elevada
by Sheila Callaghan
Wanlass Visiting Director for Occidental College
photos 1-22 by Aubree Cedillo
photos 23-29 by Xinyuan Li
Set & Lighting design by Xinyuan Li
Projection design by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh
Costume design by Aed McMillian
Sound design by John Zalewski
Pictured: Joaquin Madrid Larranaga, Emma Galbraith, Max Brown, Charlie Kanter, Albert Lim, Miari Costarelli, Keelyn McDermott, Christopher Kademoglou
photos 23-29 by Xinyuan Li
Set & Lighting design by Xinyuan Li
Projection design by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh
Costume design by Aed McMillian
Sound design by John Zalewski
Pictured: Joaquin Madrid Larranaga, Emma Galbraith, Max Brown, Charlie Kanter, Albert Lim, Miari Costarelli, Keelyn McDermott, Christopher Kademoglou
All photos by Cooper Bates. Pictured: Jordan Hull, Tony DeCarlo, Michael Sturgis, Kari Lee Cartwright, Donna Zadeh, Martica DeCardenas, Ann Noble
Awards & Honors:
Winner of 8 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards:
Direction – Alana Dietze
Production – Kelly Beech, Chris Fields and Rachael Zambias
Writing – Chiara Atik
Lead Performance – Jordan Hull
Featured Performance – Ann Noble
Featured Performance – Michael Sturgis
Ensemble Performance – Trinity Catlin, Martica De Cardenas, Tony DeCarlo, Kari Lee Cartwright, Jordan Hull, Ann Noble, Michael Sturgis, Donna Zadeh
Lighting Design – Azra King-Abadi
also nominated for:
Costume Design – Dianne K. Graebner
Production – Kelly Beech, Chris Fields and Rachael Zambias
Writing – Chiara Atik
Lead Performance – Jordan Hull
Featured Performance – Ann Noble
Featured Performance – Michael Sturgis
Ensemble Performance – Trinity Catlin, Martica De Cardenas, Tony DeCarlo, Kari Lee Cartwright, Jordan Hull, Ann Noble, Michael Sturgis, Donna Zadeh
Lighting Design – Azra King-Abadi
also nominated for:
Costume Design – Dianne K. Graebner
TicketHolders Awards
WINNER: Best Production – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Actress in a Play – Jordan Hull – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Supporting Actor in a Play – Michael Sturgis – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Supporting Actress in a Play – Ann Noble – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Playwright – Chiara Atik – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Direction of a Play – Alana Dietze – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Costume Design – Dianne K. Graebner – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Sound Design – Jeff Gardner – Poor Clare
Robby Awards:
NOMINATION: Albert Lord Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy – Michael Sturgis, Poor Clare
NOMINATION: Dee Croxton Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy – Ann Noble, Poor Clare
NOMINATION: Garland Riddle Award for Best Costume Design – Dianne K. Graebner, Poor Clare
WINNER: Best Production – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Actress in a Play – Jordan Hull – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Supporting Actor in a Play – Michael Sturgis – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Supporting Actress in a Play – Ann Noble – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Playwright – Chiara Atik – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Direction of a Play – Alana Dietze – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Costume Design – Dianne K. Graebner – Poor Clare
RUNNER-UP: Best Sound Design – Jeff Gardner – Poor Clare
Robby Awards:
NOMINATION: Albert Lord Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy – Michael Sturgis, Poor Clare
NOMINATION: Dee Croxton Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy – Ann Noble, Poor Clare
NOMINATION: Garland Riddle Award for Best Costume Design – Dianne K. Graebner, Poor Clare
Press:
10 Reasons to be grateful for theater in 2021
"Chiara Atik’s deliciously eccentric saint’s play, set in a 13th century Italian town, couldn’t have felt any more contemporary, thanks in no small measure to the timeless radiance of Jordan Hull (“The L Word: Generation Q”). Her portrayal of Clare of Assisi may have spoken in the clipped cadences of a spoiled Brentwood teen, but the example of another future saint, Francis (a delightfully outré Michael Sturgis), forces her to rethink her privilege in a society as riven by economic inequality as our own. This Echo Theater production continued the company’s tradition of balancing quirky comedy with social conscience." -- Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
"Chiara Atik’s deliciously eccentric saint’s play, set in a 13th century Italian town, couldn’t have felt any more contemporary, thanks in no small measure to the timeless radiance of Jordan Hull (“The L Word: Generation Q”). Her portrayal of Clare of Assisi may have spoken in the clipped cadences of a spoiled Brentwood teen, but the example of another future saint, Francis (a delightfully outré Michael Sturgis), forces her to rethink her privilege in a society as riven by economic inequality as our own. This Echo Theater production continued the company’s tradition of balancing quirky comedy with social conscience." -- Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
“CHARMINGLY DAFFY… a saint’s play served up as an offbeat comedy millennials can believe in...In the radiant humanity of Hull’s tender-funny portrayal, true benevolence seems miraculously within reach”— Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
Ticket Holders LA
“INFECTIOUS FUN… Under the sharply-tuned direction of Alana Dietze and featuring an excellent and committed ensemble cast, the debut of Atik’s fresh and uncharted take on the classic story shines with the sparkle of a newly polished diamond… an instant classic.” — Travis Holder, Ticket Holders LA
Gia On The Move
“INCISIVE AND ENTERTAINING… All the production elements work in harmony… It all adds up to a colorful elaboration of a great story.”— Deborah Klugman, Gia On The Move, LADCC
Broadway World
“INSPIRED… SPARKLING… ASTUTE… fizzy and dazzlingly delightful dialogue… rife with humor and pathos.” — Harker Jones, Broadway World, LADCC
Stage and Cinema
“STUPENDOUS… compelling, robust and very funny.” — Tony Frankel, Stage and Cinema
Larchmont Buzz
“MOVING…RAUCUS AND HILARIOUS… [and] TIMELY… Successful as a comedy, a biographical portrait and a representational morality play, it’s truly a religious experience…. EXCEPTIONAL” — Laura Foti Cohen, Larchmont Buzz
Theatre Notes
“AN ASTONISHING NEW PIECE OF THEATRE… a real feast for the eyes… Is it funny? Oh yes!” — Paul Myrvold, Theatre Notes
Stage Scene LA
“WOW!... As unexpectedly deep as it is consistently delightful… the incandescent [Jordan] Hull and an all-around fabulous supporting cast, in particular Michael Sturgis’s irresistible Francis, elicit laugh after laugh from Atik’s audacious but effective script.” — Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
On Stage Los Angeles
“ENGAGING… A STRONG POLEMIC… It, like, imagines Assisi, Italy, Circa 1211 or so… It's OMG, the Middle Ages.” — Michael Sheehan, On Stage Los Angeles
People’s World
“AFFECTING AND POWERFUL, EXTREMELY FUNNY… sharp, snappy, arch dialogue… The mashup of today’s language with 13th-century Assisi is a stunning choice, as well as the source of our clarity in recognizing truths —Eric Gordon, People’s World
The Hollywood Times
“POWERFUL AND VERY FUNNY”,— Jim Gilles, The Hollywood Times
“CHARMINGLY DAFFY… a saint’s play served up as an offbeat comedy millennials can believe in...In the radiant humanity of Hull’s tender-funny portrayal, true benevolence seems miraculously within reach”— Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
Ticket Holders LA
“INFECTIOUS FUN… Under the sharply-tuned direction of Alana Dietze and featuring an excellent and committed ensemble cast, the debut of Atik’s fresh and uncharted take on the classic story shines with the sparkle of a newly polished diamond… an instant classic.” — Travis Holder, Ticket Holders LA
Gia On The Move
“INCISIVE AND ENTERTAINING… All the production elements work in harmony… It all adds up to a colorful elaboration of a great story.”— Deborah Klugman, Gia On The Move, LADCC
Broadway World
“INSPIRED… SPARKLING… ASTUTE… fizzy and dazzlingly delightful dialogue… rife with humor and pathos.” — Harker Jones, Broadway World, LADCC
Stage and Cinema
“STUPENDOUS… compelling, robust and very funny.” — Tony Frankel, Stage and Cinema
Larchmont Buzz
“MOVING…RAUCUS AND HILARIOUS… [and] TIMELY… Successful as a comedy, a biographical portrait and a representational morality play, it’s truly a religious experience…. EXCEPTIONAL” — Laura Foti Cohen, Larchmont Buzz
Theatre Notes
“AN ASTONISHING NEW PIECE OF THEATRE… a real feast for the eyes… Is it funny? Oh yes!” — Paul Myrvold, Theatre Notes
Stage Scene LA
“WOW!... As unexpectedly deep as it is consistently delightful… the incandescent [Jordan] Hull and an all-around fabulous supporting cast, in particular Michael Sturgis’s irresistible Francis, elicit laugh after laugh from Atik’s audacious but effective script.” — Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
On Stage Los Angeles
“ENGAGING… A STRONG POLEMIC… It, like, imagines Assisi, Italy, Circa 1211 or so… It's OMG, the Middle Ages.” — Michael Sheehan, On Stage Los Angeles
People’s World
“AFFECTING AND POWERFUL, EXTREMELY FUNNY… sharp, snappy, arch dialogue… The mashup of today’s language with 13th-century Assisi is a stunning choice, as well as the source of our clarity in recognizing truths —Eric Gordon, People’s World
The Hollywood Times
“POWERFUL AND VERY FUNNY”,— Jim Gilles, The Hollywood Times
STILL HARVEY STILL
by Brianna Barrett
An MFA Thesis for the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television's New Play Festival
Guest Director/ Faculty Winter 2022
Photos 1-8 by Randy Wong-Westbrook
Photos 9-12 by Michael Lamont
Pictured: Ian Cardamome, Luca Filiz, Maci Dismuke, Mazie Voss, Isabella Navarro, Madelyn Davis
Set Design by Randy Wong-Westbrooke
Costume Design by Yasmin Sarabipour
Lighting Design by Cassie Staples
Sound Design by Malick Ceesay
Photos 9-12 by Michael Lamont
Pictured: Ian Cardamome, Luca Filiz, Maci Dismuke, Mazie Voss, Isabella Navarro, Madelyn Davis
Set Design by Randy Wong-Westbrooke
Costume Design by Yasmin Sarabipour
Lighting Design by Cassie Staples
Sound Design by Malick Ceesay
with the echo theater company
Photos by Darrett Sanders
Pictured: Donna Zadeh, Ellen Neary, Connor Kelly-Eiding, Caitlin Zambito, Jacqueline Besson, Katherine Cronyn, Minzi, Makeda Declet, Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson
Pictured: Donna Zadeh, Ellen Neary, Connor Kelly-Eiding, Caitlin Zambito, Jacqueline Besson, Katherine Cronyn, Minzi, Makeda Declet, Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson
Awards & Honors:
LADCC Winner: Ensemble Performance
2019 Ovation Nominations:
Direction (Alana Dietze)
Production (Intimate Theater)
Ensemble
Stage Raw Nominations:
Direction
Production of the Year
Ensemble
Supporting Female Performance
Press:
Best of 2019
The Wolves
Anthony Byrnes, KCRW
"Alana Dietze brought “The Wolves” to life at Echo Theatre Company. A girl’s indoor soccer team reveals the complicated lives of teenage girls through the weekly routine of pre-game practice. Like many of the plays on this years list, this play is just the latest chapter in a longer journey. Ms. Dietze has directed a string of plays at the Echo, including “Dry Land” and “A Small Fire,” that have provided tender, poignant and fierce windows on the female experience. If you don’t know her work, you should."
Charles McNulty, The LA Times
"Through the overlapping dialogue of a high school girls’ soccer team, playwright Sarah DeLappe glimpses into the souls of her characters and, by extension, into the soul of the nation. Teamwork was the key to the Echo Theater Company production, which featured an unerringly naturalistic ensemble (under the direction of Alana Dietze) maneuvering with agility between the quotidian and the tragic. Review"
Read Mary Mcnamara's article on Hollywood's lack of representation of women in sports and how The Wolves is succeeding where the film and tv industry comes up short.
Listen to Marc Maron talk about the show on WTF starting around the 10:30 mark
http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1016-dennis-quaid
The Wolves
Anthony Byrnes, KCRW
"Alana Dietze brought “The Wolves” to life at Echo Theatre Company. A girl’s indoor soccer team reveals the complicated lives of teenage girls through the weekly routine of pre-game practice. Like many of the plays on this years list, this play is just the latest chapter in a longer journey. Ms. Dietze has directed a string of plays at the Echo, including “Dry Land” and “A Small Fire,” that have provided tender, poignant and fierce windows on the female experience. If you don’t know her work, you should."
Charles McNulty, The LA Times
"Through the overlapping dialogue of a high school girls’ soccer team, playwright Sarah DeLappe glimpses into the souls of her characters and, by extension, into the soul of the nation. Teamwork was the key to the Echo Theater Company production, which featured an unerringly naturalistic ensemble (under the direction of Alana Dietze) maneuvering with agility between the quotidian and the tragic. Review"
Read Mary Mcnamara's article on Hollywood's lack of representation of women in sports and how The Wolves is succeeding where the film and tv industry comes up short.
Listen to Marc Maron talk about the show on WTF starting around the 10:30 mark
http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1016-dennis-quaid
Los Angeles Times - CRITIC'S CHOICE!
“STUNNING… a superb Echo Theater Company production” — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
KCRW 89.9 FM
“TENDER, POIGNANT AND FIERCE… You go on a ride with these girls and through their lives you see their world - and see it shattered. You’ll laugh with them, you’ll cringe with them, and ultimately you’ll probably weep with them.…It’s also important to see this play as part of the stellar body of work from director Alana Dietze. Ms. Dietze has directed a string of plays at the Echo ('Dry Land,' 'A Small Fire') that have provided tender, poignant and fierce windows on the female experience. If you didn’t get a chance to see those two plays - don’t miss 'The Wolves'. ” — Anthony Byrnes, KCRW 89.9 FM
Stage Raw
“RECOMMENDED…. STAGE RAW TOP 10… RARE MAGIC” — Katie Buenneke, Stage Raw
Paris/LA
“RAPID-FIRE… the streams of quotidian wordplay that link the girls soon work a similar magic on the audience: moment by resonant moment, we are bound in the instant… The excellent cast perfectly captures the arrogance and awkwardness of adolescence.” — Barlo Perry, Paris-LA
On Stage and Screen
“TRIUMPHANT… The ensemble is fantastic… fully realized, complex human beings… I would have happily watched these characters for longer than the 90 minutes we are given with them” — Erin Conley, On Stage and Screen
Theatre Notes
“TERRIFIC, THRILLING, MOVING, EXCITING, AMAZING… performed by nine young women at the top of their game… an amazing ensemble and an utter joy to behold.” — Paul Myrvold, Theatre Notes
Stage Scene LA
"WOW! Echo Theater Company has not only scored a major coup in snagging the Los Angeles Premiere rights to Sarah DeLappe’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist The Wolves, the extraordinary production Echo has mounted of DeLappe’s Altmanesque eavesdropping on six Saturdays of teen-girl soccer warmups will surely be remembered as one of 2019’s best."-- Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
USC Annenberg Media
“REFRESHING… Behind DeLappe's soccer-centric play is a tale of the hunger, honesty and heartbreak of modern female adolescence.… Dietze and her cast can bring it to life with such delight, honesty and heart.” — Jessica Doherty, USC Annenbeg Media
Showmag.com
“SHARP, RICHLY DETAILED, AND FILLED WITH EXPRESSIVE THEATRICAL LIFE… another production from The Echo Theater Company that celebrates what is best in Los Angeles intimate theater” — Michael Van Duzer, Showmag
Larchmont Chronicle
“FOUR STARS… Funny, insightful and very entertaining.” — Patricia Foster Rye, Larchmont Chronicle
Bonnie Priever Curtain Up
“NOT TO BE MISSED… takes teen age girl talk on a soccer team to a whole new playing field… a delicate coming of age story, filled with profound insights on growing up” — Bonnie Priever Curtain Up
dry land by Ruby Rae Spiegel
with the Echo Theater Company
photos by Darrett Sanders
pictured: Connor Kelly-Eiding, Teagan Rose, Jenny Soo, Ben Horwitz
pictured: Connor Kelly-Eiding, Teagan Rose, Jenny Soo, Ben Horwitz
Awards & Honors:
2017 Ovation Nominations (Kirk Douglas Theatre Production):
Direction- Alana Dietze
Production (Large Theater)
Lead Actress in a Play - Connor Kelly-Eiding & Teagan Rose
Ensemble
Sound Design (Large Theater) - Jeff Gardner - WINNER
Set Design (Large Theater) - Amanda Knehans
Direction- Alana Dietze
Production (Large Theater)
Lead Actress in a Play - Connor Kelly-Eiding & Teagan Rose
Ensemble
Sound Design (Large Theater) - Jeff Gardner - WINNER
Set Design (Large Theater) - Amanda Knehans
Selected for CTG's Prestigious BLOCK PARTY program:
The Echo Theater Company's production of DRY LAND was selected as one of 3 out of 76 submissions to be remounted as part of the Kirk Douglas Theater's inaugural Block Party program!
The show was remounted on the beautiful Kirk Douglas Stage in May of 2017.
More info on the program here
The show was remounted on the beautiful Kirk Douglas Stage in May of 2017.
More info on the program here
2016 Ovation Winner for Best Production (Intimate Theater)
other nominations:
Leading Actress - Connor Kelly-Eiding
full list of nominees and winners
here
other nominations:
Leading Actress - Connor Kelly-Eiding
full list of nominees and winners
here
2016 Stage Raw Nominations:
Production
Direction- Alana Dietze
Leading Actress - Connor Kelly-Eiding, Teagan Rose
LADCC Nomination:
Best Leading Actress - Connor Kelly-Eiding
Production
Direction- Alana Dietze
Leading Actress - Connor Kelly-Eiding, Teagan Rose
LADCC Nomination:
Best Leading Actress - Connor Kelly-Eiding
The 25th Annual Ticket Holders Awards by Travis Michael Holder
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Ben Horwitz, Dry Land, Echo Theatre Company
BEST PRODUCTION RUNNERS-UP:
Dry Land, Echo Theater Company
BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY RUNNERS-UP:
Connor Kelly-Eiding, Dry Land, Echo
Teagan Rose, Dry Land, Echo
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY RUNNERS-UP:
Jenny Soo
BEST PLAYWRIGHT RUNNERS-UP:
Ruby Rae Spiegel, Dry Land, Echo
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY RUNNERS-UP:
Alana Dietze, Dry Land, Echo
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN RUNNERS-UP:
Justin Huen, Dry Land, Echo
BEST SOUND DESIGN RUNNERS-UP:
Jeff Gardner, Dry Land, Echo
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Ben Horwitz, Dry Land, Echo Theatre Company
BEST PRODUCTION RUNNERS-UP:
Dry Land, Echo Theater Company
BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY RUNNERS-UP:
Connor Kelly-Eiding, Dry Land, Echo
Teagan Rose, Dry Land, Echo
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY RUNNERS-UP:
Jenny Soo
BEST PLAYWRIGHT RUNNERS-UP:
Ruby Rae Spiegel, Dry Land, Echo
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY RUNNERS-UP:
Alana Dietze, Dry Land, Echo
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN RUNNERS-UP:
Justin Huen, Dry Land, Echo
BEST SOUND DESIGN RUNNERS-UP:
Jeff Gardner, Dry Land, Echo
Press:
Best of 2016
KCRW - “Dry Land” by Ruby Rae Spiegel at the Echo Theatre Company tackled the painful and messy realities of an unwanted teen pregnancy. Beautifully directed by Alana Dietze with a powerful ensemble, “Dry Land” was more proof the Echo Theater Company isn’t scared of tough protagonists. It was one of the most challenging plays of the year that committed to an idea and saw it through in all its messiness and power. It took responsibility for everything it brought to the stage. It’s not a play for everyone, but it was a play that I can’t forget." - Anthony Byrnes
The TVolution - "The Echo succeeded in knocking one out of the park with Dry Land...Alana Dietze directed this grueling drama with a clinical detachment, underplaying the graphic horrors depicted on stage in a fashion assuring it would stay with audiences long after they left the theatre...If any reviewer out there didn’t find Rose and Kelly-Eiding’s work among the years most stellar performances – they should batter their keyboard flat with a blunt object and bury it in their backyard, because they’re wrong." - Earnest Kearney
LA Times
CRITIC'S CHOICE
"Not for the faint of heart, Ruby Rae Spiegel's play about the effects of an unwanted pregnancy on a tough but terrified teenage girl and her lonely new friend receives a taut and harrowing staging from director Alana Dietze and features precociously perfect performances by Teagan Rose and Connor Kelly-Eiding as high school swim teammates bonding in a time of confusion and crisis. Despite the occasional dramaturgical blunder, the sheer psychic clout of this visceral and important play should not be underestimated. You may flinch — but you will be unable to look away." --F. Kathleen Foley, LA Times
KCRW
"A beautifully insightful and honest look at what it means to be a teenager -- and especially a teenage girl. I can't remember a play that looked as unflinchingly at how difficult, vicious, and joyous those formative years are...terribly courageous and artful story that both playwright, director, and brilliant cast are bringing to the stage and the profound responsibility they are taking for it... It is a play that will move you deeply and stay with you" -- Anthony Byrnes, KCRW
and in a follow up piece...
"The most powerful, and devastating, scene I’ve seen in the theater this year happens without a single word of dialogue." --Anthony Byrnes, KCRW (spoilers contained in this piece)
The Tvolution
“ONE PLAY YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY DIVE INTO… shimmers like burnished gold… [Director Alana] Dietze demonstrates a staggering artistry…. performances as close to flawless as one can conceive.” — Ernest Kearney, The Tvolution
ColoradoBoulevard.net
“HEART-WRENCHING… TIMELY, YET TIMELESS… Alana Dietze’s direction is superb… on point and excellent” — Carol Edger-Germain, ColoradoBoulevard.net
LA Splash
“INSIGHTFUL, GUT-WRENCHING, HUMANE… Very strong performances by Teagan Rose and Connor Kelly-Eiding… Great directing by Alana Dietze” — Ester Benjamon Shifrin, LA Splash
Arts In LA
“REMARKABLE… introduce[es] us to [Ruby Rae Spiegel’s] clear, resounding, delightfully droll voice... intimate and personal, featuring sparklingly fresh dialogue and fascinatingly real character studies… exceptionally fluid staging by director Alana Dietze” — Travis Holder, Arts In LA
The World Through Night-Tinted Glasses
“HIGH PRAISE… bring[s] honesty and humanity in massive doses to the stage” — David MacDowell Blue, The World Through Night-Tinted Glasses
Stage and Cinema
“STAGGERINGLY WELL WRITTEN… ferociously funny… two riveting performances that will haunt me for some time to come.” — Tony Frankel, Stage and Cinema
Discover Hollywood
“MESMERIC… [a] truthful, tormenting and yet witty story… raw, emotional and gritty” — Rachel Flanagan, Discover Hollywood
Stage Scene LA
“WOW!... FEARLESS… packs an emotional wallop made even more gut-punching by the gradual way it sneaks up on you. With Teagan Rose and Connor Kelly-Eiding giving two of the year’s most dazzling performances, it is a play you’ll be thinking about long after the locker room fades to black.” — Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
Stage Raw
“RECOMMENDED… STAGE RAW TOP 10… IMPRESSIVE… entertaining and assured… full of unexpected humor.” — Terry Morgan, Stage Raw
Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes
“EXTRAORDINARY… builds to a climax the like of which I have never seen… Impeccably directed… handsomely mounted… Great play, great performances, great theatre! — Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes
On Stage and Screen
“HEARTFELT, MOVING… impressively taut and gut-wrenching throughout… Rose and Kelly-Eiding create a bond and characters so real you nearly forget you’re watching a play and not just eavesdropping.” — Erin Conley, On Stage and Screen
BroadwayWorld
“Smoothly directed by Alana Dietze, [Teagan] Rose and [Connor] Kelly-Eiding both command the stage” — Gil Kaan, BroadwayWorld
Will Call
“REMARKABLE… you are unlikely to have ever seen performances by two young actresses better, or even equal to what transpires on this stage… The acting and the direction by Alana Dietze are exceptional.” — Ingrid Wilmot, Will Call
LA Weekly
“Couldn’t be timelier… so gripping that it’s impossible to look away... lays out the predicament of millions of trapped, bewildered women.” — Deborah Klugman, LA Weekly
KCRW - “Dry Land” by Ruby Rae Spiegel at the Echo Theatre Company tackled the painful and messy realities of an unwanted teen pregnancy. Beautifully directed by Alana Dietze with a powerful ensemble, “Dry Land” was more proof the Echo Theater Company isn’t scared of tough protagonists. It was one of the most challenging plays of the year that committed to an idea and saw it through in all its messiness and power. It took responsibility for everything it brought to the stage. It’s not a play for everyone, but it was a play that I can’t forget." - Anthony Byrnes
The TVolution - "The Echo succeeded in knocking one out of the park with Dry Land...Alana Dietze directed this grueling drama with a clinical detachment, underplaying the graphic horrors depicted on stage in a fashion assuring it would stay with audiences long after they left the theatre...If any reviewer out there didn’t find Rose and Kelly-Eiding’s work among the years most stellar performances – they should batter their keyboard flat with a blunt object and bury it in their backyard, because they’re wrong." - Earnest Kearney
LA Times
CRITIC'S CHOICE
"Not for the faint of heart, Ruby Rae Spiegel's play about the effects of an unwanted pregnancy on a tough but terrified teenage girl and her lonely new friend receives a taut and harrowing staging from director Alana Dietze and features precociously perfect performances by Teagan Rose and Connor Kelly-Eiding as high school swim teammates bonding in a time of confusion and crisis. Despite the occasional dramaturgical blunder, the sheer psychic clout of this visceral and important play should not be underestimated. You may flinch — but you will be unable to look away." --F. Kathleen Foley, LA Times
KCRW
"A beautifully insightful and honest look at what it means to be a teenager -- and especially a teenage girl. I can't remember a play that looked as unflinchingly at how difficult, vicious, and joyous those formative years are...terribly courageous and artful story that both playwright, director, and brilliant cast are bringing to the stage and the profound responsibility they are taking for it... It is a play that will move you deeply and stay with you" -- Anthony Byrnes, KCRW
and in a follow up piece...
"The most powerful, and devastating, scene I’ve seen in the theater this year happens without a single word of dialogue." --Anthony Byrnes, KCRW (spoilers contained in this piece)
The Tvolution
“ONE PLAY YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY DIVE INTO… shimmers like burnished gold… [Director Alana] Dietze demonstrates a staggering artistry…. performances as close to flawless as one can conceive.” — Ernest Kearney, The Tvolution
ColoradoBoulevard.net
“HEART-WRENCHING… TIMELY, YET TIMELESS… Alana Dietze’s direction is superb… on point and excellent” — Carol Edger-Germain, ColoradoBoulevard.net
LA Splash
“INSIGHTFUL, GUT-WRENCHING, HUMANE… Very strong performances by Teagan Rose and Connor Kelly-Eiding… Great directing by Alana Dietze” — Ester Benjamon Shifrin, LA Splash
Arts In LA
“REMARKABLE… introduce[es] us to [Ruby Rae Spiegel’s] clear, resounding, delightfully droll voice... intimate and personal, featuring sparklingly fresh dialogue and fascinatingly real character studies… exceptionally fluid staging by director Alana Dietze” — Travis Holder, Arts In LA
The World Through Night-Tinted Glasses
“HIGH PRAISE… bring[s] honesty and humanity in massive doses to the stage” — David MacDowell Blue, The World Through Night-Tinted Glasses
Stage and Cinema
“STAGGERINGLY WELL WRITTEN… ferociously funny… two riveting performances that will haunt me for some time to come.” — Tony Frankel, Stage and Cinema
Discover Hollywood
“MESMERIC… [a] truthful, tormenting and yet witty story… raw, emotional and gritty” — Rachel Flanagan, Discover Hollywood
Stage Scene LA
“WOW!... FEARLESS… packs an emotional wallop made even more gut-punching by the gradual way it sneaks up on you. With Teagan Rose and Connor Kelly-Eiding giving two of the year’s most dazzling performances, it is a play you’ll be thinking about long after the locker room fades to black.” — Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
Stage Raw
“RECOMMENDED… STAGE RAW TOP 10… IMPRESSIVE… entertaining and assured… full of unexpected humor.” — Terry Morgan, Stage Raw
Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes
“EXTRAORDINARY… builds to a climax the like of which I have never seen… Impeccably directed… handsomely mounted… Great play, great performances, great theatre! — Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes
On Stage and Screen
“HEARTFELT, MOVING… impressively taut and gut-wrenching throughout… Rose and Kelly-Eiding create a bond and characters so real you nearly forget you’re watching a play and not just eavesdropping.” — Erin Conley, On Stage and Screen
BroadwayWorld
“Smoothly directed by Alana Dietze, [Teagan] Rose and [Connor] Kelly-Eiding both command the stage” — Gil Kaan, BroadwayWorld
Will Call
“REMARKABLE… you are unlikely to have ever seen performances by two young actresses better, or even equal to what transpires on this stage… The acting and the direction by Alana Dietze are exceptional.” — Ingrid Wilmot, Will Call
LA Weekly
“Couldn’t be timelier… so gripping that it’s impossible to look away... lays out the predicament of millions of trapped, bewildered women.” — Deborah Klugman, LA Weekly
Listen to an interview on KPFK with Alana, Connor Kelly-Eiding and Teagan Rose (begins about 20 minutes before the end of the program)
ripe frenzy by jennifer barclay
with the Greenway Court Theater
an NNPN rolling world premiere and winner of the 2016 Smith Prize for Political Theatre
at the Greenway Court Theatre
Press:
CRITIC'S CHOICE
"Powerful...Director Alana Dietze calibrates the story so that as opening night approaches, a growing sense of dread shadows the characters' rehearsal giddiness...opens a door to thought"
--
Daryl Miller,
LA Times
"This theatrically deliberate and razor-edged production...packs a wallop that hits like an expertly aimed kick to the emotional solar plexus"
--
Bill Raden,
LA Weekly
at the Greenway Court Theatre
Press:
CRITIC'S CHOICE
"Powerful...Director Alana Dietze calibrates the story so that as opening night approaches, a growing sense of dread shadows the characters' rehearsal giddiness...opens a door to thought"
--
Daryl Miller,
LA Times
"This theatrically deliberate and razor-edged production...packs a wallop that hits like an expertly aimed kick to the emotional solar plexus"
--
Bill Raden,
LA Weekly
the found dog ribbon dance by dominic finocchiarro
with the Echo Theater Company
Included in the Echo's 2017 Ovation Nomination for Best Season
Press:
KCRW - What to see in 2017 TIME OUT - 5 MUST SEE THEATRE SHOWS IN JANUARY!
“Abundant helpings of humor to leaven the sadness underneath… My vote for best character? DOG.” — David Maurer, Culture Spot LA
“TENDER… the play’s message of hope and the healing power of companionship is a tonic for our troubled times.” Michael Van Duzer, Showmag
“OFFBEAT… many genuinely comical moments,” — F. Kathleen Foley, Los Angeles Times
“A HIGHLY ENTERTAINING ROMP… Totally satisfying on every level… I felt my oxytocin surging as I left the theater with a smile on my face… An absorbing escape – see it!” — Carol Edger Germain, ColoradoBoulevard.net
“A TRUE ORIGINAL, under the sharp direction of Alana Dietze.” — Ingrid Wilmot, Will Call for Theater
“A VERY HUMAN STORY.. I had a very profound and personal experience watching The Found Dog Ribbon Dance.” — Bekah Caden Discover Hollywood
“WARMLY APPEALING… Finocchiaro populates his play with unique people brought to life by a uniformly excellent cast under the able direction of Alana Dietze. — Dink O’Neal, Arts In LA
“RECOMMENDED … proves at least three things: [playwright] Finocchiario is a fine comic talent. Echo Theater continues to make great strides in production of new work. And Alana Dietz is a very good director.” — Gray Palmer, Stage Raw
"NEARLY BURSTING WITH WHIMSY, but underneath has a strong emotional current… Sometimes genuine, relatable emotion is all you need to be effective, and The Found Dog Ribbon Dance has that in spades.” — Erin Conley, On Stage and Screen
“REMARKABLY UNIQUE AND RICHLY ENTERTAINING… reaches beyond the easy and superficial and probes both heart and mind” — Ron Irwin, LA Post-Examiner
“WOW!… the kind of play you’ll want to tell all your romcom-loving friends (and just about anyone else in search of smart, funny, heartstrings-tugging, feel-good new theater) not to miss.” —Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
"A FAST-PACED CROWD PLEASER...a lean tightly-written, serio-comic script enhanced by the savvy direction of Alana Dietze" - Paul Myrvold, Theatre Notes
“ENTERTAININGLY FRESH AND ORIGINAL… clever, thought-provoking dialogue... a uniformly talented cast… directed at a quick and smooth pace” — Gil Kaan, Broadway World
A Small Fire by Adam Bock
with the Echo Theater Company
Awards & Honors:
4 Ovation Nominations!
Best Playwriting - Adam Bock
Best Leading Actress - Lily Knight
Best Supporting Actor - Darrett Sanders
Best Supporting Actor - Stephen O'Mahoney
2 Stage Raw Nominations!
Leading Female Performance of the Year - Lily Knight
Supporting Male Performance of the Year - Darrett Sanders
LADCC Nomination for Lily Knight as Best Actress
Best of 2015 lists
Anthony Byrnes, KCRW:
"Another repeat this year was the Echo Theater Company, one of a host of companies inhabiting the Atwater Village Theater. Their production of Adam Bock's A Small Fire was no easy ride. A challenging play about a largely unlikable protagonist was remarkably brave in capturing the ugly, though honest, parts of life. It serves as a beautiful reminder of what's important: the sights, the sounds, the people and feelings that make this difficult life worth living: in short, what it means to be alive in all its pain and glory.
Isn't that why we go to the theater?" (see original review below)
Earnest Kearney, Bitter Lemons
"One of the most memorable small plays of the season. Written by Adam Bock and directed by Alana Dietze in her directorial debut it treated audiences to superb performances by Michael Mantell and Stephen O’Mahoney and allowed for Lily Knight to captivate all who saw her with one of the year’s finest performances. Matt Richter in the same production aptly demonstrated the facility of a skillful light design to augment even the strongest of stagings. " (see original review below)
Bitter Lemons Top Rated LA Theater Productions of 2015, Premiere of a Play
3. A Small Fire
Press:
"If your answer to "why art?" has to do with entertainment and distraction, A Small Fire is probably not for you. If, on the other hand, words like 'the human condition', 'honesty', and 'catharsis' pepper your answer, Mr. Bock's brutally beautiful play at the Echo Theater Company is a must see...the Echo Theater Company's production, is remarkably brave in capturing the ugly, though honest, parts of life. The cast are heroic in charting difficult arcs that are dependent on the audience, at least in part, not liking them. That's hard for both actor and audience -- but it's worth it. When A Small Fire finally finds its way to its beautiful, moving climax, we are reminded of what's truly important: the sights, the sounds, the people and feelings that make this difficult life worth living: in short, what it means to be alive in all its pain and glory.
Isn't that why we go to the theater?" -- Anthony Byrnes, Opening the Curtain, KCRW
"Alana Dietze scores a striking directorial debut by availing herself of every droplet of the piece's potency with a skilled proficiency...the small cast is excellent" -- Earnest Kearney, The TVEvolution
"Go!...Superlative performances put up by the Echo ensemble. Chief among them is Lily Knight’s searing turn as Emily Bridges, the take-charge, albeit unfeeling New York construction company owner who anchors A Small Fire...Director Alana Dietze’s sensitive staging successfully resists the material’s inherent sentimentality, and the production benefits from Matt Richter’s low-key lighting and a likable, nuanced portrayal by Steven O’Mahoney of Emily’s caring work subordinate" -- Bill Raden, LA Weekly
"Under Alana Dietze's subtle direction Bock's script is tight...These are highly skilled actors totally engaged a very interesting story. See this one." -- Michael Sheehan, On Stage Los Angeles
"Adam Bock’s sensitive and timely play about the onset of senility into a decent family has been given a first-rate production by director Alana Dietze and producers Rebecca Eisenberg & Chris Fields, in a minimalist manner, with a fine cast of actors...never sentimentalized, in a solid production...reeks of a collective talent" -- Dale Reynolds, Stage Happenings
"potently acted...Dietze...elicits pungent performances from her cast." -- Charles McNulty, The LA Times
"Recommended...Knight brings tremendous empathy and warmth to her portrayal of Emily… the most exquisite of love stories." -- Jenny Lower, Stage Raw
"Intimate...intense...compelling characters" --Serita Stevens, Splash
Best Playwriting - Adam Bock
Best Leading Actress - Lily Knight
Best Supporting Actor - Darrett Sanders
Best Supporting Actor - Stephen O'Mahoney
2 Stage Raw Nominations!
Leading Female Performance of the Year - Lily Knight
Supporting Male Performance of the Year - Darrett Sanders
LADCC Nomination for Lily Knight as Best Actress
Best of 2015 lists
Anthony Byrnes, KCRW:
"Another repeat this year was the Echo Theater Company, one of a host of companies inhabiting the Atwater Village Theater. Their production of Adam Bock's A Small Fire was no easy ride. A challenging play about a largely unlikable protagonist was remarkably brave in capturing the ugly, though honest, parts of life. It serves as a beautiful reminder of what's important: the sights, the sounds, the people and feelings that make this difficult life worth living: in short, what it means to be alive in all its pain and glory.
Isn't that why we go to the theater?" (see original review below)
Earnest Kearney, Bitter Lemons
"One of the most memorable small plays of the season. Written by Adam Bock and directed by Alana Dietze in her directorial debut it treated audiences to superb performances by Michael Mantell and Stephen O’Mahoney and allowed for Lily Knight to captivate all who saw her with one of the year’s finest performances. Matt Richter in the same production aptly demonstrated the facility of a skillful light design to augment even the strongest of stagings. " (see original review below)
Bitter Lemons Top Rated LA Theater Productions of 2015, Premiere of a Play
3. A Small Fire
Press:
"If your answer to "why art?" has to do with entertainment and distraction, A Small Fire is probably not for you. If, on the other hand, words like 'the human condition', 'honesty', and 'catharsis' pepper your answer, Mr. Bock's brutally beautiful play at the Echo Theater Company is a must see...the Echo Theater Company's production, is remarkably brave in capturing the ugly, though honest, parts of life. The cast are heroic in charting difficult arcs that are dependent on the audience, at least in part, not liking them. That's hard for both actor and audience -- but it's worth it. When A Small Fire finally finds its way to its beautiful, moving climax, we are reminded of what's truly important: the sights, the sounds, the people and feelings that make this difficult life worth living: in short, what it means to be alive in all its pain and glory.
Isn't that why we go to the theater?" -- Anthony Byrnes, Opening the Curtain, KCRW
"Alana Dietze scores a striking directorial debut by availing herself of every droplet of the piece's potency with a skilled proficiency...the small cast is excellent" -- Earnest Kearney, The TVEvolution
"Go!...Superlative performances put up by the Echo ensemble. Chief among them is Lily Knight’s searing turn as Emily Bridges, the take-charge, albeit unfeeling New York construction company owner who anchors A Small Fire...Director Alana Dietze’s sensitive staging successfully resists the material’s inherent sentimentality, and the production benefits from Matt Richter’s low-key lighting and a likable, nuanced portrayal by Steven O’Mahoney of Emily’s caring work subordinate" -- Bill Raden, LA Weekly
"Under Alana Dietze's subtle direction Bock's script is tight...These are highly skilled actors totally engaged a very interesting story. See this one." -- Michael Sheehan, On Stage Los Angeles
"Adam Bock’s sensitive and timely play about the onset of senility into a decent family has been given a first-rate production by director Alana Dietze and producers Rebecca Eisenberg & Chris Fields, in a minimalist manner, with a fine cast of actors...never sentimentalized, in a solid production...reeks of a collective talent" -- Dale Reynolds, Stage Happenings
"potently acted...Dietze...elicits pungent performances from her cast." -- Charles McNulty, The LA Times
"Recommended...Knight brings tremendous empathy and warmth to her portrayal of Emily… the most exquisite of love stories." -- Jenny Lower, Stage Raw
"Intimate...intense...compelling characters" --Serita Stevens, Splash
Laileen on the Way Down by Jen Silverman
with the Echo Theater Company
Press:
"I have to confess that I have been in love with Alana Dietze since she wore those footy jammies in God’s Ear a couple years back. Turns out she can direct as well as act" -- Jason Rohrer, Stage and Cinema
"Dietze’s inventive direction of a talented ensemble...deliver(s) something strangely tender and moving." -- Bill Raden, Stage Raw
"Some truly wonderful local theater...highly recommend...wonderfully staged and marvelously acted...wit, depth, energy, and talent...a nice piece of work as the issue of aging and sexuality is explored with both insight and humor. The interaction between each of these characters captures the nuance of their relationship to each other" -- James Eliopulos, The Los Angeles Beat
"Solid performances from all three actors" -- Michael Van Duzer, Stage Happenings
"Dietze’s inventive direction of a talented ensemble...deliver(s) something strangely tender and moving." -- Bill Raden, Stage Raw
"Some truly wonderful local theater...highly recommend...wonderfully staged and marvelously acted...wit, depth, energy, and talent...a nice piece of work as the issue of aging and sexuality is explored with both insight and humor. The interaction between each of these characters captures the nuance of their relationship to each other" -- James Eliopulos, The Los Angeles Beat
"Solid performances from all three actors" -- Michael Van Duzer, Stage Happenings
Assistant Director Credits
Dream Catcher by Stephen Sachs - The Fountain Theater - Assisting Cameron Watson - January 2016
Better by Jessica Goldberg - The Echo Theater Company - Assisting Jen Chambers - November 2014
Fever/Dream by Sheila Callaghan - Occidental College - Assisting Jessica Kubzansky - October 2007
Dream Catcher by Stephen Sachs - The Fountain Theater - Assisting Cameron Watson - January 2016
Better by Jessica Goldberg - The Echo Theater Company - Assisting Jen Chambers - November 2014
Fever/Dream by Sheila Callaghan - Occidental College - Assisting Jessica Kubzansky - October 2007
