November 14, 2024 Your Source for Brentwood News

A Westside Affair, Brentwood’s Joanne Baron Stars in Venice Production

Joanne Baron has been acting since she was a child. “I was in a talent show when I was 8, and I’ve been in love with it ever since,” said Baron.Rehearsals

Baron, a five time Dramalogue winner, and her fellow cast mates will star in the west coast premiere of Blood From a Stone.

“I saw the original off-Broadway production with Ethan Hawke and fell in love with the play,” Baron said. “There’s not a bad role in this show.” The original production saw Hawke win an Obie award for his performance.

The play, which opens this week, will be showing at the Electric Lodge in Venice.

After spending several years in New York City acting and studying, Baron relocated to Los Angeles and opened up the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown studio with her husband, over 40 years ago. The studio, located in Santa Monica, focuses on the Sanford Meisner acting technique, and has called actors like Jeff Goldblum, Halle Berry, Robin Wright, and Patrick Dempsey, students at one time.

Two recent students, Chad Brannon and Ryan Lahetta will costar with Baron in the upcoming production of Blood From a Stone. The play is a tense family drama and deals with the dynamics of a family falling apart from years of mental and physical abuse.

The cast has spent the recent weeks rehearsing the tense scenes included in the play. “There’s a lot of slapping,” Baron said. “This cast is very talented”

Baron said she is “fascinated” by her character Margaret, the matriarch of the family. “She doesn’t like her husband, but she won’t divorce him,” Baron said. “She comes from the mentality of you stay with a person when you marry them, even though they live on different floors.”

The performance is “as local as it gets,” Baron said. I’t’s being performed in Venice, with actors from the studio in Santa Monica and Baron has been a long time resident of Brentwood.

“I love Brentwood, it feels like a total community,” Baron said. “I go for a walk every day. It’s a little dreamy and homey, but an elegant place to be.”

In addition to the acting studio and the play, Baron currently has a show in development. Baron describes the comedy show as “total improv” and said she and her husband (who she filmed it with) are looking for the right place to launch it.

“I’m always working. If I’m not acting, I’m working at the studio,” Baron said. “Acting is the love of my life.”

WHAT: Blood From A Stone.

WHO: Written by Tommy Nohilly. Directed by Thomas C. Dunn. Produced by Racquel Lehrman/ Theatre Planners for LB Productions.

WHERE: The Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Avenue, Venice, CA 90291.

WHEN: May 5- May 22, 2016. Previews May 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. Opens Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 8 p.m. Runs through May 22. Show times: Thurs.- Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. Press opening is Saturday, May 7.

ADMISSION: $30. Previews $20.

RESERVATIONS: 323.960.7788.

Related Posts

Film Review: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

July 19, 2023

July 19, 2023

FILM REVIEWMISSION IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONERated PG-13163 MinutesReleased July 11th The story in this “Mission: Impossible” chapter, “Dead...

Film Review: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

July 5, 2023

July 5, 2023

FILM REVIEWINDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINYRated PG-13154 MinutesReleased June 30th The director of Indiana Jones and the Dial...

“Ballet at the Broad Stage Memorial Weekend – Meet the Talent!”

May 17, 2023

May 17, 2023

Westside Ballet of Santa Monica returns to the Broad Stage with special guest artists kicking off Friday May 26th with...

Elizabeth McGovern Lights Up The Stage in “Ava – The Secret Conversations”

April 26, 2023

April 26, 2023

Play About Legendary Screen Star Runs Until May 14 At The Geffen Playhouse By Beverly Cohn Ava Gardner, born Ava...

“High Hopes” Art Installation Bring Community Together

December 27, 2022

December 27, 2022

Artist Yeu Q. Nguyen public art installation, High Hopes bring the community together through the power of hope inside one...

Live Art Auction This Sunday at Santa Monica Auctions

November 1, 2022

November 1, 2022

Santa Monica Auctions is hosting its bi-annual live art auction this Sunday November 6th starting at 1pm, see some of...

Santa Monica Auctions Announces Return of Longtime Annual Fall Auction

October 28, 2022

October 28, 2022

Robert Berman’s beloved event returns to Bergamot Station on November 6 By Susan Payne Santa Monica Auctions, an independently owned...

Santa Monica Auctions Showcasing World Class Fine Art at Bergamot Station Auction event.

April 22, 2022

April 22, 2022

Santa Monica Auctions is hosting its bi-annual live outdoor art auction on May 15th at Bergamot Station Arts Center. See...

Help Recruiting for Good Give Back and Join the Fun at the Sweetest Earth Day Parties Ever

April 20, 2022

April 20, 2022

By Susan Payne  Earth Day is around the corner.  For Carlos Cymerman, founder of Recruiting for Good, that means the...

Santa Monica Bead & Design Show Returns to the Fairmont Miramar!

April 13, 2022

April 13, 2022

The Santa Monica Bead & Design Show will showcase a fine selection of handcraft and artisan supplies at the Fairmont...

Honoring Women’s History Month With ‘Yarn Bomb’ Art Exhibit at Village Green

March 23, 2022

March 23, 2022

Local Palisadian Michelle Villemaire creates the sixth annual ‘Yarn Bomb’ exhibit at Village Green Park. See the exhibit in this...

Local Artists Honored at Legendary Women of Venice Awards

March 22, 2022

March 22, 2022

Venice Art Crawl hosts the 3rd annual Legendary Women of Venice Awards, find out who was honored in this video...

Bryan Cranston Mesmerizes in “Power of the Sail” at the Geffen Playhouse

February 25, 2022

February 25, 2022

In view of his enormous body of work in television, film, and stage, multi-awarding winning actor Bryan Cranston should be...