Area revival of mid-1960s musical features Burbank resident who was part of original production in NYC
An area revival of the 1968 Obie-award-winning Al Carmines/Gertrude Stein musical, “In Circles,” features Burbank resident Jacque Lynn Colton, who was part of the original show in New York City.
The new production will be presented at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles as part of its “Circa ‘69” season, opening on Sept. 14 and running through Nov. 10. The theater was founded in 1969.
The musical relies on the creativity of the actors, actresses and production staff to create the show.
“For me, it is truly a ‘circular’ experience to be reunited with Gertrude Stein, Al Carmines and my wonderful memories of the New York production,” Colton said in a statement.
“The original was a unique collaboration between Al, director Lawrence Kornfeld and the cast. We gathered in Al’s living room with just 12 typewritten pages. We were encouraged to develop our own characters and to take any line we liked — if another cast member felt attached to that line, they could repeat it,” she added.
The original production was presented at Judson Poets’ Theater for a while, then moved to the Cherry Lane Theatre, where it ran for nearly a year, Colton said.
“Everyone who does the show has to reinvent it according to who’s in it and what the relationships are. This production is very creative, just as much so as the original. We have a very young, talented, well-trained cast, and they sing and dance deliciously. And this time, I get to play Gertrude Stein,” she added.
The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call (310) 477-2055 or visit odysseytheatre.com.