NEWS RELEASE — WORLD PREMIERE PLAY “STANLEY ANN: THE UNLIKELY STORY OF BARACK OBAMA’S MOTHER” STARRING ANN NOBLE SET TO OPEN AT LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER JULY 9

The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s
Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center
Victoria Mudd and Elizabeth Yng-Wong Present

A World Premiere Play
STANLEY ANN:
The Unlikely Story of Barack Obama’s Mother
Written by Mike Kindle
Directed by Mark Bringelson
Performed by Ann Noble

OPENS JULY 9 AT 8PM
at the Davidson/Valentini Theatre

The Los Angeles LGBT Center, Victoria Mudd, and Elizabeth Yng-Wong have announced the world premiere production of Stanley Ann: The Unlikely Story of Barack Obama’s Mother. The one-woman play, written by Mike Kindle and directed by Mark Bringelson, chronicles the life of Stanley Ann Dunham from her young adult years in Hawaii to her later professional life in Indonesia. Starring Ann Noble (The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?), Stanley Ann will play two preview performances on July 7 and 8 at 8pm and opening is set for Thursday, July 9 at 8pm at the Center’s Davidson/Valentini Theatre.

Stanley Ann introduces a brave, idealistic, adventurous woman whose moral compass dictated painful choices. Drawing on actual events, the play follows Dunham’s journey from single motherhood to international adventurer through a crisis of conscience at the farthest edge of the American Empire.

First workshopped at the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica, Stanley Ann was further refined in Washington, DC at the Capital Fringe Festival with Ms. Noble in the title role. Now Mudd and Yng-Wong are teaming up with the Los Angeles LGBT Center to present the world premiere of this revealing and electrifying new play.

Mike Kindle (Playwright) received his BA in Drama from the University of Virginia and his MFA in Theatre from UCLA. He is highly active in the Los Angeles theatre community, is a proud member of the oft-recognized Los Angeles Theater Ensemble, and has worked for Center Theatre Group.

Mark Bringelson (Director) is a multi-award-winning director and actor who works in theatre, film, TV, opera, and music videos. The long list of world premieres he has directed for the stage include, most recently, Michael Kearns’ BANG BANG at Highways Performance Space, Susan Rubin’s EVE2 at Bootleg Theatre, and Tony Foster’s Swimmer’s Ear at Skylight Theatre. Bringelson wrote and directed the 60-minute noir film Obedience and the short film Phonecall. He also directed two pilots for HBO, Tug and Buster and Caveman.

Actress Ann Noble is one of LA’s most accomplished and celebrated actresses. A member of The Antaeus Company, Noble is also an accomplished playwright and producer. Most recently she received extraordinary praise for her multiple award-winning role as Stevie in the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s universally acclaimed production of Edward Albee’s The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?

There will be two preview performances on Tuesday, July 7 at 8pm and Wednesday, July 8 at 8pm. Stanley Ann will open on Thursday, July 9 at 8pm. General admission tickets for are $15 for previews and $20 for regular performances and may be purchased online at www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre or by phone at (323) 860-7300. The performance schedule is Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through July 26 only. Net proceeds from ticket sales will support the full range of free and low-cost programs and services offered by the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

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06-09-15

NEWS RELEASE — QUEER CLASSICS’ THE TAMING OF THE SHREW OPENS SATURDAY 6/6 AT 7PM AT HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL

QUEER CLASSICS PRESENTS

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
(AN EXPLORATION OF GENDER EXPRESSION)
CONCEIVED & DIRECTED BY CASEY KRINGLEN

OPENS SATURDAY 6/6 AT 7PM
THE OTHER SPACE AT THE ACTORS COMPANY

The Queer Classics production of William Shakespeare’s controversial and often polarizing commedia dell’arte comedy The Taming of the Shrew is set to open on Saturday, June 6 at 7pm. Conceived and directed by Casey Kringlen, this unique re-imagined exploration of gender expression in the comedic style of I Love Lucy comes to the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival for six performances only.

Following opening night, remaining performance dates and times are Thursday 6/11 at 10:30pm; Thursday 6/18 at 5pm; Friday, June 19 at 5pm; Saturday 6/20 at 2pm; and Sunday 6/21 at 3:30pm. The performance running time will be 80 minutes.

In the Queer Classics version of modern times, Kate and Petruchio might identify as trans*, but the 1950s are a completely different world. In this new and sexy adaptation, the lead lovers explore their expression of gender in a time before there were labels to define it.

Queer Classics is dedicated to sharing classic stories re-imagined through a queer lens — art for the LGBTQ community and its supporters. Visit www.queerclassics.com.

Tickets for the Queer Classics production of The Taming of the Shrew (An Exploration of Gender Expression) are $20 and may be obtained online at http://hff15.org/2349. Opening night is sold out. The Other Space at the Actors Company is located at 916 N. Formosa Avenue in Los Angeles, 90036. Street and lot parking are available.

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06-02-15

Watch our teaser here!
https://vimeo.com/129388419

NEWS RELEASE — MORE THAN 50 ACTORS SET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLANK THEATRE’S 23rd ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

DEBORAH S. CRAIG, JULIE GONZALO,
ECHO KELLUM, MISSI PYLE,
SARA RUE, LINDSEY SHAW,
VIRGINIA WILLIAMS, AND MORE
SET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLANK THEATRE’S
23RD ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL
JUNE 4—28

More than 50 actors are set to participate in The Blank Theatre’s 23rd Annual Young Playwrights Festival, including Deborah S. Craig (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Julie Gonzalo (Dallas), Echo Kellum (Sean Saves the World, Ben & Kate), Missi Pyle (Gone Girl), Sara Rue (Rules of Engagement, Impastor), Lindsey Shaw (Pretty Little Liars), and Virginia Williams (Fairly Legal). Twelve winning plays by young playwrights aged 12—19 from seven different states will be presented during this year’s festival at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, running from June 4—28.

Other notable performers appearing in the Festival are (in alphabetical order) Juliette Angelo, Makenna Ballard, Brielle Barbusca, Sarah Allyn Bauer, L.J. Benet, Jayson Blair, Zach Callison, Chloe Carabasi, Blaire Chandler, Joe DiGiovanni, Nik Dodani, Gabrielle Elyse, Cole Ewing, Nathan Frizzell, Ashlee Füss, Michael Grant, Anna Jacoby-Heron, Kaitlyn Jenkins, Elizabeth Knowelden, Layne Kula, Amir Levi, Max Lloyd-Jones, Jeff Marlow, Sydney Meyer, Nina Millin, Stephen Moffatt, Braxton Molinaro, Sara Montez, JT Neal, Eric Nenninger, Angel Parker, Larry Poindexter, Lurie Poston, Deborah Puette, Jaz Sinclair, Ptolemy Slocum, Ellery Sprayberry, Ben Stillwell, Jennifer Stone, Michael Grant Terry, Jeff Torres, Devon Werkheiser, and Micaela Wittman.

The Blank Theatre’s 23rd Annual Young Playwrights Festival runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm, beginning June 4 and running through June 28 at the Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Boulevard (at Highland), in Hollywood. Each week’s program includes three plays. Tickets are $20 for adults and $14 for students. Festival Passes, which include one ticket for each week, are $68 for adults and $48 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.theblank.com or by calling (323) 661-9827.

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06-01-15