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An oasis for those who love classic stories. Los Angeles Times
Past Productions

  • Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia

    “Strong cast and inspired staging” “A dizzying blend of philosophy, physics, higher mathematics, and even higher comedy” – Los Angeles Times Romantic, funny, and profoundly moving, Tom Stoppard’s meticulously crafted masterwork invites you to unravel the big and small mysteries of the universe at bucolic Sidley Park. There, the intricate interplay of past and present is equally driven by fierce intellectual curiosity and the fickle passions of the human heart.

  • Jean Genet’s The Maids

    Translated by Bernard Frechtman

    Filled with self-loathing and driven by desperation, the titular characters in Jean Genet’s groundbreaking play create elaborate and highly eroticized fantasy worlds in response to a lifetime of abuse. Their increasingly ruinous role-play is a trenchant statement about the accident of birth, the searing brutality of class distinctions, and the liberation that stems from destruction.

  • Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid

    Adapted by Constance Congdon • Based on a New Translation by Dan Smith

    “Just what the doctor ordered” – LA Times The Imaginary Invalid proves again that laughter is the best medicine.” – LA Times As his medical debts mount, Argan, a man whose mental neuroses grossly outweigh his physical maladies, concocts a scheme to marry his daughter off to a family of physicians. High comedy ensues–replete with thwarted love, false identities, dexterous wordplay, musical interludes, and a healthy dose of derision towards…

  • William Shakespeare’s King Lear

    The gut-wrenching devastation of Lear encompasses more than one man’s trajectory of power and hubris; it is an affecting, unflinching chronicle of a family as it disintegrates around the mental illness of its patriarch. This spring we invite you to experience, in the midst of tragedy, the healing and transcendent nature of great art.

  • Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness!

    A Nostalgic Comedy of the Ancient Days when Youth was Young, and Right was Right, and Life was a Wicked Opportunity

    A rare departure from the playwright’s darker oeuvre, this comedy is unabashedly nestled in the halcyon days of turn-of-the-century Americana; a gentle, loving, and boldly optimistic study of a deeply bonded family as they navigate the youthful indiscretions of their wayward son.

  • ANW Presents The Yale Whiffenpoofs in Concert

    A Dalaklis/Miraglia Production

    One of the top a capella choirs in America visits Pasadena for one night only! For generations, this legendary group has performed at prestigious venues such as the Lincoln Center, White House, Carnegie Hall, and the Rose Bowl and appeared on Saturday Night Live and 60 Minutes. Thanks for coming to the show! The music continue at A Noise Within this spring with Ah, Wilderness! and Man of La Mancha. See you again…

  • Man of La Mancha

    Written by Dale Wasserman • Music by Mitch Leigh • Lyrics by Joe Darion

    Extended due to popular demand! Set in a prison, the story-within-a-story of Don Quixote’s musical misadventures – rife with love, chivalry, and of course, four-armed giants – unfurls into something more transcendent: a beacon of hope in a dire world. Dream the impossible dream with the wandering hidalgo in this quintessential tale about the resilience of the human spirit, and the power of storytelling when faced with insurmountable odds. Original…

  • A Tale of Two Cities

    Written by Charles Dickens • Adapted by Mike Poulton

    This bold, fast-paced adaptation deftly streamlines Dickens’ epic story into a taut political thriller, giving a new sense of urgency to the intertwined fates of two men at the bloody, turbulent end of the French Revolution. Called “startlingly relevant” (Live Theatre UK), Tony®-nominee Poulton delivers a roller coaster ride of romance and adventure that still embodies the rich characterizations and eloquent language of the original novel. This adaptation © Mike…

  • The Madwoman of Chaillot

    Written by Jean Giraudoux • Translation by Maurice Valency

    Liquid (and comedic) gold fuels this feminist, fantastical, frack-tured fairy tale. Oil is discovered under Paris, and Countess Aurelia and her kooky coterie are determined to drive away the evil corporate profiteers lying in wait. A can’t miss rallying-cry for those who crave a satisfying David vs. Goliath fable in the form of incisive, side-splittingly funny theatre. “Madwoman of Chaillot, The” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC….

  • Mrs. Warren’s Profession

    Written by George Bernard Shaw

    Cambridge-educated Vivie lives a comfortable middle-class life and envisions herself a pragmatic and open-minded twentieth century woman. Then she discovers that her entrepreneurial mother, Kitty, is an unapologetically successful madam. Sensibilities clash in this character-driven dramedy about the business of pleasure, the economics of necessity, and the ties that bind…or don’t.

  • Impro: Dickens UnScripted

    A completely improvised play in the style of Charles Dickens

    Directed by Brian Lohmann | Tickets $20-$40 The vivid narration and iconic characters that inhabit the world of Charles Dickens inspire Impro Theatre’s high-spirited “Dickens UnScripted.” Starting with audience suggestions, the ensemble combines comic portrayals with cruel melodrama and heartbreaking tenderness to create a spontaneous performance that is as lively and dynamic as a classic Dickens novel. The cast for the evening includes: Lisa Fredrickson, Madi Goff, Kelly Holden Bashar, Brian…

  • A Christmas Carol

    Written by Charles Dickens

    PLEASE NOTE: This is an archival page for the 2017 production of A Christmas Carol. To view this year’s 2022 A Christmas Carol, click here. “Only a die-hard humbug could remain unmoved by so charming a yuletide treat.” – Los Angeles Times ANW’s delightfully festive, musically merry holiday tradition returns! Families love the inspirational story of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge—the perfect burst of boundless good cheer for the season,…

  • Henry V

    Written by William Shakespeare

    You’ve never seen Henry like this before. Shakespeare’s world and our world collide to create a modernized aesthetic of the historical warrior and ruler. Our rendition of Henry V gets down and dirty with the art of war as Henry wrestles with what it means to be a good leader and a good man, while nationalism rises and war is unleashed. Are you a member of the Shakespeare Association of America? Email us or…

  • A Raisin in the Sun

    Written by Lorraine Hansberry

    In pre-civil rights America, an unexpected windfall offers a life-changing option for the Youngers, an African-American family living in a cramped Chicago apartment. The Youngers struggle with competing dreams and racial intolerance in Lorraine Hansberry’s seminal work, which remains a resonant story of hope and the need to retain dignity in a hostile world. Running Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. Late seating at House Manager’s discretion.

  • Noises Off

    Written by Michael Frayn

    For the 2019 production of Noises Off CLICK HERE. ANW’s most requested production. Your favorite Resident Artists, along with some new faces, are ready to rein in the chaos of this joyfully out-of-control British farce about the auspiciously titled play-within-a-play Nothing On. Step behind the curtain and meet the under-rehearsed and over-worked cast and crew with a penchant for drama more personal than professional. As the production progresses, the bumbling…

  • Man of La Mancha

    Written by Dale Wasserman • Music by Mitch Leigh • Lyrics by Joe Darion

    Set in a prison, the story-within-a-story of Don Quixote’s musical misadventures – rife with love, chivalry, and of course, four-armed giants – unfurls into something more transcendent: a beacon of hope in a dire world. Dream the impossible dream with the wandering hidalgo in this quintessential tale about the resilience of the human spirit, and the power of storytelling when faced with insurmountable odds. Original Production Staged by Albert Marre…

  • A Picture of Dorian Gray

    Based on the novella by Oscar Wilde

    Entranced by the beauty of his own portrait, Dorian Gray sells his soul to preserve his youth and pays a price. This haunting and seductive adaptation lets Wilde’s language and wit sparkle, but strips bare the themes of hedonism and the insatiable pursuit of pleasure. As Gray descends into self-indulgent debauchery, those around him are drawn to their own ruin like moths to a flame. Please note that the performance…

  • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

    By Tom Stoppard

    Hamlet is turned topsy turvy in this brilliant, Tony Award®-winning comedy that thrusts Shakespeare’s two minor characters to the frontlines with no rules except one: they are destined to die. Trapped in a universe where the flip of a coin always comes up heads and pirates can pop-up anytime, can our hapless protagonists triumph in a battle of wits, escape their fate, and make sense of a senseless world? Please…

  • A Christmas Carol

    Written by Charles Dickens

    PLEASE NOTE: This is an archival page for the 2018 production of A Christmas Carol. To view this year’s 2022 A Christmas Carol, click here. “Only a die-hard humbug could remain unmoved by so charming a yuletide treat.” – Los Angeles Times ANW’s delightfully festive, musically merry holiday tradition returns! Families love the inspirational story of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge—the perfect burst of boundless good cheer for the season,…

  • Othello

    Written by William Shakespeare

    The Bard’s most intimate of family tragedies about the terrible force of love and the breakdown of a man who has everything—power, position, and passion—only to find his world decimated through intense mind games with his ensign. Prescient in its searing social commentary of prejudice, betrayal, and thwarted ambition, Shakespeare’s thunderous drama examines who we trust and the price we pay for choosing wrong. Please note that this production will…

  • The Glass Menagerie

    Written by Tennessee Williams

    An innocuous visit from a potential suitor unsettles the sheltered Wingfield family. Matriarch Amanda fiercely protects her adult children from the harshness of others, but doesn’t realize that her own eccentricities are the biggest threat to their psychological survival. Brimming with poetic language and indelible characters, this play about the enduring but limiting nature of love and family made Tennessee Williams a household name. Please note that this production will…

  • Lineage Performing Arts Center’s Ceiling In The Floor

    Presented by Lineage Performing Arts Center

    Music and lyrics by Brandon Toh Directed by Marisa Echeverria Ceiling In The Floor is a dance-theater piece that explores the true story of a friendship bound up in art, music and mental illness. Through journal entries, songs, dances, letters and a manual for suicide risk assessment, we learn about Hilary and Brandon’s devoted friendship, their mutual love of music, and their struggles to grow together and apart as they…

  • Argonautika

    Written by Mary Zimmerman

    Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott In this fresh retelling of the classic Greek myth, Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece has been reframed for our time. Join the fantastic voyage and encounter Hercules, Hera, sirens, centaurs, and more—familiar mythological figures imbued with unexpected character and depth. Discover humor, love, and the unimaginable as Tony Award® winner Mary Zimmerman reveals the humanity in the most monstrous of creatures in this unforgettable…

  • American Moor

    Written and performed by Keith Hamilton Cobb

    Join us on March 27 at 7pm for a truly unique, one-night-only event: A ticketed presentation of Keith Hamilton Cobb’s award-winning solo play, American Moor, on the set of ANW’s Othello! A poetic exploration of the experience and perspective of black men in America through the metaphor of William Shakespeare’s eponymous black hero. Choose your seat and choose your price for this special performance!

  • Trans Chorus of LA & Celebration Theatre

    Presented by Trans Chorus of Los Angeles & Celebration Theatre

    TranSister Radio is a collective of artists in the Trans community bringing awareness, art, and culture of the Trans-narrative perspective.  Trans Women, Trans Men, Gender Non Conforming/Gender Non Binary and Intersex artists, lending their voices and talents to show a plethora of artistic expression through song, spoken word, dance, and so much more.  Join Trans Chorus of Los Angeles (the first all Trans identified Chorus in the United States, according…

  • Ate9 Dance Company’s 1 to 3

    Presented by Noise Now

    “1 to 3” is a series of solos, duets, and trios in an intimate setting that allows the dancers and Ate9 Artistic Director Danielle Agami to meet the audience both formally and informally. The performers’ embodiment of Agami’s signature mix of technical precision, vulnerability, and off-beat humor is juxtaposed with opportunities for audience members to ask questions and become more familiarized with Ate9’s rich contemporary dance work. Header photo by…

  • Noises Off

    Written by Michael Frayn

    One of ANW’s most beloved productions is back! Your favorites are ready to rein in the chaos of this joyfully out-of-control British farce about the auspiciously titled play-within-a-play Nothing On. Step behind the curtain and meet the under-rehearsed and over-worked cast and crew with a penchant for drama more personal than professional. As the production progresses, the bumbling cast brings down the house—literally! Please note that this production will use…

  • Frankenstein

    By Nick Dear

    Directed by Michael Michetti California Premiere This electrifying tale of a creature cast away by his creator into a hostile world—only to wind his way back in a dangerous game of destruction—has captivated audiences for over 200 years. The gothic story comes to life with Nick Dear’s adaptation of the chilling fable by Mary Shelley, animating the themes of social rejection, intellectual hubris, and the nascency of good and evil….

  • From Heaven [Orun] to Earth [Aiyê]

    An Afro-Brazilian Dance Journey & Fashion Show

    Artistic Collaboration: Shelby Williams-Gonzalez with Bianca Medina Witness the ancestral wisdom of African royalty as Viver Brasil salutes the Orixas – forces of nature – in captivating movement, rhythm, and costumes. Experience the energy of oceans, rivers, rainbows, winds, and storms along with the vibrations of justice and prosperity. Join us on the front lawn for this outdoor, dancing journey.   Viver Brasil Zoom Zoom Zoom Zoom Zoom

  • Gem of the Ocean

    By August Wilson

    Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson unfolds the African American legacy in the first chronological episode of his celebrated American Century Cycle—a soaring, mystical tale of a man desperate for redemption in 1904 Pittsburgh. Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old “soul cleanser,” sends him on a spiritual journey that dissects the nature of freedom amidst oppression and spurs him to take up the mantle of justice. Please note that this production will use…

  • Buried Child

    By Sam Shepard

    Set in America’s heartland, Sam Shepard’s powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play details, with shocking hilarity, the disintegration of the American Dream. When 22-year-old Vince unexpectedly shows up at the family farm with his girlfriend Shelly, no one recognizes him. So begins the unraveling of dark secrets. A surprisingly funny look at disillusionment and morality, Shepard’s masterpiece is the family reunion no one anticipated.

  • Diwali Block Party

    A Festival of Lights Celebration

    Celebrate Diwali! – The Festival of Lights! Heralding the New Year, Diwali is one of the biggest celebrations in India. Featuring live, outdoor performances by MKM Bollystars Dance Company and tasty culinary treats, join us on the front lawn for a celebratory afternoon for all ages!   Creative: Artistic Director, MKM Bollystars… Shivani Thakkar Associate Artistic Director, MKM Bollystars …Shalini Bathina   Special Guest Artists: Host… Vinita Khilnani Dancer, MKM…

  • A Sad Tale’s Best for Winter

    A Feminist adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale

    Is it possible to move forward – and to heal – in moments when catastrophic violence can’t be erased with forgiveness? With a merging of new and classic language, and through song, dance, and spoken word, A Sad Tale’s Best for Winter explores this question by interrupting and disrupting Shakespeare’s text. This new play brings the story into a world where a new generation struggles to undo the centuries of fear, pain,…

  • A Christmas Carol

    Written by Charles Dickens

    PLEASE NOTE: This is an archival page for the 2019 production of A Christmas Carol. To view this year’s 2022 A Christmas Carol, click here. Directed by Geoff Elliott & Julia Rodriguez-Elliott “Only a die-hard humbug could remain unmoved by so charming a yuletide treat.” – Los Angeles Times ANW’s delightfully festive, musically merry holiday tradition returns! Families love the inspirational story of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge—the perfect…

  • Room By The Sea

    Every day, the boy in the wheelchair sits on a ledge and dreams of flight, while his architect father frets about their future. That is, until the king of their small island nation makes the architect an offer: he will make the architect’s son comfortable and wealthy for the rest of his days. And in return, all the architect must do is complete one last job. The project? To create…

  • Latina Christmas Special

    An American Comedy of Latina Proportions

    A timely comedy about those of us who ride the edge between the culture of our immigrant parents and the culture of our home, America. Every ethnicity can relate to the feeling that their parents and families are a little “weird” (that’s a nice word) during the holidays when compared to the traditional American Christmases fed to us on TV. Three comedian friends: Sandra Valls (Showtime’s “Latin Divas of Comedy”),…

  • Wicked Lit

    Staged Readings

    Staged readings of three chilling classic stories: From Beyond, adapted by Trey Nichols, from the story by H.P. Lovecraft, directed by Shaina Rosenthal The Unholy Sisters, by Susannah Myrvold, inspired by “The Malleus Maleficarum” by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, directed by Paul Millet The Grove of Rashomon, adapted by Jonathan Josephson, from the short story “In A Grove” by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, directed by Darrell Kunitomi Stories of darkness and horror are as old humanity,…

  • Ballad

    By Roxie Perkins

    Co-Directed by Taylor Greenthal In order to make sense of the violence that seems to follow them wherever they go, a young, single mom teaches her daughter a murder ballad that was passed down to her from her own mother about a monster that can climb inside of anyone and make them “bad.” Told in a non-linear structure with interwoven songs, Ballad explores the weight of generational trauma and how…

  • Another Perfect Day

    A world premiere opera presented with LA Opera Connects

    There’s a traffic jam in L.A., and an opera breaks out. Infidelity, gentrification, a mother and child reunion, and an earthquake. L.A., baby… Another Perfect Day is a love letter to Los Angeles. And… it’s in English. This concert production, by Geoff “GG” Gallegos (composer) and Velina Hasu Houston and Shishir Kurup (librettists), will be performed for one night only. Choose your price for this special performance!       A limited number of complimentary tickets are held…

  • The Winter’s Tale

    By William Shakespeare

    The remaining performances of The Winter’s Tale have been canceled. For more information, click here. King Leontes, consumed by unwarranted jealous rage, unleashes catastrophic violence upon his loved ones, shattering the royal family and plunging him into deep remorse. But bitter winter’s thaw ushers in a spring of regeneration and miraculous forgiveness in William Shakespeare’s celebrated romance.

  • Alice in Wonderland

    By Eva Le Gallienne & Florida Friebus

    The remaining performances of Alice in Wonderland have been canceled. For more information, click here. Directed by Stephanie Shroyer Crash through the looking glass with Alice on her zany adventure to an upside-down magical dreamland where imagination defies reality and madness makes logic. Weaving a whimsical poem of hilarious and colorful eccentrics, Lewis Carroll’s fractured fairy tale creates a prism through which we can again experience the mystery and effervescent wonder…

  • to.be.FREE

    Five formerly incarcerated men redefine their personal narratives using themes from The Winter’s Tale

    TheatreWorkers Project provides opportunities for reentering and incarcerated individuals to redefine their personal narratives through theatre, movement, and writing. Through Project Re/Frame, an initiative dedicated to the creation of pieces based on the writing and stories of those impacted by mass incarceration, participants have the opportunity to develop, rehearse and perform original work presented to diverse audiences. This newest project uses the following text from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale as…

  • Finjamos que soy feliz

    Teatro Clásico MX y Caracoles Teatro

    Spanish (with English subtitles) The practice of theater always occurs at a limit-point between its own historical past and its probable future. Ours is a piece by a group of artists who strive to give the classics contemporary meaning. Our texts come from a young writer, Ana Lucía Ramírez, and explore the questions we have been asking ourselves. The magical work of putting them on stage sheds light on possible…

  • Golden Tongues I: The King of Maricopa County

    By Mary Lyon Kamitaki

    English (no Spanish subtitles) The King of Maricopa County, by Mary Lyon Kamitaki, is an adaptation of Lope de Vega’s El castigo sin venganza (Punishment without Revenge). In present day Arizona, near the border with Mexico, the politically conservative sheriff is up for reelection. His daughter from a previous marriage and his new wife are brought together by destiny: a car collision far out in the Arizona desert, in the middle…

  • Don Carlos: Prince of Asturias

    Oscar Emmanuel Fabela

    English (no Spanish subtitles) Set at the peak of the Spanish Inquisition, ‘Don Carlos: Prince of Asturias’ takes us to 16th-century Madrid: a world led by misogynistic patriarchy in which the one-sided view of religion and state ruled the world with fear tactics in attempts to cleanse the population. Don Carlos was heir to the Spanish throne after the most powerful king in Spain, King Phillip II, but Carlos’ unusual…

  • Quijóteres Puppet Show

    Dragoncillo Puppet Troupe

    Bilingual and accessible to Spanish and English speaking patrons ¡Quijóteres! is a bilingual puppet theatre adaptation of Cervantes’ classic novel that aims to introduce young audiences, regardless of their familiarity with Spanish or the Golden Age, to the comic adventures and themes of Don Quijote. Featuring “muppet-style” puppets on a unique, multi-functional traveling puppet stage, the show takes advantage of its imaginative puppet setting to emphasize the novel’s intensely comical…

  • Y es mayor dolor la ausencia que la muerte

    grumelot

    Spanish (with English subtitles) “Listen to me only with thine eyes, since your ears are so far from me, and the weeping of my pen  but a distant echo of pain. Since my rude voice cannot find you, let my mute pleas fall upon your deaf ears.” Grumelot presents a virtual experience that reflects on what it means to be free while in seclusion, and to achieve our most intimate…

  • Quijotes y Sanchos

    [los números imaginarios] & Bella Batalla

          Choice of Spanish or English audio experience Quijotes y Sanchos is a self-guided tour of Los Angeles. The experience begins at home, as participants receive their instructions through the free online messaging application TELEGRAM. We invite you to see your own space through the eyes of Don Quijote and Sancho, to relive the events of the novel, and to cross the city as though it were the…

  • Golden Tongues II: The Woodingle Puppet Show

    Los Angeles (United States)

    English (no Spanish subtitles) Julie Taiwo Oni’s riff on Miguel de Cervantes’ Retablo de las maravillas (The Marvelous Puppet Show) reimagines the anxieties around social and cultural belonging in the space of a rapidly gentrifying South LA. In The Woodingle Puppet Show with Host Mr. C, as Constructed by Mr. Asinine with Calculations and Articulations of the Genius Sort, Oni explores questions of Blackness, and the hoops people are willing to jump…

  • Golden Tongues III: What We Pay For Likes

    By Inda Craig-Galván

    English (no Spanish subtitles) Inda Craig-Galván’s What We Pay For Likes transports the squabbling, reputation-obsessed aristocrats of Madrid from Juan Ruiz de Alarcón’s Los empeños de un engaño (translated by Diversifying the Classics as What We Owe Our Lies) to a Calabasas populated by influencers whose lives revolve around their brands and social media views. When a handsome stranger comes to town, their relationships IRL turn out to be much more complicated…

  • Canciones de Olmedo

    Jóvenes Clásicos & Teatro del Soho Caixa Bank

       Spanish (with English subtitles) Canciones de Olmedo is a musical adaptation into concert form of Lope de Vega’s famous play The Knight of Olmedo. Our company, Jóvenes Clásicos, paints with language, just like a painter uses paint on canvas—our goal is to paint a scene for the audience’s delight. Our point of departure is the musicality of the verse, inherited from the epic verse and troubadour poetry of the…

  • The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs

    By Ana Caro

    In a brand new translation One of the Spanish Golden Age’s most accomplished female playwrights, Ana Caro, presents a witty critique of society through the story of Leonor, a woman who sets out to find her one-time lover (Don Juan, naturally) and bring him to justice. The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs is a comedy of wild intrigue and lively ingenuity in which Leonor crosses geographical boundaries and defies…

  • An Iliad

    By Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare

    Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott The lone witness of an ancient and ravaged Trojan battlefield weaves a tale of tragedy and triumph, with an enduring love for every victim of war. The Poet, an eternal being tasked with a passionate examination of deadly conflict, grapples with grief and dualities of victory and loss, power and fragility, heroism and hubris in an unforgettable modern take on Homer’s classic. Lights. Sound. Costumes. All…

  • Alice in Wonderland

    By Eva Le Gallienne & Florida Friebus

    Closed captions are now available when you watch the stream. Crash through the looking glass with Alice on her zany adventure to an upside-down magical dreamland where imagination defies reality and madness makes logic. Weaving a whimsical poem of hilarious and colorful eccentrics, Lewis Carroll’s fractured fairy tale creates a prism through which we can again experience the mystery and effervescent wonder of growing up. Lights. Sound. Costumes. All of…

  • An Iliad

    By Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare

    Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott Our Spring 2021 film returns as a live production onstage! The lone witness of an ancient and ravaged Trojan battlefield weaves a tale of tragedy and triumph, with an enduring love for every victim of war. The Poet, an eternal being tasked with a passionate examination of deadly conflict, grapples with grief and dualities of victory and loss, power and fragility, heroism and hubris in an…

  • Seven Guitars

    By August Wilson

    In 1948 Pittsburgh, old friends gather to mourn the death of a young guitarist and his dream of stardom. This heartrending blues opera combines touching elegy, humor, and emotional grit as the characters strike their own notes in a discordant world that threatens their hopes and lives at every turn. Bursting with musical lyricism and courage, Wilson’s Pulitzer-nominated play continues his theatrical saga that richly captures the spirit and heritage…

  • Blackjack

    Presented by Griot Theatre

    A movie in the making: part theatre, part film set, join a live studio audience and witness a film being made onstage. In the spirit of Hamilton, get a glimpse behind the scenes as this play is turned into a feature film. Set in the Black Jack neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, during the early nineties, the play follows Heru as he arrives at the family home of his sometime-girlfriend, Khet….

  • A Christmas Carol

    Written by Charles Dickens

    PLEASE NOTE: This is an archival page for the 2022 production of A Christmas Carol. To view this year’s 2023 A Christmas Carol, click here. Directed by Geoff Elliott & Julia Rodriguez-Elliott “Only a die-hard humbug could remain unmoved by so charming a yuletide treat.” – Los Angeles Times The region’s longest-running musically merry holiday tradition returns! A Noise Within’s delightfully festive and inspirational annual production is perfect for all ages….

  • A Christmas Carol

    Written by Charles Dickens

    PLEASE NOTE: This is an archival page for the 2021 production of A Christmas Carol. To view this year’s 2022 A Christmas Carol, click here. Directed by Geoff Elliott & Julia Rodriguez-Elliott “Only a die-hard humbug could remain unmoved by so charming a yuletide treat.” – Los Angeles Times ANW’s delightfully festive, musically merry holiday tradition returns! Families love the inspirational story of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge—the perfect…

  • Rasa Kalaa: A Bharata Natyam Margam

    Presented by MKM Bollystars

    Come experience Rasa (essence/sentiment) in Kalaa (performing arts) through a traditional dance repertoire. Indian classical dance has historically been a form of theatre and dance in India. A Bharata Natyam (South Indian classical dance) “Margam” is a curated compilation of pieces that both entertain and elevate through an artistic experience of pure percussive dance and theatrical story-telling that embraces mythology, drama, and the human experience. In a Margam, a solo dancer performs numerous compositions, plays multiple characters, and…

  • Latina Christmas Special

    An American Comedy of Latina Proportions

    This off-Broadway hit is a timely comedy about those of us who ride the edge between the culture of our immigrant parents and the culture of our home, America. Every ethnicity can relate to the feeling that their parents and families are a little “weird” (that’s a nice word) during the holidays when compared to the traditional American Christmases fed to us on TV. Three comedian friends: Sandra Valls (Showtime’s…

  • Latina Christmas Special

    An American Comedy of Latina Proportions

    PLEASE NOTE: This page is for the 2021 production, which has closed. For information about the 2022 production, please click here.   This Off-Broadway hit is a timely comedy about those of us who ride the edge between the culture of our immigrant parents and the culture of our home, America. Every ethnicity can relate to the feeling that their parents and families are a little “weird” (that’s a nice…

  • All’s Well That Ends Well

    By William Shakespeare

    What’s a woman to do with a runaway groom? Hatch a scheme, of course. Roping in a fantastic cast of fools, romantics, and cynics, the clever Helen pursues Bertram in a clash of wits and deception. Capturing both a fairytale essence and human complexity, Shakespeare’s bittersweet comedy goes on a journey of forgiveness, hope, and love where you least expect it. All audience members must show proof of full vaccination….

  • Anna in the Tropics

    By Nilo Cruz

    Shimmering with passion and poetry, this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama weaves the tale of a Cuban-American cigar factory in 1929 Florida where cigars are still rolled by hand and “lectors” are employed to transport and inspire the workers as they toil on the factory floor. As a handsome and debonair new lector reads the words of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, the lives of the workers begin to parallel the novel. Old traditions and…

  • The Conference of the Birds

    Presented with The Resonance Collective

    The Conference of the Birds is a new oratorio based on Sufi mystic poet Attar’s seminal text about the journey of the soul as it seeks union with the Divine. Composed by Fahad Siadat with a libretto by Sholeh Wolpé and directed/choreographed by André Megerdichian, The Conference of the Birds tells the story of the birds of the world, who embark on a journey to find their king, the Simurgh, a divine, mythical creature. Traveling through The Seven Valleys,…

  • Kiss of the Spider Woman

    By Manuel Puig
    English Translation by Allan Baker

    March 26 – April 23, 2023 Set in an Argentinian prison cell in a country under authoritarian rule, two polar opposites discover that love may spring in the most unlikely of places. Poignant and chilling, funny and sensual, this intimate two-person drama runs the thrilling gamut of fantasy, danger and finally – inspiring and eternal hope.

  • Metamorphoses

    Based on the Myths of Ovid

    Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott Primal storytelling and modern sensibility collide in a sensual re-envisioning of Greek myths, as gods and mortals alike endure love, loss, and transformation—all while immersed in a pool of water on stage. Swirling with passion, Tony Award® winner Mary Zimmerman (author of ANW’s award-winning Argonautika) creates this masterpiece that mesmerizes with tales of Midas, Orpheus, Aphrodite, and more in a whimsical and heartbreaking meditation on the joys…

  • External Forces: Greek Tragedy travels to the 21st Century

    Presented with Towne Street Theatre

    Experience a retelling of classic Greek tragedies through the lens of Towne Street Theatre, Los Angeles’ premiere African-American Theatre Company. This production of short plays explores drama, humor, love, and loss spanning from the Civil War to modern-day America. Experience engaging, complex, and rich stories showcasing diverse and brave voices. Housewife of Trachis by Dara Harper (Director – Veronica Thompson) Queen of Sorrows by Madeline Puccioni (Director – Veronica Thompson)…

  • PHOENIX: Stories from the Inside/Out

    Presented with TheatreWorkers Project
    In partnership with The Francisco Homes

    Tickets start at $5! “All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.” – Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower TheatreWorkers Project provides opportunities for reentering and incarcerated individuals to redefine and reframe their personal narratives through theatre, movement, and writing. Inspired by the words of Octavia E. Butler, TheatreWorkers Project will collaborate with formerly incarcerated residents living at The…

  • The Bluest Eye

    Adapted by Lydia R. Diamond
    From the Novel By Toni Morrison

    August 27–September 24, 2023 Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl in 1940’s Ohio, wants nothing more than to be loved and prays for Shirley Temple’s blue eyes. Enthralling, gorgeously written, and incredibly heartrending, this stunning adaptation of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winner Toni Morrison’s debut novel centers three young Black girls as they strive to make sense of love, sisterhood, abuse, and hate.

  • Marabella

    Presented by ANW and Artists at Play

    Marabella has been struggling to care for her newborn in her Pacoima apartment. When the baby’s father, Jason Ellis, suddenly loses his wife, Marabella sees an opportunity to return back to the affair she was forced to leave behind. She expects a warm welcome. Instead she encounters a home filled with rage and resentment. Before she can return to Jason’s arms, she must deal with the attractive young tutor and…

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream

    By William Shakespeare

    Due to illness in the company, A Noise Within regrets to inform our patrons that we had to cancel the following performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream:  Saturday, Nov 11 at 2:00 pm Saturday, Nov 11 at 8:00 pm Sunday, Nov 12 at 2:00 pm Our patron Services team will be reaching out to everyone impacted by this cancellation to review options. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank…

  • The Amateurs

    by Jordan Harrison & directed by Brian Shnipper

    Presented by the ANW Resident Artists as part of Noise Now An intrepid troupe of pageant players races across medieval Europe, struggling to outrun the Black Death. The arrival of a mysterious outsider sends Hollis, the leading lady, in search of answers that can only be found off-script…and soon the 14th century plague begins to look like another, more recent one. This wildly inventive and funny new work examines the…

  • Cycle of Poverty

    Presented by Lower Depth Theatre

    Lower Depth Theatre proudly presents their Cycle of Poverty Reading Festival. Presented over two days, this festival is the culmination of their new Commission Fellowship Program and gives their 2022 cohort the opportunity to showcase the four new full-length plays they have developed under the program. Each of the plays explore the social and racial issues within the cycle of poverty through BIPOC perspectives. Playwright fellows include: Vasanti Saxena, Sage…

  • Much Ado About Nothing

    By William Shakespeare

    February 5 – March 12, 2023 Sworn to a life solo, Beatrice and Benedick are each determined to evade Cupid’s quiver of arrows, employing against one another rapier wit to defend against what everyone else already knows—that they are hopelessly, desperately in love! Romp, romance, and potential catastrophe collide in William Shakespeare’s fast-moving and irresistibly hilarious and energetic comedy, set in World War II-era Sicily.

  • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

    Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
    Book By Hugh Wheeler
    From an adaptation by Christopher Bond

    February 11 – March 17, 2024 A classic masterpiece by the legendary Stephen Sondheim, this heart-pounding thriller will shock the senses with diabolical comedy and razor-sharp wit. Savor the macabre madness as a murderous barber, hungry for revenge for his long-lost family, strikes a partnership with a beastly baker. Filled with extraordinary, soaring music, this eight-time Tony Award winner will leave you gasping! Original Broadway and West End productions earned…

  • An Improbable Fiction

    by James DeVita

    Presented by the ANW Resident Artists as part of Noise Now It’s plague time, and Shakespeare’s characters are out of sorts (and out of work). Several of our favorite Shakespearean characters reunite at The Boar’s Head Tavern to celebrate life and ruminate on the state of the world. ANW RA Reading Series: Can’t get enough of our Resident Artists? Neither can we! In our free reading series, our RAs produce…

  • The Book of Will

    By Lauren Gunderson

    May 7 – June 4, 2023 History, humor, and hijinks abound in this love letter to theater and friendship. After Shakespeare’s death, his friends, who also happen to be his fellow members of the King’s Men, are struck with the epiphany that it is up to them to preserve and print Will’s famous plays which otherwise exist only in script fragments and aging memories. Peppered with some of Shakespeare’s most…

  • Unmasked

    Presented by TheatreWorkers Project 

    TheatreWorkers Project presents UNMASKED, an interactive theatre piece written and performed by 11 members from the Cal State LA Project Rebound community. The script includes poetic and prose explorations of the human need to wear psychological and emotional masks and the liberating feeling that is experienced when those masks are removed. Immediately following the performance, audience members will be invited to draw their own masks and share their discoveries during…

  • The Dance and the Railroad

    By David Henry Hwang

    A haunting and powerfully affecting work revolving around two Chinese artists and their fellow railroad workers, who stage a strike to protest the inhuman conditions suffered by the Chinese laborers in the American West of 1867. Friday, May 19, 2023 at 8 pm Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 8 pm Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 2 pm  Monday, May 22, 2023 at 7 pm Pricing: Tickets for this performance are…

  • A Christmas Carol

    By Charles Dickens
    Adapted by Geoff Elliott

    PLEASE NOTE: This is an archival page for the 2023 production of A Christmas Carol. To view this year’s 2024 A Christmas Carol, click here. December 1 – 24, 2023 The region’s longest-running holiday tradition returns! Join us for A Noise Within’s delightfully festive and inspirational annual performance of A Christmas Carol. Perfect for all ages, this timeless story of redemption is filled to the brim with music and merriment. Create cherished…

  • Misalliance

    By George Bernard Shaw

    May 12 – June 9, 2024 George Bernard Shaw’s signature wit and warmth is woven throughout this high-flying comedy, the grand finale of our 2023-24 season. When the arrival of uninvited guests disrupts an undergarment mogul’s quiet English countryside manor, tensions escalate and hidden truths come to light. Through lively debates and subsequent antics – including eight marriage proposals and one plane crash – the audience is treated to a…

  • King Hedley II

    By August Wilson

    March 31 – April 28, 2024 King Hedley II continues A Noise Within’s commitment to August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, engaging with characters that exist throughout these epic plays. After seven years in prison, an ambitious and proud King re-enters society eager to rebuild his life, but quickly confronts the inescapable challenges facing Black men in Reagan-era Pittsburgh. King’s aspirations come in conflict with the stories he’s been telling himself, and he…

  • Turning Points

    Presented by TheatreWorkers Project 
    In partnership with The Francisco Homes

    Can you remember a time when you felt you were at a crossroads? When your life might take a turn for the better? Or for the worse? Most people take these moments for granted, allowing them to pass and accepting whatever comes our way. In this production of Turning Points, six men on parole from serving life sentences express the genesis and impact of their turning points through poetry and…

  • The Skin of Our Teeth

    By Thornton Wilder

    September 1 – 29, 2024 This Pulitzer Prize-winning comedic masterpiece is a time-bending romp that catapults audiences into the lives of George and Maggie Antrobus. Various cataclysmic events serve as a backdrop for a hilarious and thought-provoking exploration of human resilience. After 5,000 years of marriage, the couple and their children have faced ice ages, floods, and wars, but the family perseveres with humor, ingenuity… and a pet dinosaur. This…

  • The Piano Lesson

    By August Wilson

    October 13 – November 10, 2024 A captivating story about legacy, identity, and cultural heritage unfolds in 1930s Pittsburgh, where a brother and sister are locked in a bitter dispute. At the center of their debate is a precious family heirloom—a piano with the faces of their ancestors carved into it. While one sees an important history worth preserving, the other sees the key to unlocking a brighter future. In…