With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Bored At Home? Take A Trip To The Geffen Stayhouse
A screenshot from Kathryn Hahn and her family performing an excerpt of "Glengarry Glen Ross" using dolls, as part of The Geffen Playhouse's Geffen Stayhouse video series. (Photo from The Geffen Playhouse)
()
Theater-going is among the many, many things we can’t do anymore.
But that doesn’t mean the stage is completely off-limits. The Geffen Playhouse, Westwood's non-profit theater company, run through UCLA, has launched a YouTube series called The Geffen Stayhouse. It's an attempt by the theater to bring its community of audiences and performers back together, in these trying times.
“I want to stay in contact with our patrons, who we miss dearly,” said artistic director Matt Shakman on KPCC’s Take Two. “And I want to stay in contact with our Geffen artists.”
Each short video featured in the "stayhouse" includes a Geffen alum doing a performance of their choice.
Support for LAist comes from
Our top pick? A profanity-laden excerpt from the play “Glengarry Glen Ross,” performed by actress Kathryn Hahn and her family, using American Girl dolls.
The series also includes some powerful music performances by people like Zonya Love, who brings down the house (in her own house) with the gospel song, “Hang On Just a Little While Longer.”
A new video comes out every Wednesday.
“How do I create intimacy through an internet world? We’re trying to do that in small steps forward,” said Shakman.
It’s the first step, of many, for the theater community -- which is now faced with the task of figuring out how to perform in our stay-at-home world.
Support for LAist comes from
In a few weeks, the Geffen will debut a new kind of show called, “The Present,” which will be performed live, with a twist -- viewers wil get a surprise present in the mail, to open as the play unfolds. Right now, it might just be one of the hottest things in town: tickets for the 5-week run sold out in less than an hour.
Listen to the full interview with Matt Shakman below:
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist