PRESS RELEASE — 2014 LA SO-CAL DANCE INVITATIONAL AT FORD AMPHITHEATRE FRIDAY, JUNE 20 AT 8:30PM

LA SO-CAL DANCE INVITATIONAL
PRESENTED BY
SOUTH COAST DANCE ARTS ALLIANCE
AT THE JOHN ANSON FORD AMPHITHEATRE

SIX ACCLAIMED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
DANCE COMPANIES SET TO PERFORM

NANNETTE BRODIE DANCE THEATRE
LULA WASHINGTON DANCE THEATRE
ANDY VACA’S JAZZWORKS—LONG BEACH
COLABO YOUTH DANCE COLLECTIVE
LA CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY
INVERTIGO DANCE THEATRE

ONE NIGHT ONLY
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 AT 8:30PM

LA So-Cal Dance Invitational, presented by South Coast Dance Arts Alliance, has been announced for Friday, June 20 at 8:30pm at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. Six acclaimed Southern California dance companies will perform: Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Andy Vaca’s Jazzworks—Long Beach, COLABO Youth Dance Collective, LA Contemporary Dance Company, and Invertigo Dance Theatre.

Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre

 

Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, founded in 1986, is a dance company of drama, wit, joy and invention, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. For this year’s Invitational, NBDT will present “Body of Water,” originally choreographed by Brodie in two parts in 2009 and 2010. NBDT will also offer “Beyond the River,” (first premiered at the Ford in 2004), and “Fuerza” (which means force or strength) choreographed by NBDT member Javier Gonzalez. www.nannettebrodiedance.org.

Lula Washington Dance Theatre is a 10-member modern dance company that was founded in 1980. Based in the inner city of South Central Los Angeles, the company has risen to become one of the largest and most admired African-American dance companies in the West. LWDT will present “Beautiful Venus and Serena,” a tribute to the fabulous talents of the tennis stars Venus and Serena. www.lulawashington.org

Andy Vaca’s Jazzworks—Long Beach is dedicated to preserving jazz dance as a viable concert dance form. Under the direction of Andy Vaca, Department of Dance Chair at California State University Long Beach, the company will present “General Education,” a light-hearted and often poignant piece choreographed by Vaca and set to an eclectic score by Pink Martini.

COLABO Youth Dance Collective

 

COLABO Youth Dance Collective was established in 2008 by choreographer and dance educator Francisco Gella as a revolutionary alternative to competitive studio training and is affiliated with NUEVO School of Contemporary Dance in Chino, CA. The company will perform two pieces: “Stairway,” an emotional journey associated with the human struggle to maintain connection and accept loss, choreographed by Francisco Gella, and “Stride,” a contemporary piece exploring how empathy builds strength within humanity, choreographed by Saleemah E. Knight. www.nuevodance.com

L.A. Contemporary Dance Company is a non profit dance company based in downtown LA that performs a diverse repertoire of modern, ballet, and jazz-influenced works representative of LA’s vibrant culture. LACDC will present “The Better To See You With,” a dance theatre work that presents a dark, humorous, and graphic rendition of the “Little Red Riding Hood” story, choreographed by Holly Rothschild. www.ladanceco.org

Invertigo Dance Theatre

 

Invertigo Dance Theatre is a Los Angeles-based company that creates whimsical, compelling dance theatre with a strong educational component, blending athleticism, theatricality, and a healthy sense of the absurd. They will present “Waiting at Home for the Witches,” in which the husbands of the three sisters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are stuck at home waiting for their wives, getting into toil and trouble of their own. www.invertigodance.org

LA So-Cal Dance Invitational, presented by South Coast Dance Arts Alliance, will play one performance only, on Friday, June 20, at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Hollywood, CA, 90068. Showtime is 8:30pm, and tickets are on sale now. Admission prices are $50 for a VIP package (includes premium seating, pre-show reception with company directors and gift bag), $30 (general admission), $20 (students), and $12 (children 12 or under). To purchase tickets, go to www.fordtheatres.org or call (323) 461-3673. General admission tickets purchased prior to June 2 receive a $5 discount. For more event information, visit www.socaldanceinvitational.org.

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ABOUT THE FORD THEATRES

The Ford Theatres are located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway between Hollywood Blvd. and Barham Blvd. in the Cahuenga Pass. The grounds open two hours before showtime for picnicking. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site and box dinners for evening events may be ordered in advance. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food and drink.

The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request. On site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle for evening shows and $1 per vehicle for morning family shows. FREE nonstacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford, for evening amphitheatre performances only, is available at the Universal City/Studio City Metro Station parking lot at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga. The shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the “kiss and ride” area. Please allow an extra 30 minutes if taking the shuttle.

This event is part of the Ford Theatres 2014 Summer Amphitheatre Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County based arts organizations. A complete season schedule, directions to the amphitheatre and parking information can be found at FordTheatres.org.

05-16-14

PRESS RELEASE — ‘MEN, WOMEN, DOPPLER RADAR’ SET FOR WORLD PREMIERE JUNE 6-28 AT PROMENADE PLAYHOUSE IN SANTA MONICA

World Premiere Comedy
MEN, WOMEN, DOPPLER RADAR
Written and Directed by
WILLIAM THREADGOLD

Four Weeks Only
June 6 — 28
Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica

Men, Women, Doppler Radar, a world premiere comedy written and directed by William Threadgold and featuring Rachel Bailit and Ciarra Siller, is set to open at the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica on Friday, June 6 at 8pm and will run Friday and Saturday nights through June 28 only.

When a one night stand at college doesn’t end up happily ever after, a young woman returns home for the weekend to lick her wounds. Her mother is delighted to explain, in great detail, the numerous deficiencies all women can expect to find in all men. Men, Women, Doppler Radar is the edgy and fun conversation that ensues as a mother shares her unique views on the subject with her daughter, intent on arming her to re-enter the war of the sexes.

Rachel Bailit’s Los Angeles stage credits include The Classical Theatre Lab’s productions of Henry IV, A Woman Of No Importance, and A Woman Killed With Kindness; Savage In Limbo, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Paradise Lost at The Lee Strasberg Theatre. Most recently, Bailit performed her solo show Sugar Happens throughout Los Angeles and at St. Luke’s Theatre in New York City. Film credits include Festival In Cannes, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. On television: The Conan O’Brien Show, Desperate Housewives, NYPD Blue, and General Hospital, among others. Ciarra Siller’s Los Angeles theatre credits include Taken for a Ride, One Night Stands, Hothouse, and Diary of a Catholic School Dropout. Her television credits include ABC Family’s The Fosters and the show Nite Tales, directed by Jamie Foxx. Men, Women, Doppler Radar is William Threadgold’s first play. The production design is by Argent Lloyd, with costume design by Karen Kelly.

Men, Women, Doppler Radar opens on Friday, June 6 at 8pm and will run Friday and Saturday at 8pm through June 28 only. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased online at www.plays411.com/menwomendoppler or by phone at (323) 960-7740. The Promenade Playhouse is located at 1404 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

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05-12-14

PRESS RELEASE — ART IN THE PARK SATURDAY 5/17 AT 6PM

COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY
ANNOUNCES
ART IN THE PARK
A SPECIAL EVENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ITS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF
THE YELLOW BOAT
BY DAVID SAAR
DIRECTED BY JOSEPH V. CALARCO

SATURDAY, MAY 17 AT 6PM

Coeurage Theatre Company (Jeremy Lelliott, Artistic Director; Nicole Monet, Managing Director), LA’s ‘Pay What You Want’ Company, has announced Art in the Park, a special event for kids and families on Saturday, May 17 at 6pm prior to the 8:00 curtain for that evening’s performance. Art in the Park is being held in conjunction with the critically acclaimed Coeurage production of David Saar’s The Yellow Boat. Directed by Joseph V. Calarco, the play’s engagement runs through Saturday, May 25 only.

Kids and families are invited to join Coeurage company members to explore their creative sides. Right outside the doors of the GTC Burbank Theatre there will be crayons, watercolors, markers, and other art supplies. Participants who choose to draw or paint red, blue, or yellow boats (themes of the play) will be asked to display their creations in the theatre lobby. All will join in the creation of a paper banner which Coeurage will present to the Hemophilia Foundation of Southern California in celebration of their partnership on this production of The Yellow Boat.

Art in the Park activities will be Hemophilia safe, arranged to avoid the possibility of bruising and cuts. Since 1954, the Hemophilia Foundation of Southern California has been providing quality programs and services to individuals affected by Hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. Currently, HFSC offers assistance in many areas such as medic alert sponsorship, emergency financial aid, individual and family counseling, case management, seminars and advocacy, as well as many youth-focused programs. For more information, visit www.hemosocal.org.

Based on the true story of David and Sonja Saar’s son Benjamin, The Yellow Boat is a glorious affirmation of a child’s life and the strength and courage of all children. The play celebrates the value of living life fully and richly in the moment, and with playfulness and creativity explores real people overcoming very real fears. The show is recommended for kids over age eight, parents, and families.

Of the production, Jason Rohrer at StageAndCinema.com said, “Coeurage is their name, and coeurage is in their hearts. [This show] talks up to its audiences, and it illustrates why theatre exists in the first place.”

The cast of The Yellow Boat features (in alphabetical order) Katelyn Gault, Ivy Khan, Cody Klop, TJ Marchbank, Joseph O’Malley, Kurt Quinn, Joey Nicole Thomas, and Malika Williams. The production design is by Tito Fleetwood Ladd, costume design is by Marcy Hiartzka, and sound design is by Joseph V. Calarco. Original music is by Gregory Nabours, and choreography is by Janet Roston.

The running schedule for The Yellow Boat is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 4pm through May 25 only. Running time is 80 minutes. All seats are available on a Pay What You Want basis and may be reserved online at https://coeurage.secure.force.com/ticket or by calling (323) 944-2165.

GTC Burbank is located at 1100 W. Clark Avenue in Burbank, 91506. Street parking is available.

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05-09-14

**The Coeurage PAY WHAT YOU WANT Policy**
Pay What You Can is based on a person’s ability to pay.
Pay What You Want is based on a patron’s desire.
It is a value placement as well as an economic decision, designed to eliminate cost as a factor
in attending theatre. Each patron decides what a theatre experience is worth to him or her,
and some decide it is worth more than they initially paid.
For that reason, the box office is kept open during intermission and after performances.