Malibu Stage Company production lights up night
By Lori Porter
Acorn Staff Writer

The Malibu Stage Company is currently presenting playwright Moss Hart’s comedy "Light Up the Sky" in its Pacific Coast Highway theatre. Director Chris Hart says he’s thrilled to be directing his father’s classic play which originally opened on Broadway in 1948 during the golden age of theatre. In that same year, plays like "Death of A Salesman," "Where’s Charlie," "South Pacific" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" were also being played on Broadway.

"Light Up the Sky" takes place in the living room of actress Irene Livingston’s (Suzanne Ford) Ritz-Carleton Hotel Suite in Boston. It’s opening night for Miss Livingston in a new play by a new playwright, Peter Sloan (Gene Lythgow.)

The actress, the producer and the director are all excited about opening night and are anticipating a smashing hit. But when the leading actresses mother, Stella Livingston (Mary Gregory) sneaks into a dress rehearsal, she reveals to her friend, Frances Black, (Virginia Hamilton) who is the wife of the producer, Sidney Black (Michael Laskin) that the play is a flop…a horrible disaster, and that she can’t believe how bad it is.

Sloan is affected the most because he has the most at stake. This is his first play and he decides after opening night to go back to his day job. Then an unexpected, intoxicated character exposes the truth about the play, and from his little surprise comes a very touching human exchange of ego with humility among the characters.

They reveal their true faces behind the make-up they wear; faces that are sometimes very beautiful and sometimes just plain hard to look at. The theme in this play is lighthearted, but very true to life as it identifies with human self centeredness.

All 12 characters were played by professional actors who have various films and television credits. Their faces are familiar and their performances were brilliant and refreshing.

"Light Up The Sky" runs through the weekend of June 8 with shows at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $20, and can be obtained by calling (310) 589-1998 or 323-655-TKTS.