Shows in LA Now Playing

Santa Monica Playhouse presents the return of the Rudie-DeCarlo Family Theatre favorite, ABSOLUTELY HALLOWEEN, the heartwarming tale of the aptly named "Candy," a sweet young girl who learns some surprising lessons about life, love, laughter and sugar, from a delightful array of colorful costume-come-to-life characters who take her on a magical All Hallows' Eve adventure.

Open Fist Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Amerika or, The Man Who Disappeared, adapted for the stage by Dietrich Smith from the novel by Franz Kafka. Arriving in New York City on a steamer, 17-year-old Karl Rossmann strives to make his own way, even as he encounters a series of increasingly strange and bewildering experiences that turn his world upside-down.

This high-stakes AI thriller is wrapped in emotional urgency while questioning just how far we'll go to uncover truth and what technology can and can't help us to resolve in our relationships.

A dramedy about friendship, family, and forgiveness, A Girl's Guilt Trip tells the story of Yolanda and Roberta, childhood friends who grow up to live identical idyllic existences until tragedy brings their worlds crashing down. Haunted by unresolved hurt and anger, the women, who are determined to fulfill their lifelong dream of visiting the Pyramids in Egypt, are forced to face the ghosts of the past in order to move forward with their futures.

GO PLAY! is a poignant comedy about three strangers and their dogs meeting for the first time at a dog park. The flamboyant show poodle, pampered Yorkie, and scrappy rescue have plenty to say behind their clueless owners' backs and often make more sense than they do. As the humans fumble through personal crises and unexpected connections, their four-legged sidekicks watch-and comment-on it all.

The notorious Duke de Richlieu wagers that he can seduce the first girl he sees. He's thwarted by the Marquise de Prie, but Gabrielle (the girl) is placed in a terrible predicament with her fiance.

GUAC is a fearless, funny, and deeply moving theatrical tour-de-force about a father turned activist. Seven years after his son Joaquin "Guac" Oliver was killed in the Parkland shooting, Manuel Oliver channels his love, loss, and rage into a powerful force for change. From pepperoni bacon pizza to air guitar solos, Oliver paints a vivid, unforgettable portrait of a vibrant life cut short-and a father's relentless fight for a better future. Both a celebration and a rallying cry, GUAC pulls zero punches and speaks to anyone who has ever loved, lost, or dreamed of making a difference.

All Julia Masli wants to do is solve people's problems and win the Nobel Peace Prize, but this plan keeps going wrong as she continually wins prizes for comedy. In her wildly unpredictable solo show ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, the award-winning performer turns the audience's problems into surreal, side-splitting theater. No script, no safety net, just one woman on a mission to help. After sensational runs in Edinburgh, Melbourne, New York, and D.C., Julia is on her way to Pasadena to solve all our problems.

HADESTOWN intertwines two mythic tales - that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone - as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell's beguiling melodies and Chavkin's poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers, HADESTOWN is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.

Put On Your Sunday Clothes, because Dolly is coming to the Carpenter Center! Hello, Dolly! follows the larger-than-life matchmaker Dolly Levi as she meddles in the romantic affairs of the city's elite in turn-of-the-century New York City. This Broadway classic is full of wit, charm, and show-stopping dance numbers galore. With iconic songs like "Before the Parade Passes By," "It Only Takes a Moment," and, of course, the title song, Hello, Dolly! is a joyous celebration of love, life, and the indomitable spirit of one legendary woman.

Step into the vibrant world of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, a beloved Harlem hotspot where West African immigrant braiders work their magic on the locals’ locks. Amidst the lively buzz of a scorching summer, love ignites, dreams soar, and secrets unravel. But beneath the surface of this riotous comedy lies a current of uncertainty, pushing this close-knit community to confront the challenges of being outsiders in their own neighborhood.

As part of our commitment to presenting August Wilson's work, we bring you our sixth production of his American Century Cycle: Joe Turner's Come and Gone, a powerful and poetic play set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1911. It follows a group of men and women searching for lost family, identity, and purpose in the aftermath of slavery and during the Great Migration. When a mysterious stranger arrives looking for his long-lost wife, hidden pain and buried pasts come to the surface. With rich characters and lyrical dialogue, the play explores themes of freedom, self-discovery, and the enduring power of community and spiritual healing.

A desperate Texas family hatches a shocking plan: murder their matriarch for her life insurance and hire a hitman-Killer Joe. When they can't pay, he takes their daughter as collateral. What follows is a dark, twisted descent into betrayal, violence, and mayhem.

Through gritty storytelling, Ruth shares dark comic monologues, interwoven with characters he's encountered while working and drinking in the seedy bars and dives of pre-Giuliani NYC. "A Life Behind Bars" has been performed in New York City, Los Angeles, Idyllwild, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin Dells and Richmond, Va. It is directed by multi award-winning performer-producer-director, Tanya Moberly.

A modern barrio fable about power, politics and the price of survival, set against a real-life scandal that unfolded last year when Norwalk imposed a ban on shelters, supportive housing, and businesses that traditionally serve the poor. Following a DUI, Juan attends his first mandated AA meeting - where he's mistaken for someone powerful and influential who might be of use to the ambitious mayor and his inner circle. Juan wields his new power to benefit himself, but soon goes too far. Can he find redemption by confessing the truth?

When Nicaraguan brothers Fíto and Bastian clash over their visions of the American Dream, their choices send them on a collision course with fate-risking not just their futures, but their bond. Fíto, a poet, is impulsive and ambitious, willing to take risks to get what he wants. Bastian, a telemarketer, is steady and principled, holding onto caution as a guide. Blending poetry, live music, and ritual, this electrifying tale of brotherhood and belonging pulses with rhythm and emotion, pulling us into a world where family is everything, but dreams come at a cost.

A bold, historical sci-fi drama by Miranda Gonzalez exploring the untold stories of Mexico's Underground Railroad that brought runaway slaves from Florida and Georgia to Muzquiz, Coahuila. Eighteen-year-old Jamari is fighting an unknown illness that takes him through worlds he's never seen before, time-traveling from 1864 Mexico to today's West Side of Chicago. Unsure of where he belongs, trapped in a historical cycle, Jamari and his loved ones seek answers as they try to break free from the shackles of time.

Two free-spirited women solve mysteries and kick butts in this fast-paced and wildly entertaining comic escapade that offers a cheerful, sassy twist on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective series. When Joan Watson becomes the reluctant roommate of kooky Sherlock (just don’t call her ‘Shirley’) Holmes, she also becomes Holmes’s de facto partner in crime-solving. Together, they stumble out of pandemic-era malaise as a hilariously codependent, endearingly off-kilter “Odd Couple” adventure duo who careen pell-mell from caper to caper… until, eventually, they meet .their match in a supervillain who might be even more clever than they are

A young coed from America encounters more challenges than she bargained for as she embarks on her junior year abroad. The once fearless, problem-solving, undaunted wunderkind astounds everyone with her ingenuity, bravery and creativity until she is confronted with the one thing she swore she'd avoid doing at all costs: fall in love. Ghosts. Magic. Art. Music. Love. Dancing. It all spins together in a sometimes humorous, sometimes chilling effervescent evening in the theater. This is a contemporary take on a beloved short story and the music style is Broadway-Pop. Perfect for the entire family.

14 year old Olive, who identifies as part of the subculture Otherkin, is compelled by strange forces to help prepare for humanity’s end. Olive and her family are thrust into a raucous ride of epic proportions, confronting their pasts, perilous futures and the possibility of a destiny far greater than themselves.

A family, profoundly affected by Hitler's rise to power, finds themselves desperately fleeing persecution while awaiting entry into the United States. Restrictive U.S. immigration policies and antisemitism intensified their struggle. This poignant drama explores themes that are strikingly relevant to contemporary times, offering audiences profound reflection on resilience, hope, and the quest for finding their place in an ever-changing world.

A gripping new drama about two Vietnam veteran brothers who reunite after decades of silence. As buried trauma resurfaces, one seeks forgiveness, the other fights to preserve the life he's built. Premiering during the 50th anniversary of America's involvement in the Vietnam War, Parallel Process examines the long-term emotional aftermath of combat, moral injury, and family estrangement. Robert Reed Altman channels his father's M*A*S*H legacy into a riveting Vietnam War Drama, backed by heavyweight Veteran praise.

PARANORMAL INSIDE finds Max and Delia once again navigating the perilous intersection of grief, ancestry, and identity, as a sinister spirit threatens to upend the fragile peace they built five years after the events of THE BROTHERS PARANORMAL. As the boundaries between the living and the dead once again dissipate, the play explores the generational trauma and cultural legacies that linger long after the lights go out. Will they survive or be claimed by the forces that haunt their past?

This funny and tender two-hander introduces us to former college sweethearts unexpectedly reunited during a snowstorm at a middle-of-nowhere airport. Over the course of one long night, the pair rediscover old flames, revisit youthful dreams, and wrestle with the “what ifs” that linger after love. With Dietz’s trademark wit and poignancy, Shooting Star is both a charming romantic comedy and a moving meditation on the roads not taken.

Step into the shadows of imagination with TALES FROM THE BEYOND, a chilling and thought-provoking anthology of five original one-act plays making their world premiere. Each tale explores the uncanny, the unsettling, and the otherworldly—where reality bends and the unknown takes center stage. From psychological horror to speculative fiction, TALES FROM THE BEYOND invites audiences to confront the fears that lurk just beyond the veil. Each play is a standalone journey into the macabre, yet together they form a tapestry of dread, wonder, and revelation.

Heidi Schreck's timely, hilarious, and deeply felt play breathes new life into our country's most important document. Fifteen-year-old Heidi paid her college tuition by speaking in (and winning) debate competitions across the country. Now older, she resurrects her teenage self to tell the story of four generations of extraordinary women in her family whose lives were shaped by the Constitution. Nominated for two Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Schreck's boundary-breaking play reimagines our founding document and considers how it will shape the next generation of Americans.