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Ron West
Director - Actor - Writer

Ron West Director - Actor - WriterRon West Director - Actor - WriterRon West Director - Actor - Writer

Improv guy!

Improv guy!Improv guy!Improv guy!
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"THIS WEEK THIS WEEK!" The ongoing weekly political sketch show, live on stage at the Open Fist and Westchester Playhouse in Los Angeles.

George Caleodis, TWTW news announcer.
Only some of the many cast members of the show.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

March 9-23, 2023

 

"Second City veteran Ron West wrote a new frame for the Elizabethan comedy of mistaken identity.  He imagined a scenario where a bunch of British actors were making a movie of "Comedy of Errors" at Shepparton Studio and West didn't so much creat a frame as write a whole funny show of his own....(West is) inarguably among the two of three most influential directors and performers on Wells Street." Chicago Tribune


Fun with Iambic Pentameter

Ross Lehman and Dan Chameroy

"The Gotcha Moment," a sketch from THIS WEEK THIS WEEK

FEATURING AMANDA WEIER AND MIKE MCSHANE

Neil Simon's MUSICAL FOOLS

"If You Remember"

Sung by James Bayus and cast. 

"The Test"

Sung by James Bayus, Claire Snodgrass, Robyn Roth and Derik Manson.

"The Rivals"

Sung by Jason Page and James Bahyus

WELCOME TO YOUR ALTERNATIVE REALITY, written and directed by Ron West and Catherine Butterfield

    COMEDY OF ERRORS AT SHEPPERTON - Chicago Shakespeare Theater, W. Shakespeare with additional material by Ron West

      LIFE EXPECTANCY at Malibu Playhouse, written by Catherine Butterfield Directed by Ron West

        The People Vs. Friar Laurence - Chicago Shakespeare Theatre - Book by Ron West, Music & Lyrics by Phil Swann & Ron West

          WHAT THE CRITICS SAID As a playwright, lyricist and director

           Musical Fools: The plot, too complex to explain here, but easily understood by an audience, is filled comedic opportunity, which the cast, under the superb direction of Ron West, seizes with unfettered gusto.  In fact, precision is the name of the game here, with rapid entrances and exits, hand-offs of props, and action so breathlessly energetic that it called to my mind the old Broadway show and subsequent movie, Olsen and Johnson’s Hellzapoppin.


          The mayhem and madness within The Comedy of Errors at Shepperton  is ably balanced by West's mayhem and madness without, as gallant filmmakers struggle against an impossible deadline to create an inspiring motion picture for the beleaguered British troops and terrified citizens.  West's framework is reminiscent of the bomb-ravaged London of The Dresser and the backstage frenzy of Noises Off,   “The subtle theme of the clever play-within-a-movie-within-a-play is a conceit that even in the most difficult times, spirit and understanding and peace matter above all…which Barbara Gaines and West…capture in a superbly conceived and imaginatively executed entertainment.”  Justin Shaltz http://shaltzshakespearereviews.com/reviews/comedy_of_errors_2008_chicago.php


          The 39 Steps “is written to toy with the fourth wall, giving a wink to the audience now and again, and director Ron West uses this flexibility to his advantage, seamlessly allowing spectators a chance to chime in with sound effects. While often times audience participation can feel forced, under West’s direction the house was more than happy to baa like sheep blocking the road to Inveraray.”   The Malibu Times


          The Knacker’s ABC “achieves high hilarity in director Ron West's lively staging.”  LA Times


          Curious George Goes to War “refuses to dumb down cultural references to talk show levels.  Director Ron West and his crack ensemble reward knowledge of the news.”  Chicago Reader


          Thanks to a proudly nebbish directorial sense, The People vs. Friar Laurence delivers oodles of clever material and a truly remarkably impressive ability to make fresh satiric hay out of the most hackneyed iconography in all of dramatic literature, West's show somehow avoids every pothole. In short, it's a blast.  Chicago Tribune


          The People vs. Friar Laurence is "a fast-moving freight train of an entertainment that carries a full load of laughs" LA Times

           

          “The direction of deLEARious by West, is quick and campy. He manages to keep the pace clipped and the action fluid….It should be noted that in addition to writing and directing, West also plays several roles — an impressive feat.”  L.A. Stage Raw


          “Under the capable direction of Ron West – who also had a hand in the book, music, and lyrics and acts in the piece besides – the ensemble cast of deLEARious does a bang-up job of poking fun at all things Shakespeare. While they’re at it, they take a few satirical shots at religion, social and sexual norms, and almost anything they can target about the flaws and foibles of people past and present.”


          In the style of a Second City long form improv, (coincidentally one of West’s former directing homes), (Catherine Butterfield’s) Life Expectancy inventively takes the audience through the experiences of an-over 40 couple having a baby.  Gia on theatre.

          WELCOME TO WEST WORLD -- About The Artist

            

          Ron West has staged enormously popular productions for The Second City in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Toronto, including Sex and the Second City, and Second City This Week, Curious George Goes to War, the last of which garnered his a Jeff Award for Best Director. At Chicago Shakespeare, he staged his own musical The People Vs Friar Laurence and wrote adaptations of Barbara Gaines’ concepts for Taming of the Shrew and The Comedy of Errors (Jeff Award, Best Adaptation). At the Open Fist Theater, he enjoyed staging the Phil Swann/Ron West musicals deLEARious and Neil Simon’s Musical Fools to popular and critical acclaim. 2019 alone saw the world premieres of his plays Free Ride, Any Resemblance, and Musical Fools. Ron relishes collaborating with Catherine Butterfield on her plays Life Expectancy, Top of the World, and Snowing at Delphi and together they wrote and directed Welcome to Your Alternative Reality. Other plays Ron has directed include Dario Fo's We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!, Boris Vian's The Knacker's ABC, and Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps.  In recent years, he has delighted audiences with his staging of The Second City’s perennial holiday favorite Twist Your Dickens in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, OR, occasionally tackling the role of Ebenezer Scrooge himself. The Doctor bats right/left and throws right.



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          As you plan your season, consider Ron as a director for your sharply paced comedy or social satire. If you are putting together a playwright's retreat, there's an improv-to-script workshop that might work for you. And don't forget, Ron is also an actor!  Send him a message about your plans, and he will get back to you soon.

          Call or text 818-983-4708

          1820 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, California 90403, United States

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          Check out this great video

          Any Resemblance

          Here, actors Rachael Armbruster and Brian Hirsch describe appearing in my play Any Resemblance. These two are top notch young professionals.

          Life During Lockdown: You and Your PPP

          Catherine has fun trying to get a loan!

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