A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘For Want of a Horse’

April 21, 2026April 21, 2026 Edward Hong

It’s been a few days but after watching the world premiere of Olivia Dufault’s For Want of a Horse at Echo Theater Company, I am still at a loss of what exactly the point of the play is. It’s well acted and well directed with perhaps a deep meaning to it but ultimately, it’s a play about a man who has sex with a horse. Are we supposed to be more empathetic of folks who commit such acts? Do we condemn it? Is this even a discussion worth having?

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Berta, Berta’

July 21, 2025July 21, 2025 Edward Hong

There are many exciting elements at play with the west coast premiere of Angelica Chéri‘s Berta, Berta at the Echo Theater Company with a talented cast composed of Kacie Rogers & DeJuan Christopher and director Andi Chapman (who I’ve been a stalwart fan of for years).

News, Theatre

‘The Enabler Monologues’ is a Two-Night Only Theatrical Protest Event

April 3, 2025April 13, 2025 Edward Hong

Echo Theater Company presents the The Enabler Monologues, a searing, darkly comedic, two-night-only theatrical protest event that exposes the enablers of fascism — the politicians, billionaires, media moguls and power players who paved the way for Trump’s return.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘One Jewish Boy’

March 23, 2025March 24, 2025 Edward Hong

With the current genocide of the Palestinian people and an intense global scrutiny of the Israeli government’s ongoing war crimes, one of the western responses to that is to show antisemitism is also rapidly on the rise.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘How’s It Gon’ Be’

October 18, 2023October 19, 2023 Edward Hong

Full transparency: this is a rather late theatre review for a show happening at the Echo Theater Company, but I am glad to have caught it with one more performance week left as How It’s Gon’ Be, a gorgeous coming-of-age play written by JuCoby Johnson and directed by Ahmed Best (yes, that fantastic Ahmed Best), is a terrific reminder of Los Angeles theatre at its absolute finest and that plays which are centered around underrepresented people does not have to revolve around trauma.

Reviews, Theatre2 Comments

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Crabs in a Bucket’

July 16, 2023July 17, 2023 Edward Hong

What you first see: Actors dressed up in hilarious dorky crab costumes.
What you actually get: A brilliant satire about the impact of “crab mentality” on oppressed communities whose members work against one another instead of together.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Poor Clare’

November 19, 2021October 5, 2023 Edward Hong

To be watching plays again inside a theatre after 18 months was certainly a strange experience considering that Poor Clare, now playing at the Echo Theater Company, was something I was supposed review right before the pandemic shut everything down and drastically altered our lives for many months to come. To finally be able to watch this play (written by Chiara Atik and directed by Alana Dietze) was made all the worthwhile in how utterly fantastic it was and how much its themes struck even harder after everything we experienced during this chaotic time.