Costa Mesa Playhouse

Don Luepnitz

nice place to see a show, each one we have gone to was top notch, glad to see them back after the Covid shutdown and watching their schedule for our next show to go too.

James Berry

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Costa Mesa Playhouse March 19, 2022 Today I made my way to the Costa Mesa Playhouse and a sold-out performance of A Streetcar Named Desire. This was opening night and was $22 online. The Costa Mesa Playhouse (661 Hamilton St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627) is a 73-seat, not-for-profit community theater serving greater Orange County for over 50 years. The space is a modest one and it must have been a challenge to bring this production to this stage. However, the set was mastery and made use of the space well. The division between the two seen and the two unseen spaces worked well but only because the actors were consciously aware of the divisions and let the audience know where the “walls” were. It would be interesting to see how a revolving stage would work out in this auditorium. There is a need for a dedicated prop master. Leaving it up to the actors just adds to their workload. The battle scene was great, but the crunchy “glass” was distracting as it was walked over. I would like to have seen some outdoor set decorations. It seems like a missed opportunity to bring more of a New Orleans and Louisiana flair to the set. Well done to the cast and crew for making this space work for this production. It was obvious that this was not the first time these actors were on stage. Combined, these actors have dozens of productions. Angel Correa (Mitch) is a SAG-AFTRA member. His Mitch was one of the highlights of the play. He played against the powerhouse that is Sinclair (Blanche) with grace and poise but also explosive and duplicitous. Well done! Brook Lewis and Steve Souza (neighbors Steve and Eunice) were great supporting actors. Their portrayal of what a marriage was in that time and place kept us aware that we were not in Kansas. If I did not know better (and perhaps I don’t) I would think that Lewis and Souza are in a personal relationship. They were comfortable being together and played off the lead actors to help focus the timing and pacing of the show. You rock! Although I did not care for Stanley at all. I thought Jeff Rollo Jr. (Stanley) made a great protagonist and carried much of the production. Stanley’s bitterness and always confrontational ways were evident. He was meddlesome and cruel. Rollo’s perfect portrayal held up the production and I cannot imagine a better interpretation. Huzzah! Holly Seidcheck (Stella) was the Ying to Sinclair’s Yang. They were a great pair. She was great with Sinclair as they went back and forth. Each carries a different reality. I hoped that she had a slight or hidden accent that matched her sister’s. Her lines were there but the energy was not. Good job. Grayson Richmond (A Young Collector), LeAnn Russell (A Strange Woman), and Jeff Tierney (Pablo) rounded out the cast. They were supportive and even fun. I hope to see them in future productions in major roles. I have saved the best for last. Kendall Sinclair (Blanche) was superb. I could not have imagined a better rendering of Blanche. Kendall had many monologues, and I would guess that she had more than half the lines in the show. She never missed a beat. She must have been exhausted afterward because she worked very hard! The accent was wonderful and never faltered. I was reminded of Shelby in “Steel Magnolias.” Sinclair carried the show. Just when I thought that we had gotten to the end of the onion peels, she went a bit further. Thank you! I am staying in California for an extended period. I will soon be returning to Michigan. If I were from this area, I would not miss a production from this fine playhouse.

m

It's a very small theater that looks like it was once the drama Department of a middle school. However, they seem to put on really nice small productions. for the price of a movie ticket you can actually see a very nice theater production I recommend giving them a try Also as a big plus there is plenty of legroom

Kimberly Valencia

I went to see Sister Act the musical here. It's a really intimate (small) theater, so you feel like you're right in the action, which for some might be uncomfortable. The performers were top notch and the production quality was good. It's a nice little community theater that I would recommend to anyone.