"In its insight and spontaneity, Inside Private Lives is remarkable, certain to challenge preconceptions. Return visits seem mandatory."
—David C. Nichols, Los Angeles Times
"In an age of seemingly endless celebrity confessionals and with television audiences accustomed to having the power to vote on reality shows, combining the two elements into an entertaining evening of theater seems like a brilliant idea."
—Christopher Cappiello, IN Magazine
"It's an immersive experience... an amusing and informative evening."
—Mike Buzzelli, Campus Circle
"...certainly not one to miss!"
—David Laing, The List (UK)
"...the show shrewdly makes connections with the present but avoids easy, overly familiar caricatures of contemporary figures. "
—Don Shirley, LA City Beat
"Inside Private Lives is thinking man’s theatre – a challenge, a theatrical treat and an ingenious investigation into other people’s lives…. It is a spanking new idea and it works.
Not only was the acting superb, but the audience reactions were both fascinating and engaging…. This is a performance for the curious: I had entered the Dome cynical – but emerged thrilled and thirsty for more. And what happens to the characters? Go and ask them yourselves."
—Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore, Fest Magazine (UK)
"…a novel theatrical concept…"
"…an engrossing experience."
—Ben Douglas, One4Review.com (UK)
"...explosive!"
—Alice Booth, Fringe Review (UK)
"...one of the best shows on the festival circuit!"
—Martin Miller, Hairline (UK)
"The highly interactive Inside Private Lives turns the traditional
theatre-going experience on its head..."
—Rachel Ingersoll, Flavorpill NYC
"...an ingenious piece of interactive theatre.."
"...I am going back..."
—Kat Chamberlain, NYTheatre.com
A Few of our Favourites: "I have a fancy for the interactive so I'm going to start with Inside Private Lives (Pleasance Dome) which has just come from LA and promises a whole new kind of audience participation."
—Claire Black, The Scotsman
"Be There, Do That: Our Absolutely Not-to-Miss Picks for April—Calendar Top Ten!"
—Angeleno Magazine, April 2007
"The latest craze to take over the stage: interactive theater!"
—Angeleno Magazine, May 2007
"...[a] gutsy theatrical experiment..."
"...the
interplay is seamless, fresh and intense..."
—Amy Nicholson, LA Weekly
"…the ultimate in safe celebrity stalking…"
—Andrew Phillips, Flavorpill LA
"...new and refreshing... ...the performances are all exceptional."
—Fritzie Andrade, BroadwayBaby.com
"This show is great fun and worth more than one visit."
"4 stars!"
—Patricia F. Rye, Larchmont Chronicle
"BEST 'NEW FORM' OF 2006!"
"Inside
Private Lives is a stimulating way to spend an evening. Each actor is effective in portraying their respective character and sticking to their viewpoint. The simple carry-on props and light furniture were enough to create the space needed. I find the choice of characters quite unique and hope that they can add more controversial people to their repertoire and run for quite a while. Three 'Axels' and a 'well done' to the cast and director Lee Michael Cohn."
—Robert Axelrod, ReviewPlays.com
"...very clever..."
"This is such a novel idea, one wonders why it took so long coming into being."
"The clarity of [the actors'] insights helps create a most memorable evening for the audience. The enthusiastic applause as they take their bows attests to the satisfaction of all."
"It's a delightful evening of theater with participation becoming a large part of the evening's success."
—Joseph Feinstein, ShowMag.com
Inside Private Lives's Details
Status:
Swinger
Here for:
Networking
Hometown:
many
Zodiac Sign:
Libra
Occupation:
Live interactive theatre experience
Inside Private Lives is grateful to our audiences for 4 years and 100 performances of support!! Posted at 6:31 AM May 21 view more
Photo credits: David Beall (all except Kristin Stone, Paul Ryan, and smaller cast photo), Desiree Sweet (Kristin Stone and smaller cast photo), and Adam LeBow (Paul Ryan); Marge Schott make-up: Desiree Sweet
Click here to view audience reviews on the Los Angeles Times'"The Guide" site
(and, if you've seen the show, post a review of your own!)
THE SHOW:
The audience participates in controversy and living history when going Inside Private Lives!
Interactive theatre isn’t new, but Kristin Stone and company are doing something with the concept that’s completely original.
Inside Private Lives takes audiences on a ride along the 20th Century timeline, interacting with controversial public figures of the past, portrayed by actors. Audience members are invited to become part of the experience as they are given roles (e.g., perhaps a journalist, perhaps a government official, perhaps an attorney, and so forth) that invite interactivity. As creator Kristin Stone describes it, "These characters, wrapped in controversy, are each in dire need of something—this is where the audience comes in. As an integral part of each scene, the audience is assigned roles in these people’s lives and only the audience can choose whether on not to give the characters what they want."
THE CHARACTERS:
Known as the "Queen of Pin-Up", Bettie Page later converted to Christianity and became a Baptist missionary. (Andrea Cansler)
Multi-platinum rapper, Tupac Shakur used his music to shine a light on contentious social & political issues. (Jason Kelley)
Jimmy Carter's good-'ol-boy brother Billy
Carter, who considered himself the president's last best hope in
his 1980 re-election bid (Bryan
Safi).
John
Dillinger, notorious Chicago bank robber of the 1930's. Was he a
dangerous criminal, or a modern-day Robin Hood? (Jade
Carter)
Glenn
Gould, eccentric and brilliant Canadian pianist and composer, is regarded
as the greatest musician of his time. He was equally famous for his strange behavior
and distaste for public performance which led to him retiring from concert appearances
in 1964 at the young age of 34. (Rick
Steadman)
Leona
Helmsley, billionaire New York City hotel operator and real estate
investor convicted of tax evasion and other crimes. Her flamboyance and reputation
for tyrannical behavior earned her the nickname "Queen of Mean."
(Silvie
Zamora)
Elia
Kazan, celebrated stage and film director who was damned for his
cooperation with the House Committee on
Un-American Activities (HUAC) during the McCarthy Era.
(Adam
LeBow)
Branch Davidian cult leader David
Koresh, who believed himself to be the lamb of God and the final
prophet.
(David
Shofner)
Ann
Landers, celebrated advice-dispensing columnist and estranged twin
of "Dear Abby," syndicated in newspapers across America for 45 years (Diana
Morrison).
1960s counterculture icon Timothy
Leary is most famous as a proponent of the therapeutic and spiritual
benefits of LSD. He coined and popularized the catch phrase "Turn on, tune in,
drop out." (Fred Cross)
Aimee
Semple McPherson, wildly influential evangelist and media sensation
of the '20s and '30s who thought she was above the law (Molly
Hagan).
Julia
Phillips, the first woman to win an Oscar as a producer, who then
went on to write a blistering no-holds-barred autobiography about her experiences
in Hollywood titled You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again.
(Leonora
Gershman)
Jane
Roberts, who gained fame as the trance channeler for the spirit entity
called "Seth" (Maddisen
Krown).
Bobby
Sands, the I.R.A. activist who starved himself to death in protest
against abuse of political prisoners by the British (Paul
Ryan).
Marge
Schott, who owned the Cincinnati Reds baseball team for fifteen years
and was suspended by Major League Baseball for her public expression of racist
attitudes.
(Mary
MacDonald)
Wallis
Simpson, the twice-divorced American for whom King Edward VIII (see
above) abdicated the British throne, and whom he married six months later. Wallis
was the first to be named Woman of The Year by Time Magazine, and is credited
with coining the phrase "A woman can never be too rich or too thin" (Sheila
Wolf).
Brownie
Wise, the "First Lady" of Tupperware who, by inventing the famous
"party plan" marketing system, made sure that Tupperware's burping seal echoed
in kitchens all over America and that women stayed at home to hear it (Eileen
O'Connell).
Each actor has meticulously researched the historical facts behind each character he/she has scripted and plays.
This will be a unique theatrical experience, one that audience members would be unlikely to have anywhere else in Los Angeles in the current season, as controversial people of recent history come alive and interact with them.
DISCLAIMER: The real-life figures as portrayed in Inside Private Lives are the actors' artistic interpretations and are not meant to be fully factual representations of real events in the subjects' lives.
THE ROTATION:
INSIDE
PRIVATE LIVES
CHARACTER ROTATION
(subject to change)
JULY 12
JULY 19
JULY 26
Christine Jorgensen
King Edward VIII
David Koresh
New Character TBA
Jane Roberts
Brownie Wise
Christine Jorgensen
Elia Kazan
Tupac Shakur
Aimee Semple McPherson
Ann Landers
Marge Schott
Christine Jorgensen
John Dillinger
Aimee Semple McPherson
Julia Phillips
Tupac Shakur
Marge Schott
-
THE TEAM:
conceived and produced by Kristin Stone
directed by Lee Cohn
guest direction by Geoffrey Owens
stage managed by Cindy Pikus
Who I'd like to meet: Billy Carter, John Dillinger, Glenn Gould, Leona Helmsley, Christine Jorgensen, Elia Kazan, King Edward VIII, David Koresh, Ann Landers, Timothy Leary, Aimee Semple McPherson, Julia Phillips, Jane Roberts, Bobby Sands, Marge Schott, Wallis Simpson, Brownie Wise (and they're all appearing in Inside Private Lives!)
Hey! How's it going? It's getting hot outside and it's time for indie films.
This month I'm promoting this Indie Film - "Gentleman's Choice - The Chris Adams Story" - a hard hitting documentary on the tragic death of a sports entertainer.
Watch it online ($5) or buy the DVD at http://gentleman.eyesoda.comGentleman's Choice: The Chris Adams Story Trailer
My sister played a reporter in "The Christine Jorgensen Story" lol...
Remember the lines "What are your plans for the future?" and "Ask her how she got him!" That was my sis! I haden't thought about that in years!
Though I typically haven't (and won't) respond to "invitations" that are really ads, your show looks memorable, a great premise fleshed out in an adventurous, inventive way. I wish you luck and will indeed try to catch a performance in January!
..
