There is serious

comedy and serious tragedy occurring on the Westside right now. I got to see both this weekend and I recommend both.

SITI Company's The Trojan Women at The Getty Villa is elegant and severe, gorgeous in the Villa amphitheater, with a stunning performance by Ellen Lauren as Hecuba. It's still in previews but I doubt they'll mind me gushing about it. Here's the LAT preview that ran last weekend about it.

And at the Geffen we have The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz, in a production that brings together original players from the Chicago and New York productions. It was a Pulitzer finalist last year -- I like its print ads announcing it as "Pulitzer Prize LOSER" -- and it's easily the coolest thing I've ever seen at The Geffen. Loud, brash, and heavy on spectacle, it's engaging and ingratiating, with much to say about about American identity and exploitation. Also still in previews, but, since it's rare I ever get to things I want to mention while they're still in previews, here you go.

Here's the Geffen's trailer for the show.