"The Walking Dead" Danai Gurira brings The Convert to Center Theatre Group

What does AMC's hit series "The Walking Dead" have in common with the upcoming Kirk Douglas drama THE CONVERT? Obie Award-winner Danai Gurira. The actress and playwright, whom zombie fans got a brief glimpse of as a hooded mystery in the season finale of "The Walking Dead", is bringing her talents to the stage at the Kirk Douglas Theatre April 17-May 19.

"No Good Deed" packs a punch, graphic-novel style

Photo by Anthony Masters Photography, courtesy of [Inside] the Ford

In the 1980s, singer Bonnie Tyler longed for a hero in her song, "I Need A Hero." In 2012, playwright Matt Pelfrey examines the consequences of becoming a modern-day hero in the play, "No Good Deed." Told in the style of a graphic novel, the play follows the story of a high-schooler, Josh Jaxson, who rises as a hero and falls as a tragic story on the local news.

An evening with "The Night Watcher"

A couple of weekends ago, I had the fortunate opportunity to attend "The Night Watcher" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (thanks to Allied Live for the comp tickets). Neither my husband nor I had ever been to KDT, and I had been considering purchasing tickets to the show anyway, so of course I jumped at the chance when it was offered.

"The Night Watcher" is a one-woman show written and skillfully performed by Tony Award nominee Charlayne Woodard. In this play, Ms. Woodard fluidly moves in and out of characters as she tells the stories of her "children" - none of which are biological, but all confide in her and trust her as a second mother (or in some instances, as their only mother-figure).

Shrek the Musical: An "ogre"-dose of fun

Burping. Farting. Air-guitar. No, this is not a description of my husband's and his buddies' man-cave joys. This is "Shrek the Musical," the theatrical adaptation of DreamWorks' 2001 award-winning CG film, "Shrek."

Peter Pan: More than just digital flying

Last night, I went to see the new "high-tech", threesixty experience of Peter Pan at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with high expectations of amazing digital feats and wonders of how live theater will change in our ever-evolving computerized world. While the show did not dissappoint with the amazing 360-degree video projections of London and Neverland, what I (and my family) remember most are the talents of the actors and actresses, puppeteers and dancers (both on stage and in the air!).

Opening up to "Behind The Gates"

Last weekend, I had an opportunity to see the play, "Behind the Gates" at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre at the Lee Strasberg Creative Center in West Hollywood. I'd read a description of the play on ExperienceLA.com, but other than that, I didn't know much else about it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but that's part of the fun of going to theatre is the unexpected. (Photo by Ed Krieger)

Win tickets to see "IN THE HEIGHTS"

ExperienceLA wants to send two of our lucky readers to see the L.A. premiere of "In The Heights," at the Pantages Theatre on Thursday, June 24 at 8PM. Broadway's 2008 Best Musical arrives in L.A. on June 22 and runs through July 25, with show creator Lin-Manuel Miranda reprising his lead role as 'Usnavi.' Contest details after the jump.

A test of faith

Theatre is about taking risks. Often directors, producers, cast members and crew sign on to a project with little clue what the the final outcome will be and how they will pull it off.

Such is the case with Filament Theatre Co.'s LA premiere of "second." In this dark comedy written by Neal Utterback, six New Yorkers have their beliefs put to the test after a mysterious event takes place. (Photo credit: Joe LaRue)

Oooo, sparkly!

For a brief moment, I imagined myself at the Apollo Theatre watching musical acts perform as I would have had I lived in New York during the 60s. In this way, Dreamgirls was unlike any other musical performance I have ever attended. I didn't feel like I was watching a story being told through song and dance. For me, it was more like attending several live concerts.