Justina Walford
Theater
Evolution of Sunday - writer
2003 production directed by David Lee, starring Debbie Fan and Cray Thomas
2004 production directed by Marisa O'Brien, starring Zanne Walls and Braden Tenney
Full review from LA Weekly, 2004 production: "Writer Justina Walford has delivered a thoughtful and affecting drama about faith, love and forgiveness, remarkable for both the clarity of its focus and the complexity of its characters. Director Marisa OBrien gets subtle yet powerful performances from her cast of two, and tries a novel device for scene transitions: Segue music is sung live from behind the audience up in the booth area, and singer Annie Katsura Rollins adds nicely to the changing moods with her lovely voice. The story begins as a stunned and bleeding man, Kevin (Braden Tenney), staggers into the office of pastor Danielle (Zanne Walls). At first he seems antagonistic and crazy, until it is revealed that hes just been in a car accident where his wife was killed. Kevins late wife had made him promise to spend four Sundays at this church, and now he angrily appeals to Danielle for comfort and guidance. Danielle has a secret, however, which will turn this relationship inside out. Tenney does a terrific job with a tricky role. Kevin isnt such a great guy: He took his wife for granted, hes rudely confrontational, but beneath that surface hes collapsing completely, and Tenney balances the anger and sorrow very well. Walls excels with the more internalized Danielle, and when her secret is revealed, Walls displays her helpless grief and shame in a sudden torrent of emotion that is startlingly deep and moving."
"Compelling" - Backstage West, 2004
"Justina Walford's interesting drama...intelligently
explores how guilt and shame affect everyday lives."
-07/03/2003, LA WEEKLY
"A beautifully written...piece...that will definitely make
the audience ponder where they stand spiritually."
-07/09/2003, NOHO>LA
Dating in Person - writer
2003 production directed by Justina Walford
2004 production directed by David Watkins
"With a nod to Howard Korders Boys Life, Justina Walford's well-written comedy follows three friends as they navigate through the thickets of love and romance...The action unfolds in a series of simple, short scenes, where this trio of gal pals meets and matches up with different fellows, wrestles with temptations, and ultimately finds salvation in the arms of their true loves or in independence. The cast is flawless."
-LA Weekly
Re-Adaptation - producer
Split.Id Theatre 2004
Written by: Stephen Flores and Blake Goddard
Directed by: Dominic Savio and David Lee
Starring: Dominic Flores and DW Sweet
"When your theater program contains a breakdown of the show's 25 scenes, including "Nietzsche," "Frogger," and "Spike Jonze," you know you're in for a ride.
Re-Adaptation is a product of what happens when intellectuals become fascinated by pop culture and revel in the confusion of postmodernism. It is a self-conscious but unpretentious pastiche that twists and turns, but then somehow untangles itself into a sincere narrative.
The writing, by Stephen Flores and Blake Goddard, can be incredibly intelligent, weaving together Gen-X musings, pop-culture references, and philosophy. Elvis and Audrey Hepburn [are] played to campy perfection by DW Sweet...Any flaw is vindicated by the hilarious final scene in which the cast invokes the Orange County Body Motion Collective to the tune of Fatboy Slim's 'Praise You.'"
-IN MAGAZINE
Breaking Up - director
Split.Id Theatre 2005
"Split.Id is saying farewell to the Complex with a bang. Their last show at the Split.Id Theatre is two hilarious one acts -Morning Coffee by Frederick Stroppel and Gendermat by Mark Dunn- directed by award winning Justina Walford. The first one act, Morning Coffee, is a biting look at breaking up with New York live-in couple, Katie and David. Their relationship thrives on their many melees, but this Saturday morning, things will change. From cheap jabs to true pain, this break up shows how an everyday fight can turn into last words.
The second one act, Gendermat, cleverly shows the different genders and their universal way of breaking up. Set in an apartment basement laundry room, a couple says their farewell. The one act is a sort of tag team theater where a characters gender changes with the actors."
-ReviewPlays.com
Other Productions
Actoberfest, Secret Rose Theatre 2006
Justina directs John Wildman's short one act "Exploding Girlfriends." There were baked beans and barbie dolls.
Thicker Than Water, Actors' Circle 2005
Stamped a "Recommend" by LA Weekly. Written by and starring Michael Rex.
15 Minutes of FEM, Egyptian Arena Theatre 2005
Wrote and performed excerpt from Overflow
wildworX
productions
