Severance, Hacks at Dolby; Women’s Theatre Fest held a gala
One of the greatest things about living in Los Angeles is our opportunity to see and hear directly from the film and television creators who make our town tick. Case in point: The annual PaleyFest. The weeklong festival delivered in a big way this year. PaleyFestLA, a part of The Paley Center for Media, welcomed fans of television and the arts to Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre from March 21 to 29. Shows spotlighted included Severance, Agatha All Along, Cobra Kai, Matlock, The Handmaid’s Tale, Hacks, Poker Face and The Amy Sherman-Palladino Multiverse of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Étoile and Gilmore Girls. I attended the Severance and Hacks panels, and let me tell you—these are panels you don’t ever want to miss (for future reference)! The sold-out Severance audience, 3,300 strong, was treated to a live screening of the Season Two finale, just hours after being released on AppleTV+.
JEAN SMART (center) and Hannah Einbinder (right) enjoy a laugh talking to the audience at Paleyfest 2025.
The hardcore fan base avoided social media all day, so the devotees ate it up, with audible gasps, cheers and laughter throughout. After the screening, the crowd was treated to a conversation with show creators Ben Stiller and Dan Erickson, plus cast members Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock, Sarah Bock, Tramell Tillman, Michael Chernus, Gwendoline Christie and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. In a surprise entrance, Tramell Tillman (aka Mr. Milchick) burst into the theater with the entire USC marching band, referencing the final episode. The crowd went berserk. Ben Stiller remarked, “Watching [the episode] with this audience was one of the most special moments I’ve ever had connected to the show.”
The Hacks panel was an equal laugh riot. The panel consisted of writers/creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, Jen Statsky and actors Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, Megan Stalter and Rose Abdoo. The audience was treated to the first two episodes of Season Four and were told that—hush hush—not to post anything on socials until the critics started screening it one week later. No spoilers!
Altadena was revealed to be the area where much of the show is filmed, and the cast and creators felt great sadness for the community that was so devastated by the recent wildfires. Season Four takes place mostly in Los Angeles, and the writers wanted the audience to know that “this is the place that made our dreams come true.”
• • •
The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF) opened its 32nd annual festival at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre on March 27, celebrating with an Opening Night
LOS ANGELES WOMEN’S THEATRE FESTIVAL award honorees gather for a photo.
Champagne Gala and Awards Ceremony. The 2025 theme, “Stronger Together,” honored the accomplishments of women from around the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of theater. Co-hosted by Ted Lange (The Love Boat) and Margaret Avery (The Color Purple), the evening spotlighted several artists of note, both past and present. Honorees included Juli Kim (Rainbow Award), Dawn Didawick (Eternity Award), Juanita Jennings (Integrity Award), Elisa Bocanegra (Maverick Award), Nancy Cheryll Davis Bellamy (Infinity Award, posthumously) and Mitzi Gaynor (Infinity Award, posthumously). More than 700 solo artists have been presented through the LAWTF, hailing from six continents and serving 3,000 youth in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Maverick Award honoree Elisa Bocanegra, who traveled to the festival from Colombia, emphasized that “the legacy and the work [the festival does] is incredibly important, and it’s so special to be honored by your peers… and it’s all about women!”
• • •
JAN DALEY, right, with granddaughter Madison McClure, says, “I took 20 years off to be home with my daughter.”
Hancock Park resident Jan Daley, a Grammy-nominated singer / songwriter and Academy Award nominee, celebrates her 80th birthday with her new self-written country album, “The Girl’s in Love.” Daley says, “For all you moms out there raising children—it’s never too late to realize your dreams or make new ones.”
Category: People
