Friday Night Studios cofounders Caroline Haskins and Matthew Aberly (Photo – FNS Instagram)
The Pasadena theater scene continues to thrive, and this weekend brings the opening of two noteworthy smaller productions. A sure sign of a vibrant community is the presence of independent companies working alongside larger, long-established ones.
By Melanie Hooks
Consider checking out one, or both, of these indie offerings in the coming days.
The Unspoken Hour
With just one performance scheduled so far, the premiere of a new Pasadena/Alhambra-based theater company, Friday Night Studios, is nonetheless exciting. Their debut—Friday, May 1 at 7:30 pm at Stomping Ground LA, 5453 Alhambra Avenue, Los Angeles—features a compilation of two one-act plays under the title The Unspoken Hour.
The first, A Tale of Two Spectators by Peter Manos, follows two married individuals (to other people) who meet repeatedly in a park to spy on their respective spouses’ affair, and the unexpected bond that forms between them. The second, North of Providence by Edward Allen Baker, centers on a brother and sister forced to confront a long-standing rift as their cruel father lies dying.
The company’s goal is to build a permanent creative home in Pasadena “that focuses on expanding the theater scene in Los Angeles, with the aim of making Friday night the best night of the week.” Follow their journey in person and on Instagram.
The Unspoken Hour Friday, May 1, 2026 7:30 pm Location Stomping Ground LA 5453 Alhambra Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90032 Tickets here ($17.85).
Southern Fried Funeral
Making use of the lovely, vaulted space at Ahiah Center for Spiritual Living, the area’s JFed Players present the Southern comedy Southern Fried Funeral. The play follows a beloved small-town Mississippi resident who dies in a most embarrassing way, and the resulting funeral, and social fallout, that ensues.
Written by Nashville-based comedic duo Dietz Osborne and Nate Eppler, Southern Fried Funeral joins their other works, including Rear Widow (a noir spoof) and Southern Fried Nuptials.
The Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys’ JFed Players have teamed up with director Kerr Lordygan and producer Judy Sofer to bring this big-hearted, Southern-style family story to the San Gabriel Valley.
The cast includes Ted Burke, Angie Dunlap, Kevin DeLoughry, Michael Di Rosa, Mark Hillard, Jane Ho, Kate Landro, Laura Manasewich, Lori McKenna, Robert Polachek, and Andy Stetkevich.
Tickets are priced at $40 (Priority), $30 (General), and $20 for students and groups of ten or more, and are available online.
Southern Fried Funeral Saturday, May 2: 8:00 pm Sunday, May 3: 3:30 pm Thursday, May 7: 7:30 pm Saturday, May 9: 8:00 pm Sunday, May 10: 3:30 pm & 6:30 pm Location Ahiah Center 150 N. El Molino Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101 Buy tickets here ($40/$30).
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