LA Lights Fire

Joe Calarco escorts us through an array of characters as Los Angeles burns. Some I cared for more than others, but that only makes playwright Eric Czuleger's people more real and meaningful within the LA landscape. The last fifteen minutes are some of the most theatrically compelling you'll see in a while.... full review

This is completely amazing and definitely in my top three list of productions I have seen in the last year. Script is amazing and interesting. Joe Calarco is fantastic and amazingly versatile. Lighting and sound design were also incredible. So sad I won't be able to see it again until August when they do it as part of their season. ... full review

While I appreciated the performance given by Joe Calarco (he played a dozen characters including a squirrel) I was disappointed that many of the characters seemed to be variations on a theme, that theme being the self indulgence of a privileged and/or vapid male Angeleno with issues. However, this may have been intentional. The staging, sound design and lights really made this production stand out, but I did not prefer the voice overs throughout. In the end I was not sure what the piece was about. I have a feeling that I would have understood it and enjoyed it more fully if I were more attuned to the significance of LA fires.... full review

The series of monologues that make up the show work in perfect rhythm with the music and lighting effects. They are matched measure for measure by a voice-over narrative which guides the audience through the day of the one who is responsible for it all. It is a brilliant piece that shines a light on characters we all know - and perhaps are - then uses this familiarity to make a statement about society that will go straight to your bones. LA Lights Fire is not a play about a fire. It is a play about life, performed with passion and directed with care.... full review