Lodestone Theatre Ensemble

I heart Lodestone Theatre Ensemble! And will be very sad to see its final show of «Grace Kim and the Spiders from Mars!» Hopefully someone else will continue the creation of New Asian American Works with cutting edge and contemporary themes.
1…2…3.NOT IT!

Sadly, this is the last year of production for this 10 year old Asian American theater company. This is really too bad, as they definitely occupy a definite niche in L.A. Although small (they use the GTC Burbank theater, which is 99 seats), they develop and produce a number of premieres each season.
They make a great complement to East West Players, appealing to a younger, hipper audience.
I love that they take so many chances with the material the produce. If any particular production or given moment in a play hits a wrong note, it’s not for lack of boldness.
They also draw upon a stable of actors who’ve found great chemistry with each other, let alone being very fine actors in and of themselves.
You should check out one of their shows while you can!

The Mikado Project
A great collaborative project to remind us how far along society has progressed in facing sexism and racism. This piece is timeless as long as prejudice still exists. The music confirms such notion moving us through times past to the present. The actors are wonderfully witty with razor sharp tongues and edgy deliveries. Although the singing abilities varied, their voices were compelling to deliver a story that is honest, full of life, and relevant to anyone’s struggles.

Lodestone is a relatively new Asian American theatre group — it’s relative, because they existed in an earlier incarnation as a strictly Korean American theatre group founded by the brilliant Korean actor Soon-​Tek Oh as the Society of Heritage Players.
(update) Here it is April, six months later, and they are now doing my play, THE MIKADO PROJECT. Only a couple more weeks — it plays until May 20 — so come on out to see it, it’s a fun, fun ride!