“Top That!” Set to Premiere at Hollywood Film Festival

TOP THAT!
SET TO PREMIERE AT HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL

The team behind last year’s Fringe hit, Deicide: a Sorta Musical, presents a new ensemble-created dark comedy about rivalry, regret, and cheesy children’s television. Theatre and film elements are used in Top That! to tell the story of nine former child actors attending a cast reunion party of the TV show Pancakes, Ah YES! The reunion takes on a life of its own as it transforms into a weekend of nostalgia, bromance, and enlightenment.

Darkly comedic and subversive, yet also sincere and heartfelt, Top That! strikes close to home for its creators, inspired by the transition from college into adulthood (and the new weights and responsibilities that inevitably ensue) while also mining pathos from the difficult struggles we endure to remain working artists in Hollywood.

Directed by Brandon Baruch and Courtney Dusenberry, Top That! is written by Brandon Baruch along with the cast. In alphabetical order, they are Lizzie Adelman, Sandy Brody, Richie DeMaria, Courtney Dusenberry, Claudia Gomez, Mike Heshel, Emily Ingersoll, Daniele Manzin, and Henry McMillan. The costumes are by Daniel Mahler and Laura Wong, original music is by Bob Lydecker, and original art is by Gabriel Flores.

Top That! is a creation of Be Flat Productions, an ensemble of friends and working artists who strive to produce fun, creative, edgy, and original new works. For more information, visit www.TopThatPlay.com.

There will be seven Fringe Festival performances of Top That! as follows: Thursday, June 9 at 9:30pm (Fringe Central/ArtWorks Theatre), Monday, June 13 at 8pm (Open Fist Theatre), Saturday, June 18 at 3:30pm (ArtWorks Theatre), Sunday, June 19 at 9pm (Open Fist), Tuesday, June 21 at 10pm (Open Fist), Saturday, June 25 at 3pm (Celebration Theatre), and Sunday, June 26 at 5pm (Open Fist). The press preview will be on June 13 at 8pm at the Open Fist Theatre. Admission for all performances is $12, and tickets may be purchased by visiting www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/351.

The Artworks Theatre is located at 6567 Santa Monica Boulevard, the Open Fist Theatre is located at 6209 Santa Monica Boulevard, and Celebration Theatre is located at 7051 Santa Monica Boulevard, all in Hollywood, 90038.

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5-16-11