Raised in Captivity Opening!

Raised in Captivity has been and continues to be one of the most challenging projects I have ever been a part of for many reasons. First, the playwright delves into serious subject matters with demanding language. Second, the range of emotions is startling. My character is a completely different person by the end of the play. On opening night, I was frankly afraid of taking the audience on this tumultuous journey. I try to practice my craft with a little fear as possible, but this experience required the element of fear and in the same breath demanded bravery. I am so proud of this show and the entire cast for their courageous performances this weekend. Here are just a few things the critics are saying:

"I admire the fearlessness of Silver’s plotting –his willingness to take the characters and the audience way, way out of their comfort zones.... All of the actors are superb.  Each of them have tough roles to play, and they rise to the occasion."

–The Orange Curtain Review (read the full article here)

"...Millis and company take moments to focus on the halting attempts at honesty and intimacy these insular, incredibly fucked-up people are yearning for. That gives this very dark and, at times, uncomfortable play moments of deep poignancy, and it makes the play's final image between two hopelessly flawed individuals resonate."

–OC Weekly (read the full article here)

"If the ideal “Captivity” cast exists, Millis has certainly created it."

–The Orange County Register (read the full article here)

Play Reading: Unrelenting Relaxation

I had a wonderful experience last Saturday evening. During the play reading of Unrelenting Relaxation at the Fullerton Museum I was overcome with emotion. I am so grateful to the playwright, Amanda DeMaio, and to STAGEStheatre for entrusting me with this beautiful and poignant piece of theatre. I feel blessed to work with such talented artists.

We had a very good turnout for the show. Sitting the the museum gallery among all the stunning photographs of comfort women looking down on us made things more real to me. It is important that we tell their story. There were many crimes against humanity committed during World War II, and it is important that we remember and continue to learn from the mistakes of the past.

PLAY READING: Unrelenting Relaxation (as part of "Forgotten Faces: The Comfort Women of World War II")

The Fullerton Museum is proud to present the exhibit, “Forgotten Faces: The Comfort Women of World War II,” starting September 5 through November 1, 2015.

As part of the exhibition, I have been cast in a play reading of Unrelenting Relation, written and directed by Amanda DeMaio. In conjunction with STAGEStheatre, the Fullerton Museum Center will provide a one-time-only reading in the museum gallery on September 26th. Please visit my Events or the City of Fullerton Website for more details.

The subject matter of this project is very difficult, but it is important to give attention to the imaginable struggles of these women, forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army. I am honored to be a part of this project a give a voice to these women.

Play Reading: Unrelenting Relation ( as part of "Forgotten Faces: The Comfort Women of World War II")

Featuring Jamie Sowers as Jill in Unrelenting Relaxation!

Written & Directed by Amanda Tischer DeMaio

About:
Unrelenting Relaxation tells a brutally bold story of four European women who avoided the fate of a concentration camp only to be forced into prostitution and made to service military personnel under the Japanese regime during World War II. Produced through special arrangements with STAGEStheatre and Original Works Publishing. Please note there is adult content. 

"...the most graceful and compelling anti-war piece I've ever seen" -- OC Weekly"

Where:
Fullerton Museum Gallery
301 N Pomona Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92832

When:
September 26, 2015 @ 7pm

Tickets:
$12 General Admission
$10 for Museum MembersFor more information on the exhibit, please call the Fullerton Museum Center at (714) 738-3331.

Livestream Hamlet Tonight!

The La Habra Depot Theatre will livestrem their production of Hamlet tonight (2/9/2013) at 8pm PST! Please join us here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/la-habra-depot-theater

Hit Man Opens 8/12/11!

Hit Man opens this weekend as part of INTERIOR DESIGNS: Women Inventing Theatre at Write Act Repertory. Five of L.A.'s most talented female playwrights present 5 world premier plays. These entertaining one-acts run the gamut from comedy to drama and include short plays dealing with relationships, loss, sexual desire, murder and more.

With one dress rehearsal to go, I am confident that this will be an incredible night at the theatre. Feedback for Hit Man has been very positive, and I personally find the other 4 shows in the series intriguing, well-written and excellently cast.

Come join us this weekend through August 28th at Write Act Rep! 9 Performances Only!

King Lear, where has the fool gone?

Shakespeare by the Sea presents a free performance of King Lear! Tonight’s performance took place in Newport Beach at the Bonita Canyon Sports Park.



While King Lear should be the ultimate family drama, filled with explosive emotions and heartache, the only tragedy tonight was this lack luster production. This is the reason non-believers hate Shakespeare. The story is only clearly communicated in brief intervals of time. In short, this production is difficult to understand.

David Graham as King Lear did not connect to his character until the quarter final of the play. He became flamboyant as be began to fall into madness, rather than frail or childish. His only redeeming quality came on his reunion with Cordelia, a tender and intimate moment between father and daughter.

Colin Sprague was utterly forgettable as the Fool. It almost seemed as though the character was left out of the play altogether, as there was no meaningful relationship between him and his master. Our only reminder of his presence came at the end of the play with Lear declared, “And my poor fool is hang'd!”.

Katherine Curi-Prenovost seemed miscast as Regan. Her elegant and royal presence onstage over-shadowed Suzanne Dean as Goneril. Dean seemed to scream her way through the role, creating a high volume character without emotional depth or levels. Her counterpart and sister, Regan (Curi-Prenovost), showed great emotional range and understanding of her character.

Cylan Brown played a devious Edmund, fighting against the instinctual baseness of his character and created a regal prototype of abusive grace. Drew Shirley shined as Edgar. He was the only actor of the night to take strong risks and emotionally dive into his character’s circumstances. He is a true talent and appears a seasoned classical performer.

All-in-all, this on again – off again production of King Lear is a bit of a disappointment, especially in the back of the house where the physicality of the performance can get lost. While it is an honest attempt of bringing FREE Shakespeare to the masses, and many were in attendance, the overall feeling of the night left me discouraged.

I ask nothing more than to be told the story and I was left wanting.

King Lear or Much Ado About Nothing. Presented by Shakespeare by the Sea. Performances through August 13th, Wednesday – Sunday nights. Tickets are FREE. Check Website for dates, times and locations: http://www.shakespearebythesea.org.

'Chili Con Carnage' Opens 5/3/11!

Chili Con Carnage opens tomorrow night! This has been a very emotional journey for me, entering into the world of dark sadistic comedy. I am eager to share this production with an audience.

Working on this original play has proved to be a very valuable learning process for me. I haven’t done an original piece since college, and revisiting such artistry has brought many challenges to my attention. Most important in the process is the conceptual marriage between the playwright and the director. In a premiere production the playwright is still very much involved in the process, which is lovely in many ways, but also challenging when trying to communicate two points of view: that of the playwright and that of the director. Luckily we have all pulled our artistic choices together in what I hope will be a pleasing production for audiences.

With that said, I implore you to come down to Write Act Repertory and join us for tomorrow night’s festivities and a meet and greet with the actors after the show!

Killjoy closes with the playwright by its side

This afternoon marked the closing performance of Killjoy at the Newport Theatre Arts Center. After a 5 week run I am ready to bid farewell to the murder and mayhem.

I am happy to boast that we entertained the playwright himself, Jerry Mayer and his lovely wife Emily. “You guys did a great job,” he said as we greeting him at the stage door. As a former television writer-turned playwright – Mr. Mayer wrote for such shows as M*A*S*H, The Facts of Life, and Bewitched.

I found Jerry to be a jovial and kind-hearted man. He joked that many of the lines in the show were actually things he had said in conversation – using his own phrases such as “I want to live as long as my taste buds are working,” as dialog.

His wife and producer, Emily stood by with an elegant amusement as we discussed the show. It was truly an honor to perform Killjoy for the Mayers.

As I take a brief break for the holiday season, I look forward to a new year of theatre projects. Let’s make 2011 a year to remember!

[From Lef to Right: Mark Kaufman, Alex DesCombes, Jamie Sowers, Andrea Pacquin, Andrea LaVela, Jerry Mayer, Emily Mayer, Brian Page]

Producers Win at the Maverick

Fullerton’s Maverick Theatre mounts a rather accomplished production of Mel Brook’s The Producers, directed by Brian Newell. Despite the limitations of their small performance space, the cast and crew produced a magical show equally spirited to a full Broadway production – easily transitioning from theatre, to office, to East Side apartment, to courtroom and beyond.

When Max Bialystock, an infamous Broadway producer, teams up with his mousy accountant, Leo Bloom, they soon realize that a play that flops could, theoretically, make a fortune. With a little creative accounting, Max and Leo endeavor to collect an excessive amount of money from their backers and produce a show certain to fail on opening night, leaving them with $2 million to spend. They set out to over sell the shares of their next show, Springtime for Hilter, a surefire flop meant to offend and horrify as many theatre patrons as possible. They hire a nutcase German playwright, persuade the worst director in town to join the team, and gain finances from a string of promiscuous old ladies. With all the pawns in place what could possibly go wrong?

Shaun-Michael McNamara delivers a fantastically funny Leo Bloom, in a character that can easily lead the best of actors into a contrived performance. McNamara proves neurotically amusing and sincere.

Rick Franklin's Max Bialystock begins with vigor, but loses steam toward the end of the play – struggling to keep up with his youthful cast mates. Yet, one can appreciate his fight for success.

Kalinda Gray's seductive Ulla, shines through with her perfect sense of comedic timing, sparkling appearance and strong vocals (even through the filter of her humorous Swedish accent).

David Chorley’s delivers a mantic, escaped Nazi playwright, Franz Liebkind. Among his pigeon companions, his quirky mannerisms and thick accent are the perfect combination of hilarious and frightening.

The Maverick Theatre’s talented ensemble of standout performers creates a thoroughly enjoyable production, with laugh-out-loud qualities. One thing is for sure, audiences will leave the theatre with a smile on their face.

The Producers is presented by Maverick Theater, 110 E. Walnut Ave., Fullerton, (714) 526-7070; http://www.mavericktheater.com/. Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m. Through Aug. 1. $15-$25.

Edward II Closing

Tonight I closed Theatre Out’s production of Edward II at the Empire Theater to a full house. I am in awe of the kind-hearted, talented people I have met during this process. Working with the founders (Joey Baital, David Carnevale and Jack Millis) and director/playwright, Darcy Hogan, has been inspiring. Her innovative use of Christopher Marlowe’s powerhouse history, created an emotional journey for me driven by character, love and desire. I am so thankful to have played Margaret, and that Darcy trusted me to originate a role which she so carefully and lovingly constructed.

Northern lights

Tonight marks the second weekend of Almost, Maine. We have managed to pull in two fabulous reviews and the audience feedback has been wonderful. On opening night I heard both laughter and cries of despair as our audience invested themselves in our characters. After weeks of rehearsing with only our director in the room, the validation our audiences have been graciously bestowing on us has been refreshing. I can only imagine what this weekend will hold, with a packed house. We had a pick-up rehearsal last night, and despite all the goofball antics and Cruz feeling under the weather, we fell right back into place. Consistency has always been something I strive to achieve in this art form that is constantly changing and evolving every time the lights come up, as the northern lights dance behind us in the sky.

Lutz Closing

Yesterday was the closing performance of The Lutz Radio Hour. The show proved to be a strange beast, portraying actors in their final radio performance, when in reality we also faced our final curtain. I returned to the theatre after our holday break, completed our final three performances and said my farewells. I send thanks to the fabulous and ever generous Andrew Vonderschmitt for giving me the opportunity to work with a talented cast of players. I am so grateful to have met so many new daces, and developed so many lifelong friendships.

2009 has been a busy year for me, providing another six, magical productions to my experience. In 2010 I plan to focus on finding a new project, and completing my graduate school applications. I hope that this coming year will be prosperous, exciting, theatrically stimulating, and career building. I pray that I will find the path toward success, however vast or rocky that path may be.

Lots of Lutz!

After four weeks of rehearsal for The Lutz Radio Hour, we are ready to open! We have our final invited dress rehearsal tonight at 8:00 PM. At this point in the process I am eager to have an audience to test laughs and fill our empty house with bright buzzing energy. I am very proud of this show and the humor I know it will bring to our audiences.

Enter Laughing closed with a bang! It has been a blustery ride and I am glad to finally close this moonstruck chapter in my theatrical pop-up book. Although I always lament the closing of a show, I was also relieved in many ways. I am ready to devote my entire being to Peggy and move forward with The Lutz Radio Hour.

Enter Laughing Opening!

This weekend we added the final element to our show: the audience. Previews went rather well on Thursday and Friday night. Saturday's opening night champagne reception proved thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. Enter Laughing continues to improve with every performance. I would like to take my hat off to Murray Rubin, Jerome Loeb, Sam Dawson and Skip Blas, who seemed to be the audience favorites of the night. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the show this weekend, especially my fabulous family adn friends!