June 23, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Theater Review: Me, As A Penguin:

The American premiere of “Me, As A Penguin,” on stage at the Lost Studio, is a quirky play by English playwright Tom Wells and in the interest of supporting and encouraging new writing talent, as well as the producers and directors who put up their work, the production gets “A” for effort.

Following his graduation from Oxford University in 2009, Wells enrolled in a workshop called “So You Want To Be a Playwright.” This play came out of that experience and was subsequently produced in London.

Directed by John Pleshette, the action takes place in the living room of a young couple played by Mina Badie who, as the pregnant Liz, conveys the challenges of sitting, standing, and eating. Her husband Mark, appropriately played by James Donovan, and the gay, depressed cousin Stitch, wonderfully played by Brendan Hunt, rounds out the cast in the first act.

Someone’s occupying the loo (English for bathroom) and Stitch won’t allow anyone to use it. We are led to believe that it’s the young nephew who fell into the pool at the penguin aquarium and is doing a soak in the tub. From time to time Stitch goes into the loo and we hear strange sounds, but no one can get a straight answer from him. In between times, the very nervous Stitch knits (hence the name) avoiding the subject the best he can. Just who is in the bathtub? This is turning into a mystery.

There is a lot of banter between the characters. Dave wants Stitch to move out and Liz is tired of being pregnant and is pretty much cranky throughout the play. She wants a new couch, which her husband stubbornly resists. There were perhaps other dimensions of Liz’s character that might have been worth exploring with a little directorial help. In the meantime, at some point Stitch tries to commit suicide by overdosing on kelp.

Although the material is somewhat talky and overwritten, Wells has a good ear for comic dialogue, constructing some funny lines such as Liz saying, “I don’t like sex really. I’d rather have a good yogurt.” The characters of Dave and Stitch are more developed and have one poignant, but still funny confessional scene together in which Dave reminisces about a showgirl with whom he was in love but “caught her shagging an arsonist.” He muses, “You take the worst of your life and turn it around and laugh at it. No one ever died from a joke.”

An amusing Johnny Giacalone shows up in the second act dressed as a penguin. He’s an employee at the aquarium and we eventually learn that the mystery being in the bathtub is not the young nephew but a kidnapped resident of the aquarium that fits into a small lunch box. Stitch has been busted and the romp continues.

Set design by the director, lighting by Phil Galler, costumes by Esther Rydell, and sound by Joseph “Sloe” Slawinkski, all support the play technically. It should be noted that Craig Robert Young alternates with Donovan in the role of Mark.

Overall, “Me, As A Penguin” is an amusing piece of writing in need of some editing. Also, sometimes there were long pauses between cues, which in a comedy can be deadly. Perhaps it was opening night jitters and the actors are now more secure with their lines and have picked up the pacing.

All this said, this is an entertaining evening of theatre.

The Lost Studio

130 S. La Brea Avenue

(Between First and Second street)

Los Angles, CA 90036

Run: Friday though Sunday until March 6

Reservations: 323.960.7721

in News
<>Related Posts

Sculptor-Designed Marina Del Rey Beach Home Hits Market for Nearly $10M

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The four-bedroom, six-bathroom residence, known as Shore House, features black glass windows across two wings A 6,603-square-foot beachfront home, designed...

Downtown Santa Monica Landmark Faces Uncertainty as Loan Misses Maturity Deadline

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

$26.7M Santa Monica Office Loan Moves to Special Servicing Amid Cash Flow Shortfall Morningstar Credit reported that the loan tied...

Santa Monica to Begin AI-Powered Bus Lane Enforcement in July

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The program follows a 45-day pilot conducted earlier this year along Lincoln Boulevard, where 511 potential violations were identified, though...

A.O.C. Brentwood to Close After 16 Years on San Vicente Boulevard

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Chef Goin and Styne Cite Unsustainably High Rent in Decision to Close  A.O.C. Brentwood, the acclaimed Westside outpost from James...

Malibu Traffic Delays Expected: REPORT

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The warning applies to the first weekend of summer Transportation officials are warning travelers on the Pacific Coast Highway through...

Strongman to Pull 34,680-Pound Bus at Santa Monica Pier

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Licis, also the 2022 “Arnold Strongman Classic” champion, will undertake the feat to showcase his strength  Strongman Martins Licis, the...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

New Leadership at Samohi: Jane Han Named House Principal

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Equity-Focused Educator Joins Samohi Leadership Team By Diana Bouchaaya, SMMUSD Communications Specialist The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

SMC Gallery to Showcase Faculty Art in Virtual Exhibition

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The online event will feature works by seven Emeritus faculty artists. The Santa Monica College Emeritus Art Gallery will host...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

Film Review: The Life of Chuck

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

FILM REVIEWTHE LIFE OF CHUCKRated R110 MinutesReleased June 6th A  heartfelt movie of lie, love, friendship and loss, delivered in...

THIS WEEKEND: Five Outdoor Concerts for Make Music Day Comes to Santa Monica

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The global event, inspired by France’s Fête de la Musique, unites communities through music and is observed in over 800...

(Video) The Guest List Collab Dinner with Chef Raphael Lunetta and Chef Alan Wong

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Held at Marelle Restaurant at The Sandbourne Hotel in Santa Monica. An Incredible mix of Hawaiian and Santa Monica’s flavors...