allergies" as my belated birthday present. The Lounge Theater is a small venue and very inconspicuous on the corner of Santa Monica and El Centro. Park on the street (read the signs! Hollywood likes to get you for not reading the signs) and walk to the theater. I believe there are 2 theaters; we went into the East theater, which probably holds around 60 patrons. I didn't know this at the time, but the actors double as ticket-takers and concession stand workers. In the east theater, the seats are velvet and plush, but some of them are slanted to one side and some entire rows' seats are tilted toward the front (Especially the first row on the left!). Not to mention that some of the plush is no longer plushy. On the up side, this theater was decently clean. Also, the ventilation is pretty powerful here (almost "windy"), since it's a small theater, but not so bothersome when the seats are filled up and everyone starts emanating body heat. Well, the play was a delight - so much that I brought the beau the second time :) This is a great intimate theater, if you want to take a break from the large venues or if you just like a more intimate setting, as I do. read more

I recently had the pleasure of seeing the truly phenomenal one woman show, "I'm Sorry", at the Lounge Theatre. Directed by Lauren Patrice Nadler and written by and starring Katya Lidsky, "I'm Sorry" takes us through laugh-out-loud, moving journey of "how a people pleasing apologist becomes an animal loving activist". I laughed till my sides hurt one minute and was brought to tears the next. Lidsky's talent is undeniable and Nadler's expert direction and guidance make this show a MUST SEE! read more

I love The Lounge Theater and as a producer and actor, I wanted sing some praises! We are producing our fourth "Slam or BE Slammed" monologue slam at The Lounge...these series of slams are fundraisers for our play House Rules to be held at The Lounge Theater on Oct 29. The owner, Racquel and her lovely assistant Keirin have been a wonderful to work with. They seem to understand how challenging it can be to produce great work here in LA and I love them for that! The Lounge has wonderful red velvet plushy seats that allow you to comfortably enjoy theater on their intimate stage; there is also a great lounge area so that you can have a reception pre-post event. The theater is clean, easy to find and beautifully decorated. It's a great find and I recommend it to actors/producers looking for an intimate venue for your theatrical events :) read more

Very nice little theater. Friendly staff. Saw a production of All My Sons. Very well done. Overall great experience.

The Lounge Theater is very small and intimate venue on the corner of SM Blvd and El Centro - look for the red doors, unless they have the banner hanging out in front of the play (Madman Williams for example) you're coming to watch. That helps too! Also, watch out for the signs when parking in this area. Though, the nice thing is that most of the plays end by 9:30PM or 10PM, so that you can get to your car asap if you end up parking in those "No Parking from 10PM to 5AM" areas. Upon entering the theater, there will be two ladies sitting at the desk to check you in at the living room section. There's two plays going on, and so they'll give you a program for whatever play you're coming to watch. There's also a kitchen area to get your drinks and just hang out before the plays start. There's also two bathrooms, (the nicer one is the one by the kitchen) :p I came here on Friday to see "Madman William," and then on Saturday to see "Dysnomia". I loved both of the plays. For "Madman Williams," the play centers around MacBeth, Hamlet and King Lear in a pub with a bartender and Mercutio, talking about William Shakespeare, and questioning his work, and how Shakespeare enters his own dreams and actually talking to his characters....it was a crazy play, and full of laughter, and fun, and audience participation. Mercutio interacted with the audience - flirting and talking to them, whereas, I got to participate, when I helped the three of them show them how to punch and knee King Lear, so that they'll know what to do when they attack Shakespeare and Mercution, hehehe.... For Saturday's "Dysnomia," - parking was hell since the Celebrity Cementary was hosting their own theather night, and so parking sucked, but eventually found a place. Also, I had a fun time chatting and sitting with one of the actor's girlfriend (Hi Shay!). As for the play: it's about a woman, who has been unhappied, lost, and stucked within the last 15 years of life, and finally tells her husband that she's gay, and goes through this whirlwind of emotions throughout the play to finally be acknowledged by her son that he understands the "knot," and she finally finds relief and comfort. A hilarious play that anyone can relate to, and overall, it was a bittersweet ending to the play because it leaves it up to the audience to decide on how they want to visual the ending in their minds. Personally, I would have loved to see more, but the play has to end before 10PM due to the parking restrictions *waves fist!* hehehe.... It was my first time attending this theater and I loved it! Would for sure come again! read more

The Lounge Theatres - Madman William's Pub Set - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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ROSE BOWL QUEENS. There are two venues at the Lounge Theathere. I took in this one last night. This particular ROSE BOWL is a bowling alley, and I was literally bowled over. Being a theatrte critic for many years - I recently hung up my quill - my pen-my tripewriter (pun intended) 'cause my Mum said: "Say nothing if you can't say nice", and seeing as I was batting about 200 I . almost stopped theatre-going. However last night changed all that. ROSE BOWL QUEENS gave me a new faith in the inherent love I have always had for live theatre. I laughed - I cried, (damn it Asunta- why d'you always do that to me?) and if you never see another damn play or musical -- RUN -dont WALK to the theatre (THO WHEN THE WORD GETS OUT) - the tickets will be as tough to get as the super-bowl. May it run forever. Abraham Alan Ross e read more

Great equity waiver theatre! The staff is friendly and very accommodating. This time I came to see "She is History!" by Amy Simon. Excellent one act play about women who have made a difference! Had an opportunity to meet Amy as well after the show. My only concern was that I wish she would have worn a head microphone so that I could hear her better. However, I'm hard of hearing, but still had a great time. If you get a chance to see this play, do so! read more

I'm kind of over drag queen stuff. They've had their heyday, now it's time for the drag kings. That said: I haven't enjoyed a theatrical production as much as I loved every second of the Lounge Theatre's "The Bad Seed" in a very, very, very long time. I've worked in theater, and consequently am super-picky about what I see. I'm also intensely critical, and have a love-hate relationship with most of the shows I see. There's always a part of me saying 'how would I have done this" or "that line doesn't ring true, or even false, or even funny." If you haven't seen the 1956 (?) film version of Maxwell Anderson's play, by all means put it on your Netflix queue. Rent it as a double feature with the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and you can't beat the paranoic cold-war high camp atmosphere of these two cult classics. "The Bad Seed" is about a Very Bad Little Girl. Oh, she's bad. And mean. And nasty. And her mother is clueless (but getting more and more clued in as time goes by and people around her little blonde darling start falling like flies), the upstairs neighbor reads everything in a Freudian light, and there's rampant closeted homosexuality, intimations of incest, and restrictive pencil skirts on the women. Patty McCormick as Rhoda Penmark (the Bad Seed) is superb, incredible, miraculous. You'll never scream the words "And then I hit him with my shoe! And then I hit him again!!!!!" without thinking about her. So when we settled down in the front row of the intimate Lounge Theater (park in the hood, and be prepared to walk a few blocks, lazyboneses) I knew I'd be in for a treat just based upon the trashy set design and the program notes. When the action started, it was nonstop hilarity. What's interesting is that for the most part, the cast stuck to the Anderson's unbelievably campy script, which is so bad it rockets right back up to good. Danny Schmitz as Rhoda has every nuance down pat, and in some way manages to infuse her with some sympathetic qualiities. But you really, really need to go to see the Michelle Hutchison's performance as the bereaved mother of little Claude Daigle, who was last seen talking to Rhoda at the end of the pier. Hint. Michelle Hutchison gave one of those performances during which I couldn't even laugh, because I was to busy staring at her, hypnotized, freaked out and amazed at how a woman, a woman (yay!) took the stage from a bunch of grandstanding boys (just YOU try to wrestle a nanosecond of attention away from a drag queen...try it, if you want to have all your limbs intact at the end of the show). She has the best entrance of any show I've ever seen. Ever. And I've seen many shows. She does something with her eyes which is incomprehensible to me. When she goes off-script (they do it a bit) she screams out: I've only had one fuckin' rehearsal, assholes! without missing a beat, and then segues to her fantastic rendition of the most over-the-top display of motherly grief you'll ever see. We walked out of there elated, laughing, feeling better about the world. I'd witnessed some of the most FUN acting I've ever seen, and I felt like I had been pleasantly soiled. And I say that in a good way. Catch it before it goes, my darlings. You'll thank Ms. V. read more

Went to go support my friend's play here and it's a really intimate space so pretty much any seat should have a good view. I had gotten there early anticipating LA parking from reading the reviews here but since it was a Saturday afternoon, street parking wasn't too bad and I found one pretty easily. Perhaps see a show when the streets are filled with people going out. I felt pretty safe in the day walking around. Do watch out for the grass for irresponsible and inconsiderate dog owners that don't pick up after their dogs though. There's two restrooms and apparently they are also serve snacks and drinks here. read more

I would give 0 star if could. Tiny place and old. The restrooms are dirty and people who work there always seem to have an attitude for no reason. Some shows are good. Overall, one of the worst theater experiences. read more

Didnt like the seating.. dont fall for the word lounge.. Watched first part of Dysnomia then left .. Had some funny parts but wasnt all that.. read more

We went to see "Down the Road" last night at the Lounge Theater, and it was very enjoyable. It is a very small theater, which means you are "up close and personal" with the actors. There are only about 50 seats. The show was very good. The theater itself has a lovely waiting lounge, with couches and refreshments available. Very cozy and a nice way to wait for the doors to open. The only criticism I have is that the show started about 15 minutes late, and it wasn't opening night; in fact, it was the penultimate performance, as it ends tonight. A friend of mine who teaches theater says the first thing you learn is - no matter what, START ON TIME. The audience arrived on time, and so you should, too. Our time is valuable, too. Perhaps we were meeting friends for drinks or dinner after the show. I had checked out what time it was scheduled to end, but it didn't matter, because it didn't start on time. The gentleman who greeted us - at 8:15 - was very cordial and very grateful that we were there, but gratitude could be shown simply by agreeing to the "contract" between seller and buyer - start on time! read more

We enjoyed "Brilliant Traces" which has at least a few brilliant moments, mostly where humor is involved. The performances were very excellent and the stage setting in the intimate theater. effectively captures the atmosphere of an isolated cabin in Alaska The story weaves in and out of moments of hilarity and dead serious issues of the heart, Overall, enough highly relatable perspectives to make it worthwhile. (Also allow a little extra time to find street parking). read more