A Few Thoughts About “Improvisation” In the early 1960s when ‘improvisation’ was all the rage, Sir Tyrone Guthrie was asked what he thought of it. The grand genius of classical staging remarked, “Well it’s all very fun, but I don’t see what need actors have of it. Their lines are written for them.” This seemingly …continue reading »
Mr. Dickens: Artist and Business Man So the story goes that Charles Dickens, the young author of Sketches by Boz, was interviewed by Chapman and Hall to write the cover plates for a series of illustrations of a whimsical men’s club by Robert Seymour, a leading London artist, who looked to make a personal killing …continue reading »
What is “Readers’ Theater”? From the preface to Lance Davis’ adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol” “I held off doing ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Parson’s Nose for a number of years because there were so many good productions already being done, and I wasn’t sure what Parson’s Nose could offer that was unique. …continue reading »
I’ve been trying to piece together the history of our new home and hope you who have more information will help me out. I went down to the Pasadena Historical Society and they were most helpful, going back into their files to produce these photos. There wasn’t a lot written, from what I’ve gathered, but …continue reading »
Feeling blue with melancholy, or red with rage? Both Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow got you down? Your kid didn’t make the cheer squad? Or did make the cheer squad? And is a “flyer”? Your office just switched to cubicles and lanyards? Well keep your chin up high! You still have time to get a …continue reading »
With an elementary school education Sam Clemens became a printer, a journalist, a miner, a steamboat pilot, an investor, and, many believe, America’s greatest writer. He was the first writer to allow the American way of speaking English to take its rightful place in literature. He captured America, warts and all. This is the man …continue reading »
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” – Mark Twain “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” – Ernest Hemingway Our PNT “Clearly Classic” imprimatur declares works worthy of your investigation. If Parson’s Nose Theater’s mission is to introduce – or reintroduce – the wonderful …continue reading »
Boy oh boy – and girl oh girl – Have we got a season of live theater for you! As well as…wait for it…a new Subscription Program! Now you can plan five social outings with family and friends over the coming year. The Parson’s Nose Company of your favorite Los Angeles actors is ready to …continue reading »
Rehearsal “Too Learned Ladies” at Parson’s Nose Abbey. Paul Perri, Hannah Mae Sturges, John Rafter Lee, Jill Rogosheske, Frazier Perez-Yadon, Kyla Schoer, Dorothy Brooks “The duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them.” – JBP “Les Femmes Savantes” was written and performed by Jean Baptiste Poquelin (Moliere) in 1672, just a year before …continue reading »
Join us for our first production in our new home! The Parson’s Nose Abbey! “He must have lied a little. I mean, you can’t speak without some lying.”In 1835 the Ukrainian short story writer Nikolai Gogol wrote his friend, Alexander Pushkin, requesting a theme for a new comedy. Pushkin sent his notes from an incident …continue reading »
Shakespeare had Elizabeth; Moliere had Louis XIV. We need you! If you enjoy what we do, please consider a donation. Ticket sales can only cover a portion of our costs. PNT has never been in debt in 17 seasons, thanks to you. We are one of the few theaters our size in Los Angeles that pays its artists, not what they deserve, to be sure, but above the Actors Equity minimum. Your donation allows us to pay artists and our overhead and still keep our programs available to all members of the community.
