CONTEMPORARY

BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA by Anna Ouyang Moench

directed by Peter Richards

at the Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles CA       produced by: Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

scenic design: Mark Guirguis
lighting design: Scott Bolman
sound design: Costandina J. Daros
costume design: Lena Sands     properties design: Jenine Macdonald                    

with Arye Gross and Jacqueline Misaye

Photos by Jenny Graham

“With inspired, tonally astute direction by accomplished theatre veteran Peter Richards, Birds of North America is a rich theatrical treasure, a work of exquisite restraint and quiet power. This is one not to be missed. … Immersive, brilliant sound design by Costandina J. Daros brings the unseen birds to vibrant life, capturing the haunting sound of the wind and the shimmering feeling of being outside in the autumn.  The gorgeous rich persimmons and russets of the exceptional [scenic design] by Mark Guirguis, and the silky, papery autumn leaves and lovely props design by Jenine MacDonald add to the imaginatively created, ethereal outdoor space. … Arye Gross’s performance is mesmerizing, lending many intricate shadings to his character, conjuring a wry humor, lovability, and unexpected depth underneath all his crustiness.  He has great acting chemistry with Jacqueline Misaye, beautifully playing his daughter.”Amanda Callas, Broadway World

What makes the play so powerful is the richness of what is said and left unsaid. Director Peter Richards paces the pair beautifully, with pauses that often say as much as the dialogue. Moench’s script has such depth to it, taking us on a slow ride that never loses us, yielding both laughter and sympathy as each character puts their foot in their mouth just as some progress is made.—Tony Frankel, Stage + Cinema

“Director Peter Richards helms the two-hander with careful attention to the small details which add up to personality. Talented Gross and Misaye do an impeccable job of defining each member of the dyad with compassion. In many ways, the show is…a wonderful example of acting at its finest.” . —Elaine Mura, Splash Magazine

“…with director Peter Richards eliciting a pair of absolutely exquisite performances from Gross and Misaye, I found myself invested from start to finish in John and Caitlyn’s relationship.” —Stephen Stanley, StageSceneLA


A PUBLIC READING OF AN UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY ABOUT THE DEATH OF WALT DISNEY by Lucas Hnath

directed by Peter Richards

at the Odyssey Theater, Los Angeles CA       produced by: Racquel Lehrman, Theatre Planners

scenic design: David Offner
lighting design: Matt Richter
sound design: Jesse Mandapat
costume design: Kate Bergh                             projection design: Nick Santiago

Photos by Jenny Graham

with Kevin Ashworth, Brittney Bertier, Thomas Piper, and Cory Washington; understudies: Valerie Larsen and James Tolbert.

LA TIMES TOP TEN PLAY OF 2022

“The production, directed by Peter Richards with a dexterous hand, meticulously realizes Hnath’s unorthodox style. The language, rhythmic and purposefully repetitive, is delivered as though it were a score by Philip Glass. Ashworth, sporting Walt’s signature mustache, doesn’t traffic in impersonation. But he’s completely conniving in the play’s title role. He storms, he belittles, he schemes. Inevitably, he discovers he’s human. The performance is note-perfect. As strange as it is intriguing, “A Public Reading” asks theatergoers to listen in a different way. ‘A Public Reading’ offers the sound of a bracingly original dramatist discovering his own inimitable voice.” . —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

“A Public Reading’… is a dazzling creation that is given a superb production here. … a brilliant and scathingly funny play that sets its goals high and then fulfills them…a must-see for fans of smart, ambitious theater. Director Peter Richards engages with this tricky play and presents it in an ideal form, taking things that could be confusing to an audience, such as a script written in near-shorthand and constant time jumps, and makes them clear and theatrically vivid. Ashworth gives a masterful performance as Walt as an amiably bullying egomaniac, capturing the humor but also all of the technical beats built into the structure of the play. [He] reveals underlying tragic poignancy in the character as it becomes clear that nobody can control everything, not even a play reading. Piper is excellent as the supportive if put-upon Roy, and Bertier and Washington are both terrific in their scenes.” . —Terry Morgan, ArtsBeatLA

“Our Top Ten—Recommended. What makes the play intriguing…is [Ashworth’s] portrait of megalomania — its depiction, in the extreme, of the behavior of someone who rejects our commonly shared reality and brashly creates one more palatable to his taste. And here Ashworth delivers. As Roy, Piper is fittingly timorous and deferential…Bertier scores a halcyon moment when, as Walt’s long-suffering daughter, she confronts him with all his past abuse.”Deborah Klugman, Stage Raw


PLEASE EXCUSE MY DEAR AUNT SALLY
by Kevin Armento

directed by Peter Richards

at the Odyssey Theater, Los Angeles CA       produced by: Racquel Lehrman, Theatre Planners

scenic design: Pete Hichok
lighting design: Kelley Finn
soundscape and foley: Adam Smith
costume design: Kate Bergh                             projection design: Nick Santiago

with Thomas Piper and Adam Smith

"Like a sparkling new iPhone, this show is a treat to gaze upon and exhilarating to hear."                                                                                                                                                               — Dany Margolies, Daily News

"There’s nothing by the numbers about “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”... It’s impossible to predict how the story will unfold. Armento’s language has a rhythmic vibrancy that creates its own universe, which is accentuated by Smith’s nifty sound design. But it’s Piper’s invigorating incarnation of an eager-to-please phone, a computerized buddy as helpful as it is ultimately helpless, that powers the production."                                                                                                                   — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

"'Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally' is an extremely funny, sad and highly original coming of age story…The phone, as well as all the other characters he meets on his journey, are all played by Thomas Piper in a “tour de force” performance...This is a play unlike any I’ve ever seen and one the definitely makes you think…and think.”                                                                                                                                           — Joan Alperin, The L.A. Beat

"The fast-paced direction of Peter Richards keeps the action rolling...Strange as it may seem, the smart phone is a uniquely compassionate character in a uniquely fascinating play."        — Paul Myrvold, Theatre Notes

“A stagework of near stunning virtuosity...”     — Julio Martinez, Stage Raw


ELIZABETH REX
by Timothy Findley

directed by
Peter Richards

at Opera House Arts, Stonington ME

scenic design: David M. Barber
lighting design: Wayne Merritt
sound design: Mark Van Hare
costume design: Jennifer Paar

with Craig Baldwin, Chris Domig, Tim Eliot, Torsten Hillhouse, Aryeh Lappin, Rachel Benbow Murdy, Thomas Piper, Storme Sundberg, Kathleen Turco-Lyon,                   

Site-specific production in a post-and-beam barn at the Deer Isle-Stonington Historical Society.


THE ALIENS
by Annie Baker

directed by
Peter Richards

at Opera House Arts, Stonington ME

scenic design: Wayne Merritt
lighting design: Michael Reidy
sound design: Simon Skold
costume design: Becky Lasky

with Chris Bellant, Josh Bywater, Danny Jones


 

DYING CITY
by Christopher Shinn

directed by
Peter Richards

at Opera House Arts, Stonington ME

scenic design: Michael Reidy
lighting design: Michael Reidy
sound design: Peter Richards
costume design: Becky Lasky

with Juri Henley-Cohn and Therese Plaehn


BRILLIANT TRACES
by Cindy Lou Johnson

directed by
Peter Richards

at Opera House Arts, Stonington ME

scenic design: Shannon Zura
lighting design: Shannon Zura
sound design: Peter Richards
costume design: Becky Lasky

with Stephanie Dodd and Thomas Piper