Fake Gallery (Los Angeles, CA)
Wordplay is a new spin on storytelling. Some of the best writers and storytellers in L.A. read their hilarious true tales while a DJ spins a real-time soundtrack. It's part "This American Life," part stand-up comedy and like nothing you've seen.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last date listed for Wordplay was Friday October 23, 2009 / 8:30pm. (view all dates)
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Tiny gallery, very intimate, with wonderful, funny, touching, personal stories read by the authors. This was a great evening much enhanced by the talented DJ. My wife has told all her writing group friends.
Tinny little theater, full of people, no A/C... Out of 5 comedians, 2 were pretty good... others used a lot of profanity to compensate for their lack of... being funny. Free wine and drinks... so that part was cool, i guess. Cheaper than the Laugh Factory... so, i guess overall it was a "different" way to spend an evening... an alternative to the movie theater.
wonderfully entertaining! i plan to go every month, it's so much fun.
go early and stop by the Ice Pan at Santa Monica & LaBrea for the MOST fun dessert treat before the show. Only place like it in the city.
Cool spin: Literate (especially the 3 women), fun w/ DJ soundtrack, and great space. All-around "Goldstar" eclectic.
A great evening. I brought my 17 yr. old son and we both loved it. The writer/performers were good, and some even great. It was like a live This American Life. I thought the DJ did a fabulous job, as well.
yes, hilarious, worth the skanky neighborhood
This was such a wonderful show! The performers were all so well spoken and the DJ couldn't have done a better job scoring their words. Bravo to all involved!
A new kind of comedy.....??? Storytelling is always been a part of stand up, only these performers didn't have to memorize the story. But, I still
enjoyed the show. A bit on the edge, so not recommended to anyone with closed minds or political correctness syndrome. Personally, I enjoyed all the performers, especially the DJ.... cuz' ain't nothin' worthy if it ain't got a good soundtrack !! The songs blended perfectly, and flowed along with each story. Funny stuff, I'd like to see more shows like this.
Although, driving from the O.C. I had a helluva time finding a parking space.... drove around for 45 minutes before taking a chance at McDonald's. There was NO PARKING ANYWHERE ... and the theater says they do not let people in after the show starts. I almost went home ... not wanting to risk getting towed or pay a parking ticket on top of paying for a theater ticket. They need to do something about the parking, I don't see myself going back to The Fake Gallery unless they can do something about the parking. Sorry guys.
Very intimate and personal stories with humorous tint to them. Feels much more real than stand up because the performers wrote the stories themselves. Sometimes the DJ picked great music the performer was not expecting... very fun and enjoyable! Street parking isn't too difficult. Around the corner is a great gelato place with kid sizes so no guilt! :)
This is just a great night out, each and every time. The stories are always hilarious, sometimes insightful, with a well-timed and amusing live soundtrack to boot. Not to mention the more-or-less free beer and wine (a donation is suggested). Overall, highly recommended!
The stories and performances ranged from amusing to mediocre to grating. They weren't terrible, but most of the pieces I've read in MFA workshops are substantially better. I was terribly disappointed - this sounded like a great event.
Great event, free wine, funny stories...loved it.
My boyfriend and I went last Friday night and both really enjoyed it. One of the performer's had me laughing so hard that I was tearing up! The stories were mostly comedic in nature, but some were also a bit sentimental. The DJ part added a neat touch.
The gallery where the event is held is also neat. Lots of interesting art work to look at and the space lends itself to creating a neat vibe for the event.
Parking wasn't so great and it's not in the best neighborhood. Arrive early for parking and also to get good seat. The event was packed, maybe even sold out.
Had a good time. It was funny and entertaining.
I had a great time. Love reading, love literature, and love new talent so this was perfect. The concept is brilliant. You get a soundtrack with movies, so why not with spoken word? It was hilarious when the author/reader would be surprised by the DJ's choice of music. It made for a fun time. I laughed so hard - at times, I thought I would cry. It's a small space (hosts about 50 people) and I was in the back of the balcony, but still had a great time. Thank goodness for the fan blowing a gentle breeze at my back. It was hot and stuffy, but the time was well spent listening to frank and (at times) hilarious stories.
We enjoyed it although we would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't 105 degrees inside! It actually became hard to concentrate because of the heat toward the end.
Great show. Took my writer/son, but had a hard time explaining the concept beforehand, so he was wary. After the first performance, he got and really enjoyed it. We would both go again. Thanks!
Five writers/actors performed personal stories they had written, while a DJ played a soundtrack of relevant songs in the background to go with the story. Probably similar to what the Moth does in NYC (the LA version is all amateurs). The last two performers combined terrific writing with great delivery. Would have been nice if they didn't need the script in front of them. Small space but nice gallery.
Cool space, clever show as the others have indicated. The DJ is more understated than I expected (more like a score than a high energy soundtrack) but now and then he hits the music so well with the story that it's simply brilliant. The performers were great storytellers, my only "complaint" if I have one is that I would have liked to see them memorize a bit more and read a bit less.
NOTE: Parking is a pain, the neighborhing areas are mostly permit, and meters are limited. Arrive early enough to circle and walk...or catch one of the closeby meters. Also, the ice cream place was not still open after the show. ;-/
i always love wordplay. people have the craziest stories to share. good for a laugh and to get your mind going.
Great format, great lineup, great venue, great evening. Highly recommended next time it comes back.
is there a reason that there was not enough seating for the audience?
The performances were clever and entertaining, but for the tight quarters of the Fake Gallery and the lack of parking, this was a great way to top off the week.
This was just what I was hoping it would be: a live This American Life or The Moth without the overweening pretentiousness. Truly funny stories well told. The event was well produced as well; crisp timing, organized. the order of the performers well chosen. The only weak element is the Dj-ing; too corny, too on the nose, and rarely atmospheric enough. But that's a matter of personal taste. My friend liked the soundtrack. Overall, a great time.
POSSIBLY NOT SUITABLE FOR THOSE UNDER 18 - DEPENDING ON THE MATERIAL OF THE EVENING!!!
Six writers read their stories - all written in 1st person- along with underscore by an on-stage DJ. I brought my mother (a very young 75), an actor/director friend (55), and my son (a very mature 14).
All four of us agreed that the first 5 stories were, for the most part, entertaining and fun - we had some good laughs! Unfortunately, the 6th story was unnecessarily crude (sexually) and not at all funny to any of us. We are artists who also support the arts and are not easily offended. However, all of us thought the last piece was inappropriate and put a very low-class end to an otherwise enjoyable evening. I almost grabbed my 14 year old and walked out, except that it would have embarrassed HIM because we were in the second row. Still, I wish I had. In fact, we ALL wish we had.
To be fair, I had contacted the producer (when I saw the event listed) to ask about content. I suspected there might be "adult themes" but didn't see any reviews that mentioned questionable content. I didn't hear back for quite some time, and I purchased the tickets. I should have waited or tried again to contact him. When I finally received a reply, he said that 5 stories would rate about a "PG-13", and one story would rate "R". Unfortunately, I had purchased the tickets a few weeks prior to that. After seeing the show, I agree with his rating - it was a VERY crude "R" - but I appreciate that he responded.
Art is art, but please.... one would think the producer would not include content that is inappropriate (whatever your age), compared with the rest of the production. It was a decent story that was ruined by its over-the-top, very crass nature.
The DJ was quick, fun, and creative, though the constant underscore (music) was a little distracting at times for me. An occasional silence might have been more effective.
Small space, folding chairs in rows facing a slightly elevated stage. Performers and audience very casual. Parking is tough, great gelato place right around the corner.
The writing and presentation was very creative, and each person was wonderful about editing their material so it was fun, interesting and never boring... the music additions really added something as well. I only wish the seating was a little better.... try getting there early for a good seat in the first several rows.
Very entertaining. Three out of the six stories were absolutely riotous.
We were creatively inspired by the readings of these five actors. The ability to create "wordplays" of real life situations in such a way to evoke laughter, compassion, and human connection in a creatively humorous fashion was amazing to us! We recommend this experience (and recommend getting there early to get a good seat).
Alan Olifson always puts on a great event -- funny stories, cool music and a good general vibe.
This was a really fun and different event. The Fake Gallery is really unique and creative. The DJ soundtrack to the reading added a different flavor from your usual spoken word events. Jeremy Deutchman's reading was the standout for me, but most of the other readers were very talented as well. I would go back again for sure!
Talented, funny storytellers. The DJ was hit-and-miss though. Would have been just as fun without it.
The show was awesome and hilarious! This is the second show I've been to and I haven't been disappointed. Worth seeing. Arrive early for easier parking.
My friend and I had a good time! What incredible story telling!!
A great fun evening. Wordplay is never disappointing.
The stories were varied, energized and well-crafted. The musical soundtrack by the DJ was engaging and entertaining. Go cheapskates of Goldstar!
Very, very entertaining. Actors/comedians/other show biz folk reading essays (not the boring kind) about events in their lives, delivered with great comic flair and fabulous musical emphasis by an on-stage "DJ" who has obviously pre-scored the performances. Fast-moving, and very enjoyable. Small gallery/theater set-up with free beer, wine, and water (donations suggested). Would recommend for anyone over 18. Language extended into the gross. Terrific evening.
Great show. Can't wait until the next one.
One reader, Taylor Negron, was outstanding. Two were very good, Sara and Alan. One was OK, the dinosaur suit guy. One was unoriginal - I can't hear about coming to terms with sexuality anymore - it's been done to death. At least, if you absolutely must use common material, use it originally.
Overall, my friend and I enjoyed the evening and I will go again.
Wordplay is a great show. The writers/readers are super talented and the soundtracks played by the dj underneath each piece add so much-- especially when there are jokes in the music. Lots of spoken word essay shows in LA are great, but the dj/music aspect of Wordplay makes it really unique. I highly recommend it.
Lots of fun! Great honest expression, lots o laughter
These were some of THEEEE BEST comedic ideas and informally presented -I thoroughly enjoyed myself and its not easy to get me to laugh at stand up-I LOVED THIS. The ideas were contemporary - very very personal -sharing an internal process for each comedian. It was an intimately funny evening.
Very entertaining....I can't wait to attend the next one.
Tips are provided by Goldstar members and WordPlay. Goldstar is not responsible for their content or accuracy.
Website: http://www.wordplayshow.com
Wordplay is true stories with a live soundtrack. Some of the best writers and storytellers in L.A. read their hilarious true tales while a DJ spins a real-time soundtrack. It's part "This American Life," part stand-up comedy and like nothing you've seen.
In October, featuring Rachna Fruchbom, Melinda Hill, Cathy Ladman, Alan Olifson and Richard Tanner