Task Force 48

“Please, please, please let this play not suck!” You may remember from previous columns that I offer the “Please don’t suck” prayer to Thalia, the Goddess of Plays, whenever I am about to see a play a friend has had anything to do with. And yes, Alicia Ontiveros, the playwright and actor in this one-woman show, is a friend of mine. I dutifully recited my prayer as I attended “Task Force 48” at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival. And HURRAH — it did not suck at all! In fact, “Task Force 48” is a thoughtful and witty take on something so many of us can’t wait for: the end of #47’s regime.

“Task Force 48” (TF48) has an extremely clever premise. Ms. Ontiveros makes the audience an active part of the new president’s task force; the president is never named, or at least wasn’t in the opening preview that I saw. The 30-minute solo show is full of answers and responses. The first half features Ms. Ontiveros using a self-described New Mexican chola accent. It was hard to believe this was Alicia’s first play and first time acting. We laughed and raged. She had us breathe using the box-breathing technique: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold; repeat until we regain the equilibrium needed for good decision-making. After all, a task force member can’t make good policy with cortisol and adrenaline freezing us!

The second half of TF48 finds Alicia literally slipping out of her original outfit and chola accent in the pitch-black dark, while her designated box-breathing leader keeps us box-breathing. The lights come up, and Alicia is in a suit and heels, with an almost “valley girl” cadence. All business, she presents her recommendations to solve the male loneliness epidemic. She makes the case that if we do that, most of the problems that plagued the 45th/47th dictatorship will also be solved. She recommends that we get with “Trad” partners: not lawn-mowing fellas but sourdough-baking dudes. One of the funniest moments, eliciting hoots and guffaws, is when the missing #47 is finally tracked down, hiding in a McDonald’s restroom stall, bingeing on Big Macs. That tracks.

I left inspired to write another solo show. That is a hallmark of art’s presence: true art inspires people to create their own work.

Alicia’s artist’s statement reads: “In my debut performance as a first-time playwright (and actor), my goal is to challenge our assumptions about who deserves political power in the United States and deliver an optimistic vision of America’s future that will leave you surprised, energized, and inspired!” I’ll add that I was tickled and thoroughly entertained.The only criticism I have is that it’s hard for me to understand what’s being said when the performer speaks too quickly or too indistinctly, which is why I use captions when watching TV. I thought it was an issue with my generation, but I have since discovered that many people, regardless of age, now use captions for the same reason. Sadly, captions are often unavailable in live theater, so it is up to the performer to pace themselves and speak clearly.

Good roles for women are often scarce, and one way to get around that is to create a piece for oneself. I’ve written and performed my award-winning solo show, “Now That She’s Gone,” at the New York, Hollywood, and Edinburgh Fringe festivals, and let me tell you: it ain’t easy! Doing a one-woman show is challenging because there’s a bias against them. People have actually said to me, “I thought this would be a vanity project about your life, but it was actually about something.” Indeed.

Some solo shows by women and men alike put their personal lives on stage, and as a result, the actor can come off as a compulsive oversharer in need of therapy. On the other hand, many shows are brilliant and deserve a much larger audience. The most brilliant ones are about something larger than personal angst. As a writing coach, I look for the micro — Ms. Ontiveros’s disgust at the administration — and the macro: the majority of us who are stunned by the current level of corruption.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is in its 16th year. I have performed in it and attended plays as an audience member. I urge you to attend if you haven’t before. There are shows for every taste; to find the venue and show you’d like to attend, visit their website.

A word about the Fringe festivals. Why are they called “Fringe Festivals”? It started in 1947, in the post-war era, when eight theater companies were excluded from the prestigious Edinburgh Arts Festival. These theater companies banded together, essentially giving the arts establishment the finger, and took their shows to Edinburgh anyway. These shows were on the edge, or on the fringe, if you will. And now, there are Fringe festivals all over the globe. Go to the World Fringe website to see how you can work one into a trip or vacation.

Back in Hollywood, the Fringe proves every year that LA really is a theater town. I encourage you to see “Task Force 48” for a rollicking, thoughtful good time, and to offer your own prayer of thanks to Thalia for blessing this fabulous show.

You can buy tickets here. Hurry, because performances are limited: Thursday, 6/11, 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 6/13, 3:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 6/17, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 6/27, 11:30 p.m. If you use the code ELLENFRIEND, you’ll get $3 off the $12 ticket price.

If you’re interested in Ellen Snortland’s online creative writing class, send an email. Also, there is still a much-needed GoFundMe to help Ellen and Ken recover from the devastating loss of their home and possessions. You can donate here.