Theatre, Film & Broadcast

San Diego International Film Festival to Feature Story of Holocaust Survivor’s Courage

By Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — I always find myself looking forward to mid-September as I eagerly anticipate my phone interview with Tonya Mantooth, CEO and Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the San Diego International Film Festival. Our conversations are always fun, eye-opening, inspired and while we’ve never had the chance to meet, extremely personal. […]

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Eva Trieger, Holocaust, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

J’Accuse! A Call for Truth, Justice, and Jewish Honor

By Franklin Gaylis and Sara E. Brown SAJAC (South African Jewish American Community) was one of the first organizations to promote Michael Kretzmer’s documentary, J’Accuse! in 2022. This documentary film tells the story of the Lithuanian Holocaust. Approximately 220,000 Lithuanian Jews — 96.4 % of Lithuania’s Jewish population, the highest proportion in Europe — were

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Holocaust, International, Opinion, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Book of Mormon is Completely Irreverent and Absolutely Delightful

Price suffers a crisis of faith, which leaves the compassionate but less educated and experienced Cunningham to minister to the natives. The only problem is that he has never actually read the Book of Mormon, and so as he attempts to help the villagers solve their problems he embellishes the stories in the good book with characters and plot lines from popular science fiction, superhero and fantasy movies.  This results in the conversion of the villagers, who are encouraged by Nabulungi (Keke Nesbitt) the sweet daughter of the village liaison (Lamont J. Whitaker).  [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Passing Conversations’ Candidly Addresses Emotions When Death is Imminent

By Eva Trieger POWAY, California — When I read about a play written around the final conversations of a man with a terminal illness, I anticipated a maudlin, depressing evening of theatre. This was not the case. PowPac’s Passing Conversations, written by longtime theatre enthusiast and prolific writer, Brent Stringfield, was conceived during the pandemic.

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Creative Producing’ is a Highly Readable Primer on the Movie Industry

Author Carol Baum worked her way up through the movie industry, serving as a studio executive and later as an independent creative producer.  In her latter role, she finds scripts that she thinks are worthy of becoming movies, assembles a creative team including a writer, director, and, if possible, a well-known actor then goes about selling the project to a studio or to a private financier. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, California, Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Viewers Experience World of Deaf in ‘Since August’

Now viewable on YouTube and other Internet platforms, Since August is a groundbreaking film in which most of the sparse dialogue is in American Sign Language with some English-language captioning. It takes hearing people into the world of the deaf. During various portions of the film, we must rely on our eyesight alone to interpret the actions and motives of the people we encounter. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

The Savoyard Murders: An Uplifting, Playful Adventure

By Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — Local playwright, performer, lyricist, director, and teacher, Omri Schein, never fails to delight audiences regardless of which hat he is wearing. When his cleverly, witty, and innuendo-laden scripts are co-directed and acted by Phil Johnson, you know you’re in for exceedingly good fun. Now, the entire experience is put

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Ironically, ‘Mugre’ is a Bright, Shiny New Play

Set in a carwash in Chula Vista, this multilingual show is about families — both born and discovered.  Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish, the most important parts are in English, and Spanish is used to give it color and flavor. It is mostly slang.  You will be able to get what’s going on from the context, and in those few places where you may not understand, one of the characters will explain.  [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Angel’ is Hilarious New Play

Adapted from an old Hungarian play, Play At The Castle by Ferenc Molnar, it’s a play within a play about a play.  I’ll give you a brief synopsis in a moment, but honestly, in this play, the plot doesn’t matter.  Not to say that there isn’t one, but what it really delivers on is LPM- that’s laughs per minute.  This over-the-top comedy does not take itself too seriously and even calls itself out on the things happening to move the action along.  I don’t remember ever laughing so hard or often at a show.  Every line landed.  Every physical comedy bit hit. The absurd became plausible and wonderful. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Cabaret’ Provides a Stark Warning about Racism, Extremism

It all comes to a boil at the end of the first act, when at a party celebrating the engagement of Schultz and Schneider one of the inn’s resident ladies of the night tells Ludwig that Schultz can afford the party because the Jews have all the money anyway, thus bringing to his attention Schultz’ ethnicity.  [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Golda director reveals why Dame Helen Mirren was cast as Golda Meir despite not being Jewish

Published by BANG Showbiz English Golda Meir’s grandson chose Dame Helen Mirren to play her on screen. The 78-year-old actress stars as the late Israeli Prime Minister -who died in 1978 at the age of 80 – in the upcoming biopic ‘Golda’ but attracted controversy over the role because, unlike her character, she is not

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah boasts big tunes from Dua Lipa to Olivia Rodrigo

Published by HITC HITC breaks down the You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah soundtrack and who plays DJ Schmuley. Audiences are always glad to see Adam Sandler on screens and fans will be glad to see that he’s brought some of the family along for his latest movie. You Are So Not

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast