Islamic State has a branch devoted to creating chemical weapons, AP reports, citing Iraqi and US officials. Earlier, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls also warned that Islamic State could potentially use chemical or biological weapons in its attacks.

A special branch has been set up by Islamic State to develop chemical weapon for the terrorist group using scientists from Iraq and Syria as well as other countries in the region, AP reported, citing Iraqi and US intelligence sources.

Although Islamic State has already used mustard gas on the battlefield, US intelligence agencies are skeptical about the terrorists’ capabilities to produce sophisticated chemical weapons suited for a potential terrorist attack.

At the same time, Iraqi officials warned that control over vast territories in Iraq and Syria gives the militants many opportunities for experiments, leaving Iraq’s forces largely unaware of the Islamic State actions.

“They [Islamic State] now have complete freedom to select locations for their labs and production sites and have a wide range of experts, both civilians and military, to aid them,” a senior Iraqi intelligence official told AP.

Fearing that Islamic State could use chemical weapons, Iraqi forces have started distributing gas masks and protection suits to troops stationed west and north of Baghdad. Twenty-five percent of troops have been provided with masks so far, AP reports, citing a senior officer in Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad.

Additionally, Russia has supplied Iraqi forces with 1,000 protective suits against chemical attacks, Hakim al-Zamili, the head of the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee, told AP.

The militants have managed to involve experts from different countries in their chemical weapons project, including specialists from Chechnya and Southeast Asia as well as members of Saddam Hussein’s now-dissolved Military Industrialization Authority, al-Zamili added.

“Daesh [ISIS] is working very seriously to reach production of chemical weapons, particularly nerve gas,” al-Zamili said, using an Arabic acronym for the group. “That would threaten not just Iraq but the whole world.”

US and European officials have repeatedly claimed that Islamic State is incapable of producing chemical weapons due to a lack of resources and technology, stressing that it has only managed to produce mustard gas so far – but only of low quality and in small quantities.

However, retired Lt. Gen. Richard Zahner, a former top US military intelligence officer now leading the NSA electronic surveillance arm, emphasized that the US has consistently underestimated the idea Islamic State that could possibly develop a “limited” chemical weapon program.

“Even a few competent scientists and engineers, given the right motivation and a few material resources, can produce hazardous industrial and weapons-specific chemicals in limited quantities,” Zahner told AP.

There are so few really good original musicals being written and produced these days. Money always plays a role in the decision to produce or not. So when a major Regional theatre like the Pasadena Playhouse schedules a show one looks forward to seeing a promising new storyline with a high powered cast.

It is only logical for expectations and hope to run high for a hit. It’s a bit disappointing then, when the anticipated ‘smash hit show’ falls into the category of a missed opportunity.

The world premiere of “Breaking Through”, a musical with a book by Kirsten Guenther and music and lyrics by Cliff Downs and Katie Kahanovitz, is now on stage at The Pasadena Playhouse under the direction of Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps.

Epps is one of the savviest directors working these days. He has a winning-track record; with musicals being one of his strong suits on Broadway and elsewhere.

His “Blues in the Night” and “Play On” productions received Tony Award nominations. But, even the best can only do so much when the original material, in this case, a weak book, bordering on a formulaic, soap-opera feel to the characters along with banal lyrics and text by Librettist Guenther, make “Breaking Through” an uphill battle.

The Faustian bargain-like story about today’s music industry business with its talented singers, songwriters, performers, and creative producers who sell their souls in order to grab the brass ring for a while along with those nasty sex-driven moguls is not new. Such a concept might appear at first, to be a great idea for a musical.

Others, however, have tried to capture the music industry in two acts this season in LA. The Geffen Playhouse fell into the same trap with its production of “Those Paper Bullets”.   Both “Breaking Through” and “Those Paper Bullets” stories failed to fully engage and the credulity gaps in both productions was a little too wide to overcome

Having said the above, however, the production of Breaking Through” is rich in performing talent. The character Charlie Jane, a talented, young, naïve singer/songwriter/performer who arrives in New York City to share her songs and feelings with America, is wonderfully played by Allison Luff. Luff, is a performer blessed with star quality and stage presence, along with a soaring vocal range and performing firepower second to none.

In strong support are Matt Magnusson as Scorpio, Jane’s co-star in the music video’s the two are making to publicize the record company’s line-up; Kacee Clanton as Karina, an about-to-be-washed up older performer (shades and echoes of the Norman Maine character of “A Star is Born”) in record Mogul Jed’s (Robert W. Arbogast) production company. Will Collyer as Smith, a young caterer in the building who is drawn to the sweetness and naivete of the young Charlie Jane provides her love interest; Nita Whitaker as Amanda, a guide assigned by Jed, helps Charlie learn how to swim in the shark-filled waters known as the music business. All of the singing performers boast strong voices. The beat and drive of the music is strong but the lyrics lack the bite and sophistication to elevate the narrative; moving it in a less predictable direction.

The creative team led by director Epps features solid technical credits. The playhouse theatre building may be 91 years-old but the technical components are state of the art. Scenic Designer John Iacovelli, Costumer Designer Alex Jaeger, Lighting Designer Jared A. Sayeg, and Sound Designer Peter Fitzgerald give the production a polished look. The orchestra under the baton of David O, delivers the beat and drive necessary for a musical featuring soloists and dance numbers. But that problematic libretto keeps rearing its intrusive head.

“Breaking Through” performs at the Pasadena Playhouse through November 30, 2015.

Friday, October 30, 2015 was a very important day for CV REP. It marked the day the Rancho Mirage-based Equity theatrical producing company launched its first World Premiere production under founding artistic director Ron Celona.

It was also an important day for Massachusetts-based playwright George Eastman as well. It was his first play to be produced in a professional Equity theatre. It was an evening where theatre professionals director Celona, playwright Eastman, and cast members Gavin Macleod and John Hawkinson, knocked the socks off the opening night audience. As we say in the theatre, when a two-hander (just two cast members) is ‘cooking on stage’ everyone in the audience is transformed as well.

“Happy Hour” centers around aging widower father Harry Townsend (Gavin Macleod) and his forty-year old son Alan (John Hawkinson) who come to grips with the vexing, but immutable, fact that aging is a human process that comes to most of us. The one longer lives, the tougher it becomes to accept it. A frequently asked question by people of a ‘certain age’ is ‘how did I get so old so quick?’

The answer is it happens in the blinking of an eye, which is why it is so important to slow down, smell the roses, and pay immediate attention to the people you love. Forget pride; pride is an assassin sent by the dark side to kill what we all hold dear: our families and our memories.

Harry Townsend is a case study in the manly/machismo philosophy. Don’t show anybody your soft side, even your children, or you’ll lose control. What is it they say about that philosophy? Oh, yes. It’s called pride. And stubborn pride definitely goes before a fall.

On the flip side of that coin, however, are the children and/or family members who must walk a very fine line so as not to alienate, and in this story, the recently widowed 84 year-old Harry is becoming increasingly grumpy, forgetful and despite falling several times without telling anyone, is determined not to be shipped off by his son Alan and his daughter Sarah (referred to but not seen) to the sterile confines of a senior care facility. His adamant NO is heard loud and clear over and over.

There is a lot of give and take between and Harry and Alan in this two act comedy drama. There are of echoes of “On Golden Pond”; the subject matter of how do we do the right thing for our aging parents like keeping them safe with proper care without smothering the flame that keeps them still with us.

There isn’t a blemish or flaw in Macleod’s portrayal of Harry. It’s a mesmerizing and riveting performance that is chock full of inspired moments of discovery. Harry is a man we all have all seen and known; perhaps, even seen within our own family. The audience resonates with his plight and that of Hawkinson’s Alan.

Alan is stuck with the unenviable task of convincing his father to leave a home that is filled with a lifetime of memories that he and his mother Jenny built from the ground up. I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think I heard a sniffle or two in the audience. I also heard the booming laughter and guffaws at the dialogue which sparkles with Neil Simon-like zingers throughout. There are a couple of moments of adult language being bantered about, so you might want to leave the kiddies at home.

What makes the play so compelling is the honesty and craftsmanship of playwright Eastman. I saw a workshop performance of the play last year. This world premiere production has been reworked by Eastman and director Celona. The story now digs deeper via more backstory of Harry and Alan’s relationship as well as with the unseen Sarah. The play now is more nuanced thanks to the personal vision director Celona brings to this production. I believe it’s safe to say that Macleod’s magnificent tour de force performance would be slightly unbalanced without the steady counterpoint of Hawkinson’s Alan. Hawkinson is always in the moment and right there when Macleod’s Harry needs him to bounce off of. There is excellent on-stage chemistry between these two fine actors.

Celona’s seamless staging of this production, if not his best ever, is certainly one of his top three. He won the Desert Theatre League (DTL) Desert Star Award for Best Director with his sensitive direction of “The Chosen” last month. His staging of “Happy Hour” will be a strong contender again for the 2015/2016 season.

The technical credits are always first rate at CV REP, and this stellar production is no exception. Award winning Set Designer Jimmy Cuomo has given the actors the look and feel of a Vermont woodsy cabin in which to perform their magic. Lighting designer and overall technical director Eddie Cancel and his crew paint the stage in lighting that lets us see the costume designs of Aalsa Lee, all of which enriches this splendid production.

“Happy Hour” is a play that should not be missed. It runs at CV REP theatre through November 22, 2015.

Love is the one human emotion that the entire world is constantly seeking and responds to no mater one’s age. How we respond to it is the stuff of theatre, movies, and novels.

One need look no further than the stage of North Coast Repertory Theatre to enjoy and appreciate how the emotion called love drives the behavior of two people, of a ‘certain age’, who are seeking its benefits; no matter the cost or the age of its participants.

From the pen of Irish playwright Christian O’ Reilly, comes “Chapatti”, a tender, poignant, and charming tale that bubbles with the lilt of Irish laughter, wit and charm for which those silver-tongued Gaelic writer/philosophers are known.

If you thought that ‘alchemy’ was a lost art, think again. Award-winning Broadway and Hollywood director/actor Judith Ivey brings her considerable talent and skills to the stage of North Coast Rep to create gold in the form of a two person cast that stars actors Mark Bramhall and Anabella Price. Kudos to artistic director David Ellenstein, for once again, bringing the gold standard in talent to the audiences of North Coast Repertory.

Director Ivey imbues her bittersweet play with intimacy to great effect by placing separate living quarters side by side, allowing the actors to break the fourth wall and address the audience. The convention creates a homey safe zone effect where everyone is in the same room having a cup of tea with the actors. When I ask her at the opening night after-party, what drew her to this little, but ever so insightful story, she smiles and replies “I fell in love with this particular story because playwrights don’t write many love stories revolving around senior citizens.”   Christian O’ Reilly writes honest dialogue with a believable premise, and according to director Ivey, “… people would be surprised to know that stories like “Chapatti” happen in real life more than you would expect.”

The story of Dan and Betty, is a tale of two senior working-class suburban Dubliners who discover one another by coincidence at a veterinarian’s office.   He’s a dog lover. She’s a cat person. Dan’s a widower who’s having difficulty in getting through his grieving period. He keeps thinking of his Margaret, all alone up there; waiting for him to join her. He is a bit of the working-class dreamer when it comes to facing reality.

Betty, on the other hand, is a divorcee who knows she still has plenty of love and compassion in her and is just waiting for the right man to come along to share her feelings. Her dialogue is achingly poignant at times and delivered with such a ring of authenticity that her astonishing performance can’t help but resonate with the females in the audience (and a few of us men as well).

Dan is winningly and guilelessly played by Mark Bramhall in a nicely nuanced performance. Anabella Price, is an absolute gem of an actor who looks and sounds as if she just finished a performance run at Dublin’s famed Abbey Theatre. And, the on-stage chemistry between Price and Bramhall is a delight to behold, in the bargain.

Between Bramhall’s laidback Dan and Price’s no-nonsense Betty, the audience can cancel their airplane tickets to Ireland in the hope of seeing a slice of working-class Irish life. That experience can be seen and felt by attending a performance of “Chapatti”. Incidentally, the title of the play is the name of Dan’s dog, a stray he rescued to later name it after a favorite Indian food of his and Margaret’s.

The technical credits are always first rate at North Coast Rep, and this production doesn’t disappoint. Scenic Designer Marty Burnett and lighting designer Matthew Novotny, the two man team responsible for the many outstanding set designs over the years, score again. The costumes designed by Elisa Benzoni are picture-perfect for each character. A special kudo goes to dialect coach Jan Gist for coaching two yanks and transforming them into authentic sounding Irish Dubliner characters that would make believers out of the real residents of the Emerald Isle. Or, as the locals might say” It’s the likes of you actors that makes the likes of us enjoy the evening in the theatre.”

“Chapatti” runs at the North Coast Repertory Theatre through November 15, 2015. Don’t miss it.

“The Addams Family”, musical now on stage at The Palm Canyon Theatre is a perfect Halloween treat for its patrons as way to get into the spirit of both the holiday and enjoy the production that is loosely based on the popular cult-classic TV series of the same name.

Look at the musical as sort of a first cousin to “The Rocky Horror Show another cult classic with a huge fan base, along with “Young Frankenstein that has the flavor but different characters to tell a similar story with all delivered in an-over- the-top style. Incidentally, all three shows now have been produced and seen by Palm Canyon Theatre audiences over the last five seasons.

The Libretto by Marshall Brickman (Woody Allen’s old writing partner) and Rick Elise, with music by Andrew Lippa, is nicely directed by Shafik Wahab, and features a stellar cast of twenty-one actor/singers/dancers that just light up the stage with energy and stunning costumes.

It may help, but it’s not necessary to be familiar with the old sanitized source material. This new version has now been spiced up with topical jokes, a few risqué situations, dialogue, and inside jokes that one expects of a musical farce production, but nothing that would send grandma screaming into the night. “The Addams Family” has been designed and produced to entertain in a zany and hilarious style which hits the mark.

The story, such as it is, begins as always: normal boy (Matt Sambrano) with traditional, conservative parents, meets non-conforming daughter (Rachel Saiz) of a definitely non- traditional family. The kids could care less about what their parents want or think. They’re in love and want to get married. Does this plot sound familiar? It should. It’s been around for centuries. There is much to like in this fun show. For example, seeing how the kids and the remaining characters accomplish their various objectives through song and dance make all the silliness worthwhile.

Starring in the lead roles of adoring husband Gomez and the beautiful sexy wife Morticia (the girl’s parents), are Stanton Kane Morales and Sylvia Tethal, respectively. Their onstage chemistry is downright palpable and it’s delightful to see two professionals doing their thing with flair, precise comedy timing, along with beautifully trained voices and acting skills.

Saiz, who plays Wednesday the Addams’ oldest child is the possessor of a lovely voice with good comedy timing. Sambrano, as Lucas, the object of Wednesday’s ardor, gets to play her hero. Julie Rosser as Alice, Lucas’ mother is always a standout, talented singer and actor. Ron Coronado as Alice’s stuffed shirt husband Mal, is properly up-tight (until near the end). Grandma played by Morgana Corelli, gets a huge laugh with her song and line delivery”…When I break wind, the windmills in the Dutch paintings on the walls begin to turn.”

Jacob Samples as Uncle Fester, is nothing like an avuncular family Uncle who is only let out of his room for special occasions.   He’s more like the family court jester who communicates with of the family’s dead relatives. All of whom are gorgeously costumed by long-time professional costume designer and actor Peter Mins. The cast literally sparkles and glow is his designs (the costumes alone are worth the price of admission). Young Daniel Harris shows a lot of poise on stage as Wednesday’s young, chubby and irritating brother Pugsley. He’s the kind of kid audiences love to hate.

“The Addams Family” production and technical credits team is led by director Wahab. The cast get to sing and dance in a generous set designed by resident Scenic Design wizard J.W.Layne, who also designed the lights for the production.

It’s a pity that “The Adams Family” only runs through Sunday, November 1st. So, you had better hurry to buy tickets for this highly entertaining evening in the theatre. For tickets and information call the Palm Canyon Theatre Box Office at 760-323-5123.