Ovation Fellows are current students or recent alumni from Los Angeles area universities.  Fellows are paired with a Mentor, currently serving as an Ovation Award voter, and see productions and meet artists around Greater Los Angeles throughout the year.  Their articles, posted on LAStageBlog, are intended to be their personal responses to their experiences, and not as critical reviews or representing the views of LA Stage Alliance.

Jesse Bethune is an Ovation Fellow from California State University Northridge.

I have lived in Los Angeles for 14 years and have enjoyed theatre productions all over the area. Living right near Hollywood and Vine, there are a plethora of theatres all over the area. Some are very small venues that rent out their spaces to outside productions while others have established theatre companies that are respected within the community. One such respected theatre company is Theatre West located on Cahuenga Blvd not too far from the Hollywood Bowl. I have driven past this theatre many times and have heard about in the community, but I have never had the chance to see a production at Theatre West.

On March 13, 2010, my mentor Kevin and I were off to see Theatre West’s latest production, Arthur Miller’s The Price, which through the eyes of four characters asked us to ponder the question “What is the price of letting go of the past?” Unfortunately, my first production at this well-known theatre establishment was not my favorite experience. The main problem I had with this production is that unlike other Miller classics like Death of a Salesman or All My Sons, The Price just doesn’t seem to stand the test of time. Tackling the subject of lost brothers and family issues, The Price doesn’t resonate in 2010 like the other Miller plays mentioned above. The plot and circumstances are just not “original” enough to stand against the many new plays that tackle familial dysfunctions and problems.

Even though the production was not my favorite, I did enjoy three wonderful experiences while spending my first few hours at Theatre West. To begin with, I have to send kudos out for the amazing parking that is available for this venue. This may seem strange, but if you have been to other small venue theatres in the Hollywood area then you know that most of them do not provide parking. You have to fight for it on the streets and this can be very difficult, especially on a weekend! Theatre West has two parking lots, a small one right next door and then a very large one across the street. It gets even better: the parking at Theatre West is FREE and that makes a world of difference for a college student!

Another wonderful thing about Theatre West is that they participate in a theatre program called Adopt a Senior Citizen. This fabulous program, which was described to us by the producer prior to the start of the show, allows free tickets to senior citizens who are unable to afford the cost of a theatre ticket. Through donations, the program brings in senior citizens who either live in retirement homes or assisted living facilities. These are senior citizens who love the theatre but who just can’t afford to buy a ticket. I think it is fantastic that Theatre West participates in such a great program. Senior citizens shouldn’t be left out of the theatrical experience just because they happen to take part in assisted living.

Finally, the best part of my introduction to Theatre West was a brilliant performance in The Price by Marvin Kaplan, whose comedic timing was a thrill to watch. Kaplan, who has to be somewhere around 80 years old, did a fabulous job of portraying an 89 year old antique dealer named Gregory Solomon. Every line he delivered was hilarious and I was amazed by the numerous lines he had to deliver and memorize. It seemed like Kaplan was really enjoying himself on stage. For those of you that remember the television show Alice, Kaplan played Henry the telephone operator on the show for eight years. Kaplan was hilarious on that show as well and in his older age he still reigns supreme. Kaplan’s performance was the best part of Theatre West’s The Price.