Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Ctr

This place is great!
Saw an improv show this last weekend and a play a few years back. Was amazing.
It’s a black box theatre (what this area is widely known for) SMALL! AWESOME! Thats what I love. You can’t fault this place for what it’s supposed to be. Like, I read a review just now that the girl was confused where to go because there were no signs! Maybe she should go back to elementary school where they teach you common sense. She gave the place a three because SHE was dumb. Weird. The she faulted the theater because there was no parking! Welcome to LA YOU STUPID…
Check out this place if you get a chance

(Attended 08÷25÷13 SU @ 2:00pm): Alas, I couldn’t pass up this sure-​lock afternoon of fun entertainment!
Another wonderful Goldstar ticket offer (50%-off $ 20.00 tickets: $ 10.00 ea. + $ 3.50 fees ea.) for «Sherlock Through The Looking-​Glass» at the Whitmore-​Lindley Theatre Center in the NoHo Arts District.
My friend and I were both fans of the Sherlock Holmes and Alice In Wonderland stories, so a play that combined the two was something we had to see. Plus, it turned out my friend knew the lead character!
Food/​Drinks — Surprisingly, a small assortment of bottled and canned drinks, as well as candy and packaged snacks were sold. We bought a soda and bottled water ($ 1.00 ea.). Make sure you cleaned-​up after yourself.
Seats — We climbed the steep stairs to the single-​row balcony and sat in the two far-​left seats which were a hair stage right and in front of the light & soundboard booth. The view was unobstructed and didn’t worry about the back of our seats getting kicked.
The Performance — Consisted of 14 actors and actresses who played duel roles between late-​19^th century London and a fantasy land, the over two hours of action and rollicking fun (e.g. fist fights, tumbling, gun play) was non-​stop from start to finish with a 15-​minute intermission that gave the performers a chance to catch their collective breathes. The first act remained in the world of Sherlock Holmes during 1880’s London. We were then introduced to the manic-​panic world of Alice in Wonderland in the second act before the lead, Sherlock Holmes (also as the Consulting Detective) — masterfully played by Kevin Stidham — «tumbled out» of this nonsensical universe and «landed back» in London. Timothy Portnoy (John H. Watson/​MD) did a skillful job and was brilliant in many of the action scenes. Another standout was Ulka Mohanty (Street Singer/​Cheshire Cat) and her lovely singing voice. And, I enjoyed the beautiful Jennifer Bronstein (Lillian Childress/​Red Queen) although I felt she deserved to be on-​stage more. A rip-​roaring good time!
Service — Aside from the kind woman who worked the concession/​ticket table before you entered the back theatre (your program was your ticket as most small theatres), that was it. Seating was general so first-​come first-​serve.
Parking — Nonexistent. You either parked along a cinder block wall around the corner from the theatre (DON’T PARK IN THE PARKING LOT NEXT DOOR; IT’S NOT THEIRS!), metered street parking (free on Sundays) along the main drag of Magnolia Blvd., or slyly across the street at the Ralphs shopping center.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — As I walked up, my first impression was an old skool medical clinic when I saw the front signage and window walls; it was very basic and subdued. I entered and was immediately in the front lobby/​waiting area outside the front theatre. I walked down a colorful narrow corridor decorated with posters from past productions and reached the back theatre where this show was performed. There were numerous handwritten «no food allowed» and «parking notices» signs throughout. Part the black curtains and revealed was a purely functional small stage with nary any set pieces. In total, I counted barely 50 cushioned seats total (40 floor-​level and 10 balcony-​level). Unfortunately, my seat was missing one of its armrest and legroom was limited, especially if someone had to get by you while you’re seated. The audio sounded a bit muffled, it was easy to hear the actors speak and sing their lines, and the sight lines were good, for this small theatre. There were no TVs or monitors.
Attire — It’s the performing arts in a theatre so I showed respect and dressed «aloha» casual — aloha shirt (instead of a t-​shirt, jeans (instead of boardshorts), and flip-​flops.
Overall, I loved and supported the arts as much as possible, and the Whitmore-​Lindley Theatre Center was another among many in the NoHo Arts District that received my approval. I honestly don’t expect much in the way of aesthetics and gratuitous amenities in the world of small theatre; I understood the industry and its limitations. I found good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total bill was around $ 29.00 which factored in 2 discounted tickets and 2 drinks; no tip required), but the over two hours of surprisingly good entertainment was well worth it. And to that RUDE young woman who sat next to us and checked her cell phone every 20 minutes as the light shown like a Glo-​Stick, I wished you took your «Pretty Women”-looking hooker self out of there at intermission so you weren’t a continued disturbance to everyone in the balcony! It was cash-​only for the snacks, but my credit card of choice was accepted by both Goldstar and their website… AMEX! 3.5 STARS

I’ve got mixed feelings about this place. I went for the first time this past weekend to see a show that I’d seen advertised through Goldstar; the performance itself was fun and I give the director, cast and crew a lot of credit for throwing it together in the space, but this review is for the theatre.
Parking is nil. You’re best bet is to park by the grocery store across the intersection.
There are two performance spaces and, unbeknownst to me, two separate check in lines. I saw a group in the front entry way and joined them only to discover that the show I was here for was actually down the hall around the back. There were no signs to indicate what was happening where.
The space itself was reminiscent of a high school black box only with fewer seats. I’m not sure if the show was oversold or what but they actually had to dig up a couple folding chairs to accommodate the audience, which I thought was kind of unfair. The acoustics were deplorable. It was incredibly difficult to understand the actors and then when the air conditioner kicked in? Forget it.
That being said, I did quite enjoy myself — as I said, the show was entertaining and the independent, creative vibe carried throughout. I’d go back, but I’m thankful to have gotten my ticket at a discount.