In the one-person show at the Whitefire Theatre, the talented performer opens her past like a secret trunk filled with transcendent secrets, inviting the audience to rediscover by her side the wonders and difficulties of her fabulous life.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 03/5/23 – For a quarter of a decade, Pam Levin has never shied away from revealing her truth on stage. In 2023, she opened and closed the Whitefire Annual Solofest, which has spread from independent theatre to independent theatre across Southern California to become the largest one-person performance festival on the West Coast. Indeed, coming up on a quarter of a century of performing one-woman shows in Los Angeles, Pam Levin is a legendary performer. By taking on the one-person configuration in multiple shows, Pam has evolved into a master of the form, able to skip across the water like a child’s stone while navigating the dark depths.
She never backs off from challenging material but creates a visceral humor that is accessible and intimate. In ASTROLOGICALLY SCREWED, which was selected as “BEST OF THE FEST,” she unveils a prediction made by an astrologer in her twenties that inspired and haunted her for the next two decades. As both writer and performer, Pam transports the audience into heightened moments from her past. She then reflects on those moments with the audience. Although there is no direct participation, her performance creates the feeling of an ongoing dialogue.
In focusing her narrative, Pam is helped by having a capable director. Nominated in 2019 for a Valley Theatre Award for “Best Children’s Theatre Director” as the Artistic Director of the Academy for Children’s Theatre, Chera Marks has inspired kids to give outstanding performances in the past. One would imagine that such experience helps her when directing a whirlwind performer like Pam Levin. Chera Marks navigates Pam’s buckets of energy and enthusiasm to help the performer take a breath and sit momentarily with the meaning.
In recent years, Pam has won acclaim for the naked honesty of “TALES OF MODERN MOTHERHOOD, this sh*t just got real”, where she revealed the challenges of sacrificing a creative soul’s desire and ambition to embrace the role of being a mom. Although funny as hell, the previous show simmered with artistic resentment. Indeed, although she is 100% dedicated to her family, Pam wonders what would have happened if she had made different choices. She dances on that razor’s edge.
In contrast to this feeling, this performance celebrates the love of her family and the blessings of being a mother. Indeed, the softness and warmth of Pam Levin are what characterize the most powerful moments in the show. She allows her heart to sing and not get drowned out by the insecurities of the human mind. If you want to see a performer at her most human and vulnerable while also laughing, then ASTROLOGICALLY SCREWED is a true success.
On March 30th at the Whitefire Theatre, Pam is excited to present “TALES OF MODERN MOTHERHOOD Part 2: Gender and Identity.” Revealing a powerful journey taken within her family, she has already performed the show in Los Angeles and New York. All the proceeds from the show will go to support Trans youth and the LGBTQ community.
