LOS ANGELES -- Ending its open run Aug. 1 is Request Concert, a Franz Xaver Kroetz play at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA. The show was originally supposed to close June 14.

Twelve years ago, actress Edith Fields took over the solo role in Kroetz's play from Salome Jens, who left the Equity-waiver production on short notice to take a television job. Fields won critical and popular acclaim for her work, as did the director, Michael Arabian.

Now Arabian and Fields have teamed up again on Request Concert, co-sponsored by the Goethe Institute and the German Cultural Center.

Fields, a veteran of stage, screen and television, has been seen at numerous local theatres, including the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles Theatre Center and the Westwood Playhouse. She is a member of the Actors Studio.

Arabian is one of the top directors in Los Angeles, having garnered a total of 20 Drama-Logue Awards and five LA Weekly Awards. Recently, he directed a production of Romeo and Juliet at CBS Studio Center. The German-born Kroetz began writing plays in 1966. His work emphasizes realism punctuated with the violent realities of life. Past credits include The Nest and Through the Leaves.

Tickets are $12 (lowered from $18 for a "summer special price"). The Whitefire Theatre is located at 13500 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. Call (213) 960-7754.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent