Kiss of the Spider Woman at A Noise Within

Kiss of the Spider Woman

A Noise Within
3352 E Foothill Blvd Pasadena

Set in a South American prison cell in a country under authoritarian rule, two polar opposites discover that love may spring in the most unlikely of places. Poignant and chilling, funny and sensual, Manuel Puig's pinnacle creation runs the thrilling gamut of fantasy, danger and finally - inspiring and eternal hope.

Thru - Apr 23, 2023

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 626-356-3100

www.anoisewithin.org

A Noise Within Seating Chart

Kiss of the Spider Woman Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Broadway World - Somewhat Recommended

"...I'm not going to bury the lede for the review aggregators on this one. If you are Queer, I cannot fully recommend Kiss of the Spider Woman at A Noise Within. Unfortunately, it has little to do with what is playing out on the stage. The production is solid. It's hard to go wrong with such a solid text. Though Michael Michetti's staging has some extraneous elements, Adrián González and Ed F. Martin shine through in fully-developed performances. They carry dense dialogue through nuances of tension, desire, and discomfort in a journey that belies the tight space of the cell in which the entire discourse takes place. Up until the final moment, the production soars, and in that final moment, it seems apparent this team knows something needs to happen, but they aren't exactly sure of what to do."

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- Andrew Child

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

"...You may have read Manuel Puig’s novel. You might have watched its Oscar-winning movie adaptation. If you’re a musical theater buff, you’ve probably seen it set to the songs of Kander and Ebb. But chances are you haven’t experienced the powerful theatrical two-hander Puig himself adapted from his book, just one of many reasons not to miss Kiss Of The Spider Woman’s stunningly acted, directed, and designed debut at A Noise Within."

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- Steven Stanley

ArtsBeatLA - Somewhat Recommended

"...Director Michael Michetti gets good performances from his actors and stages the show in such a way that what could be a static story never gets visually stifling. Tesshi Nakagawa’s prison cell set is detailed and looks appropriately lived-in, adding a feel of authenticity to the proceedings. I don’t know if the problem with this adaptation is in Puig’s original play or from the translation, but the sense of any conflict – the source of drama – seems to have been removed from it. That, and having the conclusion to the play told in narration, are major missteps which keep the show from achieving its full potential."

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- Terry Morgan

Ticket Holders LA - Highly Recommended

"...Whether or not A Noise Within's stunning new production of the two-character drama is a Los Angeles premiere or not is up for grabs but either way, I'll bet it's never been mounted as beautifully as it is here in the hands of our most visionary wunderkind director Michael Michetti."

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- Travis Michael Holder

Glamgical - Recommended

"...The last scene in the play is a poetic picture. As Molina walks away to his freedom, the walls of the prison cell start to drift away from Valentin, who stays behind, alone. It is the beginning of a painful physical separation, but the seal of an everlasting spiritual connection."

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The Hollywood Times - Highly Recommended

"...This new stage production of Kiss of the Spider Woman by Michael Michetti gives great depth to the character of Molina as performed by veteran actor Ed F. Martin. His resume is filled with many roles from plays dealing sensitively with LGBTQ issues, from Boys in the Band, to The Normal Heart, Twilight of the Golds, The Laramie Project, and Daniel’s Husband. What Ed F. Martin brings to his own indelible mark to the character of Molina is certainly what makes this production at A Noise Within so special. When asked, Martin said that he did not revisit the film version of Héctor Babenco, but chose to reread Puig’s novel in English and in Spanish – because being Latino himself, he finds Puig’s Spanish having a richer “poetic stamp.”"

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- Robert St. Martin

Kiss of the Spider Woman at A Noise Within