Gritty Urban Love Story Trafficking in Broken Hearts from Celebration Theatre
Celebration Theatre (West Hollywood, CA)
Rated 3.1 by 56 members who went.
Trafficking in Broken Hearts is a gritty, urban love story that revolves around a trio of unique characters: Papo, a tough talking Puerto Rican hustler from the Bronx; Brian, a sexually confused young lawyer from the Midwest; and Bobby, a 17-year-old runaway.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
* Additional fees apply.
Currently at Celebration Theatre:
- Full Price:
- $15.00
- Our Price:
- $7.50
In Oklahomo!, a gay theatre company in Hollywood attempts to mount an unauthorized adaptation of Oklahoma! facing off LA marathon traffic, a power hungry director, an ovation-winning diva-actress, attorneys from the Rogers & Hammerstein estate and a string of disasters on their way to opening night. Learn More
35 Member Reviews
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WILSON UY
Member since 2007
20 Reviews
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cute plot and good acting! and the 2 of the 3 guys are hot!!!
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Kerry O'Quinn
Member since 2004
5 Reviews
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The 3 actors were perfectly cast and played with earnest conviction. I believed they WERE those guys -- all 3 lost, lonely, and on a road without smiles or love in their lives. Unfortunately, that's about all the play offers -- a bleak look at young men whose future is hopeless. I don't see the point, other than watching 90 minutes of tragic interactions that inevitably lead to broken hearts. That's not enough to capture my soul or move me emotionally. -- Kerry
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CookiePuss
Member since 2007
7 Reviews
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When you leave the theatre, turn to your partner and at the same time you both say, "What the hell was THAT?" you know that you just wasted 90 minutes of your time.
I blame the writing - it was just abysmal. The writer didn't even compose full scenes - they were more like vignettes...30 or 40 of them. Hey Mr. Writer, a "scene" has more than 3 sentences in it.
It was a good concept, but even the actors couldn't make something out of nothing.
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Bobby
Member since 2007
7 Reviews
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fantastic show with superb performances all around. highly recommend !!!!
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2006
3 Reviews
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Great play in a very quaint setting. Very touching story. Have to check it out.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2006
2 Reviews
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WOW! I have seen a lot of theatre in Los Angeles and I have to say, TRAFFICKING IN BROKEN HEARTS is by far one of my favorite theatre going experiences. The three actors onstage give heart wrenching, fearless performances in roles that force them to be dramatic, comedic and sexy. All three actors are required to be naked for a good deal of the play and where I usually find nudity onstage gratuitous and vulgar, this director handled it with class - serving his cast as well his the text. It is a very powerful and emotional script with a very sexy and talented cast. The design elements were also top-notch. The set is a multi level steel jungle gym that transforms into about thirty scenes right before your eyes. Warning: They do use a lot of fog and strobe lights which can be jarring. And there is cigarette smoke onstage which I don't like and I think it should be banned.
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Theatre goer
Member since 2005
18 Reviews
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I attended a week earlier than anticipated - anxious to see this ambitious play. The set was interesting - making the most out of a small stage area by use of the scaffolding to create small scenes, about six in all, with several more playing out in the open space in front. Casting is perfect - all were believable. Well rehearsed and directed. Highly recommend you see it. I usually give kudos to one actor per show I see, but all three were very good, the nervous, closeted laywer, the latino hustler, and the crazy twink. That subplot - the abused 17 year old who is in love with his own brother was a bit bizarre but that's the playwright, not the actor. It was competently played by the young actor - who definately has a future in this business. Celebration Theatre has their act together, know how to use their space effectively, so no problems there either. I don't know if it can be moved or not, but the post in the right portion of the stage is a distraction and an obstruction. But it holds up the roof, and short of a major redesign of the structure, I can't see them getting rid of it, but it would be terrific if they could.
Go see this one before it's gone.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2008
1 Reviews
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Stephen is really great in the play. He is living every moment honestly despite the frequent scene changes.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2008
31 Reviews
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I enjoyed it very much. All the guys were hot. From the sissy queen, to the latino hustler, to the steaming hot super cute white all american lawyer.
I loved the theatre and also the attractive guy that works the front door. He is a real hottie too.
The story is a classic done with sensitivity and emotion. Well played by the cast with a physical intensity that was palatable. I would see it again.
Efren Matos
WeHO
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Brent
Member since 2005
33 Reviews
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A great performance in an intimate theatre. My partner and I would see it again. Catch it if you get a chance!
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Arthur Y.
Member since 2003
35 Reviews
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This was an absolute nightmarish production suffering from 3 terrible performances and a lousy set. Ramon Camacho tried to be a tough hustler (with a heart of gold), but he failed to deliver the right emotion. Elijah Trichon clearly was ill -- his nasal and whiny vocie did not add to any dramatic effect (more or less annoying). Only Stephen Twardokus fared slightly better as a troubled soul. The set was a clustered mess and the lighting missed the cue several times. Now, my questions to the storyline: 1.) Why Brian mentioned he had a couple of quarters before entering the Peepshow and after using only one, he said he was out of quarters completely and had to borrow one from Papo? 2.) Why Brian said to the invisible waiter, 'we are not ready to order,' after he'd already ordered a salad and an entree along with Papo?
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2004
5 Reviews
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It was a good show, with great acting, just a bit too much for me to take on a Thursday, but great acting.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2002
13 Reviews
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Definitely intense/gritty, but also a realistic, sad, and honest look at elements of NYC life in 1982. Actors are Amazing in roles requiring significant range of emotions. Show includes nudity, but it is not gratuitous or titilating...rather, it helps tell the story and make it intimate. One of the better shows I've seen at Celebration; highly recommend.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2008
1 Reviews
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2006
2 Reviews
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Okay, the two reviewers above did not see the same show I saw. And, FYI: I saw this show Sunday for a second time that is how much I loved it.
Granted, this show will not be for everyone. It has a lot of foul language (a lot) and nudity (a lot) and violence (a lot) but you can't deny the three actors are incredibly talented in three roles that are ridiculously difficult. They are playing very broken, wounded people but must remain likable, vulnerable and human. They also have to have strong comedic timing as they have a lot of jokes. These three guys (aside from being very very hot) offer some of the best acting I have seen in LA. I plan on seeing this show again. I loved the direction, the set, the lights.
I do warn possible ticket buyers: This show is not for EVERYONE. This show is gritty, tough and hard-hitting. But if you can handle a Tarentino movie, you can handle this. And if you like young hot guys and great acting - GO!
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Eric G.
Member since 2005
38 Reviews
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Definitely gritty and urban, as advertised! I felt a kind of discomfort with this show, and only when I read the program later at home did I realize this was a 20th anniversary production, so I guess that's important to keep in mind, a certain quality of datedness. The acting was good all around and the set functional, versatile and compact. It's the play itself that seems like it takes a long time saying what it has to say, and then in the end doesn't particularly get you or the characters to a new place. There certainly are pathetic people in the world, but three of them on stage at the same time (nude!) seems like overkill. I've seen better much more often at Celebration Theatre.
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Blaine
Member since 2006
48 Reviews
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Actors are fine, writing way too melodramatic. Seen it all before.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2008
8 Reviews
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Good acting. I was very surprised. Papo did a great job. The nudity was a total plus. The changing set was pretty impressive. They did a lot with the little space they had. Well worth the money. Ideally you'd want to sit in the middle facing the stage but all those seats were "Reserved" so I wish that wasn't so. Either way got a good seat in the front row.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2003
1 Reviews
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The best production I've seen at the Celebration. The performances of the three guys are all amazing. They are all convincing in their roles. I got to the theater early to make sure I got a good seat and the actors were already getting into character by hanging out at the entrance to the theater on SM Blvd. - at first I thought they really were hustlers. Then they move to the stage and continue to act their roles in silence. It's really an interesting thing to observe so I recommend going early, not just to make sure you get a good seat, but to watch this. The set is really imaginative. There is something unique about seeing this show in the midst of the neighborhood where the story on stage is being led by real people every day. I highly recommend this show. I hope the Celebration starts to have more high quality New York theater like this.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2007
4 Reviews
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Dan
Member since 2003
13 Reviews
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Keith
Member since 2006
9 Reviews
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This was a great show; well directed and really well acted. The only problem I had with the production was there were too many blackouts. Scene changes done in character don't interrupt the flow of the action and can be choreographed to enhance the overall ambience of the production. Go see this before it closes!
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D
Member since 2008
5 Reviews
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It was a thought provoking afternoon at the theatre. We liked it and felt one character was verry strong (Paco). It's wonderful that Los Angeles has quality gay theatre....
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PAUL MARCELINO
Member since 2007
9 Reviews
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Great acting. I love the very 'raw' emotions.
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Marc Golden
Member since 2005
3 Reviews
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The cast is earnest and endearing, but the writing is subpar and feels predictable and too familiar.
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TheatreGuy
Member since 2008
13 Reviews
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Pluses: Honest emotions, good acting, sexy
Cons: Stereotypical, unnecessarily raunchy, melodramatic
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John D Price
Member since 2007
2 Reviews
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The actors were ok. I thought the writing was awful. The writer found no solution for any of the characters. It was hard to cheer for them when they never managed to get out of their own way.
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Rodney L.
Member since 2005
35 Reviews
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well acted, honest dilemmas, but why do Gays have to be so f--- up.
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j
Member since 2006
4 Reviews
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Lots of drama with moments of sadness and humor mixed in to the story. Some of the themes were molestation, lust, hate and love.
The show seemed to be about people looking for something they needed in life to make them whole or content, even self discovery. The acting was good, energetic and emotional. Three of the people mostly on stage the entire show with a fourth making quick appearances (as a foot or a waiter). The set was decent it maximized the space and established an urban gritty feel. Graffiti on the theater walls and steel pipes & scaffolds created frames for different sets; office, bedroom, street corner.
At this point in the run, was surprised two of three actors mixed up lines. Twice an actor was talking in the dark before the lights came up, perhaps that was an artistic decision. After the play asked people what the last spoken line was, no one seemed to know, it was said quietly.
As for the story, hope all three characters find what they are looking for whether it is real love, or lasting happiness.
While you can view the show from anywhere, a small theatre, it is probably best to sit in the center section.
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Mario G.
Member since 2005
14 Reviews
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The actors all owned their parts and did a great job. The storyline however left something to be desired.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2008
1 Reviews
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The play is amazing and moving, I am still thinking about all the characters. All three actors are amazing and Ramon Camacho brings a smash performance that will blow the socks off any one.
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James Jernigan
Member since 2003
3 Reviews
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I always find going to Celebration Theater an interesting affair. First there's the parking, then the waiting in line for your ticket. Then waiting to go in and find a seat, hoping you don't get one in the corner or behind the pole. None of this, though, impacts the play or the performance.
I enjoyed the piece, finding the many changes interesting and the staging thought out. I had no issues with the nudity, fog machine nor the lights. I did not like the cigarette being smoked on stage. The theater is a place of make believe and some reality can be best left outside.
All that withstanding, I enjoyed the play, the story and the acting. They all did a very good job and I'm glad I got to see it. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that one of the actors was also in a film (3 Day Weekend) that I had recently seen. Both performances were enjoyed.
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Martin Zimmerman
Member since 2003
17 Reviews
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A pretty gripping and emotionally-charged play, w/ some periodic comic relief. The acting is the real attraction as all three principals deeply inhabit their roles, particularly Ramon Camacho as the street hustler, Papo. While the writing is sometimes a litte facile, the acting more than makes up for it.
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Ken Kish
Member since 2008
11 Reviews
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Highly recommended! A wonderful play with terrific actors.
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Goldstar Member
Member since 2004
1 Reviews
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great show. worth it. top of the list.
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Top Useful Tips
Tips are provided by Goldstar members and Celebration Theatre. Goldstar is not responsible for their content or accuracy.
Parking And Transportation
- There are lots of street parking next to the theatre.
- I usually park at the Target, may cost more, but the security is priceless.
- I'd rather
Food And Drinks
- There is a concession stand near the restroom.
- In the front lobby when I was there.
- Concession stand in front lobby when I attended.
Other
- The runs about 90 min without an intermission.
More Details About Trafficking in Broken Hearts
More Information
Website: http://www.traffickingonstage.com
<p>When Papo (Ramon Camacho), a tough talking Puerto Rican hustler from the Bronx, meets Brian (Stephen Twardokus), a frightened young lawyer from the Midwest, Papo begins to glimpse the possibility of a romantic escape from his life on the streets.</p>
<p>At the same time, Bobby (Elijah Trichon), a 16-year-old runaway who has been repeatedly raped by his older brother, offers to take care of Papo and moves into his fleabag hotel room. It is then when Papo’s defenses are broken down and he is forced to make the most difficult decision of his life. Trafficking in Broken Hearts is a gritty, urban love story that contains adult situations, strong language and nudity.</p>
Celebration Theatre
Celebration Theatre is a company of artists dedicated to creating a dynamic outlet for progressive gay and lesbian voices in contemporary theater and performance in Los Angeles. They intend to create a broader involvement in their community, conduct a rigorous exploration of society's changing sentiments and values, and share these explorations with a wider audience.
