Scenic design by Todd Glenn, mentored by Emily Macdonald Costume design by Alisha Patel, mentored by Bradley Lock Lighting design by Joshua Van Veggel, mentored by Martha Carter Sound design by Evelyn Pham, mentored by Kate Byrne Prop design by Saul Diaz Hair & makeup design by Olivia Ketchel & Tatiana Santana Choreography by Justin Morris Intimacy direction by Carly DW Bones
I'll Get You, My Pretty by Jenny Rachel Weiner at LATC // with USC SDA MFA Y2s
Starring: Casey Landman, Sonia Goswami, Matthew Abatti, and Michelle Jones Lee Lighting design by Nathan Scheuer Costume design by Imogen Jeffords & Ellie Herman Sound design by Cricket Myers
crabs in a bucket by bernardo cubria with the echo theater company
All photos by Cooper Bates. Featuring: Anna LaMadrid, Xochitl Romero, Jordan Hull, Michael Sturgis
Scenic design by Anna Knehans Lighting design by Azra King-Abadi Costume design by Lou Cranch Sound design by Jeff Gardner Movement direction by Tristan Waldron Clown consultant Julia Davis LADCC Winner! Original Writing (Bernardo Cubria) & Costume Design (Lou Cranch)
Press:
Stage Raw “SMART, CLEVER… an entertaining romp imbued with palpable truth… STAGE RAW TOP 10… RECOMMENDED.” -— Deborah Klugman, Stage Raw
Broadway World “A RIOTOUS SATIRE… TOP-NOTCH... a microcosm of not just every office on the planet, but every group of friends, every group of creatives, every group of businesspeople. Everyone.” — Harker Jones. Broadway World Ticket Holders LA “LAUGH-OUT-LOUD FUNNY until the importance of what lurks just below the humor begins to sink in... The Echo’s knockout production is blessed with the inventive and rule-defying directorial skills of Dietze leading a virtuoso ensemble of comedic actors and utilizing a clever team of designers.” — Travis Holder, Ticket Holders LA
Showmag “CLEVER… IMAGINATIVE… What a metaphor for life!” — Leigh Kennicott, Showmag
The Nerds of Color “FLAT OUT HILARIOUS, TRAGIC AND HEARTFELT AT THE SAME TIME… [a] profound satire… an incredible ensemble cast… A WINNER.” — Edward Hong, The Nerds of Color
Stage Scene LA “WOW!… A SHUCKING BUCKET FULL OF LAUGHS… Guaranteed to give audiences plenty to think about.” — Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA
The Hollywood Times “BRILLIANT… address[es] broadly universal themes…I just can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed ‘Crabs in a Bucket’” — Robert St. Martin, The Hollywood Times
On Stage Los Angeles “FUNNY AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING and if you sit in the Crabby Zone: watch out!” — Michael Sheehan, On Stage Los Angeles
Glamgical “COMPELLING AND HILARIOUS PERFORMANCES… [A] BRILLIANT SCRIPT… a play that feels relatable and devastatingly human.” — Joe Mosqueda, Glamgical
Colorado Boulevard “DON’T MISS THIS ONE… a fast-paced physical and verbal satire, with a message that will resonate with each viewer’s particular life experience or current situation… highly entertaining.” — Carol Edger Germain, Colorado Boulevard Arts Beat LA “FUN… a terrific cast… visual flair… humorous and smart.” — Terry Morgan, Arts Beat LA
2 Urban Girls “ONE OF THE FUNNIEST PLAYS I have enjoyed this season… filled with satirical moments… the ensemble nailed it on their chemistry, timing and ability to keep the audience engaged.” — Emilie St. John, 2 Urban Girls
Larchmont Buzz “THE LAUGHS KEEP COMING… misses no opportunity for crab-centric wordplay… packs an important message about the importance of community.” — Laura Foti Cohen, Larchmont Buzz
a list of happenings at 1016 14th St by Anna Watts MFA Thesis for the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television's New Play Festival Guest Director/ Faculty Winter 2023
Photos by Makela Yepez. Featuring, in order of appearance: Brianna Yi, Hana Rudoff, Rachel Frost, Jessica Reed, Ava Litchfield, Beverly D'andrea, Madeline Palmer, Emily Newland, Zach Hoffman
Scenic design by Jacob Dunn Costume design by Elle Erickson Lighting design by Adrianna Ciscone Sound design by Jonathan Snipes Intimacy direction by Carly DW Bones
elevada by Sheila Callaghan Wanlass Visiting Director for Occidental College
photos 1-22 by Aubree Cedillo photos 23-29 by Xinyuan Li Scenic & Lighting design by Xinyuan Li Projection design by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh Costume design by Aed McMillian Sound design by John Zalewski Intimacy direction by Carly DW Bones Choreography by Janet Langer and Francisco Martinez
Pictured: Joaquin Madrid Larranaga, Emma Galbraith, Max Brown, Charlie Kanter, Albert Lim, Miari Costarelli, Keelyn McDermott, Christopher Kademoglou
poor clare by chiara atik with the echo theater company
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
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
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
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
STILL HARVEY STILL by Brianna Barrett 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
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
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.
Los Angeles Times - CRITIC'S CHOICE! “STUNNING… a superb Echo Theater Company production” — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
KCRW89.9 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
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
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
2016 Ovation Winner for Best Production (Intimate Theater) other nominations: Leading Actress - Connor Kelly-Eiding
2016 Stage Raw Nominations: 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 PLAYRUNNERS-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 DESIGNRUNNERS-UP: Justin Huen, Dry Land, Echo BEST SOUND DESIGNRUNNERS-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 andConnor 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
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
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 watchingThe 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)
"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
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
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