Cynthia Citron is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.
Her published books, available on Amazon, include:
By Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — Many years ago, as I tried to keep up with each of my kids as they breezed through “the new math” and learned to multiply fractions, I realized with dismay that if I had to go through grammar school again I would probably flunk the third grade.So you can imagine […]
Outfoxing Wall Street in ‘The Big Short’ Read More »
Cynthia Citron, Theatre, Film & BroadcastSAN DIEGO — San Diego Jewish World thanks and would like to acknowledge those writers whose works appeared on this news publication during the month of November. They were: David Amos Kenneth Bandler Laurie Baron Jeremy Ben-Ami Dan Bloom Shoshana Bryen Stephen Bryen Dane Chapin Tamara Isaacs Ciocci Cynthia Citron Richard L. Cravatts Steve Diamond Joe
SDJW thanks its November writers Read More »
Barry Shaw, Cynthia Citron, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Eileen Wingard, Eric George Tauber, Fred Reiss, EdD, Ira Sharkansky, Lawrence Baron, Lloyd Levy, Mark D. Zimmerman, Melanie Rubin, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Natasha Josefowitz, San Diego County, Sheryl Rowling, Shoshana Bryen, Steve KramerBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES –Hi everybody! I’m back!You might have noticed that my column of theater reviews hasn’t appeared for a few months. It’s because I’ve had a couple of serious falls: one that broke my leg and another that demolished my shoulder. But, happily, I’ve recovered enough to wobble off to the theater again, and so
Director Simon Levy brings S. African story to life Read More »
Cynthia Citron, Theatre, Film & BroadcastSAN DIEGO (SDJW)– The Polish film Ida that won an Academy Award on Sunday, Feb. 22, as the best foreign language film was the subject of two different reviews by San Diego Jewish World, one by Laurie Baron and another by Cynthia Citron. Here are links to the two reviews: Laurie Baron, May 29, 2014 Cynthia
SDJW critics loved ‘Ida’ before the Oscars Read More »
Cynthia Citron, Lawrence BaronBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES –As a young man, he was convinced that nobody liked him. But by the time he was in his early 20s Heinrich Himmler had become the Chief Sycophant of the most popular man in Germany: Adolf Hitler. There he was, always at Hitler’s right elbow and just a step behind.
Movie shows how oblivious Himmler was to evil Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — The most inspiring and heartbreaking story since Schindler’s List is Nicky’s Family, another authentic Holocaust saga that will make you weep. In my view, there is nothing so poignant as a film showing inhabitants of a long-ago city scurrying along in their huge hats and long skirts, the
Documentary tells of Czech kindertransport organizer Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — Director Louis Fantasia detects elements of Romeo and Juliet and even the Hatfields and McCoys within the play he’s staging for Classical Theatre Lab‘s annual alfresco production in West Hollywood. But no, this play isn’t by Shakespeare, and it wasn’t influenced by the story of America’s most famous
‘Arab-Israeli Cookbook’ director turns to Italian comedy Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES– Peter Lefcourt’s The Assassination of Leon Trotsky: A Comedy is alleged to be in a similar vein as Michael Frayn’s ever-popular play Noises Off. The most significant difference is that Frayn continually rewrote his play from its original incarnation in 1982 to its most recent revival in 2002. Lefcourt’s play
Point of Trotsky comedy even eludes its playwright Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES– How do you get an overweight, out-of-shape Jewish lady “of a certain age” to join a flamenco class? You nag. You noodge. You kvetch. You promise her ice cream. Or you take her to see Stephen Sachs’ new play Heart Song at the Fountain. Sachs, the Fountain Theatre’s co-founder
Play promotes the joy of flamenco Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron BURBANK, California — In 1943 two highly unlikely collaborators quarreled their way through a movie script that earned the anxious concern of the Breen Office (administrator of the industry’s moral censorship guidelines), and was nominated for seven Academy Awards without winning any. The collaborators were Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and the
Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler subjects of new play Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron ENCINO, California — To anyone who only knew film critic Roger Ebert from his television persona, arguing with his long-time colleague Gene Siskel, you might characterize Ebert as “the grumpy one.” But when he died this week after a 10-year battle with cancer, the heartfelt tributes from his friends and fellow critics emphatically
‘Two thumbs up’ for Roger Ebert Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron SANTA MONICA, California — It’s really a puzzlement trying to figure out who the producers of Avenue Q had in mind for an audience for their puppet show, since the production is too cloyingly cutesy for grownups and too explicitly sexual for kids. (In fact, the show comes with a warning: “Not
Avenue Q: not a street for kids Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES –He is a 23-year-old college graduate preparing to go to law school. He is verbose, awkward, and intensely focused. The sort of young man who will offer a 20-minute response to “Hello.” He has Asperger’s Syndrome. She is a recluse living in a fantasy world of her own creation, tied
Play illuminates autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Cynthia Citron BEVERLY HILLS, California — A tall man in a tightly-buttoned suit and a bowler hat, carrying a large black umbrella, stands on a ledge on the seventh floor of an apartment building. Behind him are seven arched windows from which a collection of weirdos pop from time to time like the
‘7 Stories deals with insane and the inane Read More »
Cynthia Citron