NEWS RELEASE — HEATHER PROVOST NAMED PRODUCING DIRECTOR OF HOLLYWOOD’S BLANK THEATRE

HEATHER PROVOST
NAMED PRODUCING DIRECTOR
OF HOLLYWOOD’S BLANK THEATRE

Heather Provost has been named The Blank Theatre’s new Producing Director, it was announced today by Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director and Noah Wyle, Artistic Producer.

Heather Provost is a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award-nominated producer. Critically acclaimed hits on Broadway include Reasons To Be Pretty by Neil LaBute (three Tony nominations including Best Play), and the musical [title of show] (Tony Nomination for Best Book of a Musical). She produced the hugely successful Under My Skin segment of ‘The Pink Campaign’ on Broadway for which all proceeds went to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and she also produced and directed the California Theatre’s acclaimed productions of Driving Miss Daisy and Love Letters. Provost produced the short film Harmony starring Jason Alexander and just wrapped the feature film Racing Colt which she produced and co-directed. She is currently producing the Broadway-bound play Coffee Stains and the musical V-V-Voice. Current feature films include Among, Harmony, and A December Destiny. Other credits include Page To The Stage, History of Musical Theater, Reality Check, Who Knew?…The In-the-Know Travel Show, and Chix 6. She is founding partner at Provost Entertainment Inc., and was on the faculty at The Commercial Theater Institute in New York City.

Said Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning, “I am so looking forward to beginning this new journey with Heather as the Producing Director of The Blank. She is the perfect fit for our cutting-edge new work. Her sensibilities and experience will help The Blank reach new heights and new audiences. We are lucky to have her on our team for this exciting time in our history.”

“We are thrilled to have Heather joining us at The Blank,” said Artistic Producer Noah Wyle. “Her energy, creativity, and experience make her a perfect fit for The Blank’s numerous programs. I’m really excited to see what we can create together in the coming years.”

The Blank’s upcoming world premiere production of A Singular They by Aliza Goldstein begins previews on March 19. Directed by Christopher J. Raymond, the cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Nick Ballard, Lily Nicksay, and Hannah Prichard. Preview performances begin on Saturday, March 19 at 8pm and continue on Sunday, March 20 at 2pm, and Tuesday through Friday, March 22—25 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, March 26 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through May 1. Tickets are $25 for previews and $30 for regular performances and may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com or via phone at (323) 661-9827. The Blank’s 2nd Stage Theatre is located at 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard (on Theatre Row at Wilcox), in Hollywood, 90038.

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03-08-16

NEWS RELEASE — THE BLANK THEATRE PRESENTS A WORLD PREMIERE — “A SINGULAR THEY” BY ALIZA GOLDSTEIN, OPENING SATURDAY 3/26 at 8pm

CAST & DESIGNERS SET
FOR THE BLANK THEATRE’S
WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF
A SINGULAR THEY
BY ALIZA GOLDSTEIN
DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER J. RAYMOND

PERFORMANCES BEGIN MARCH 19
AT THE BLANK’S 2nd STAGE THEATRE

The cast and designers have been set for The Blank Theatre’s world premiere production of A Singular They by Aliza Goldstein, directed by Christopher J. Raymond. Performances begin March 19 with opening night set for Saturday, March 26.

In alphabetical order, the cast will feature Wes McGee, Lily Nicksay, and Hannah Prichard. The design team includes Aaron Lyons (set), Donny Jackson (lighting), Allison Dillard (costumes), and Rebecca Kessin (sound). Nic Dressel is the stage manager. Producers are Daniel Henning, Noah Wyle, and Sarah A. Bauer.

Burbank is your typical high school student — worried about new haircuts, biology exams, losing one’s virginity, and whether to take the estrogen the doctors keep prescribing. Burbank was born “off the binary,” neither entirely male nor female biologically. “He” and “she” just don’t work to describe who Burbank is. “They” is the only appropriate label — A Singular They. They strike up a rapport with their Biology teacher who offers a sympathetic ear and opens Burbank’s eyes to a world outside their conservative suburban community. But after wrecking their social standing with their classmates, Burbank makes a request of Mr. Mazer that goes far beyond what is considered “normal.”

The opening of A Singular They will mark The Blank Theatre’s 20th anniversary at the 2nd Stage Theatre on Hollywood Theatre Row. The Blank took up residence in March of 1996 and in April of that year the LA premiere of Breaking the Code starring Dennis Christopher was a sold-out hit winning LA Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, and Drama Logue Awards and two Ovation Award nominations. Since that time, The Blank has produced multiple award­-winning productions at the 2nd Stage, including David & Amy Sedaris’s The Book of Liz, and most recently the critically acclaimed Sons of the Prophet by Pulitzer Prize finalist Stephen Karam.

The Blank Theatre is committed to developing new plays and new artists. The Blank’s mainstage production of A Singular They is the culmination of its new play development program. This play was first presented in The Blank’s Living Room Series, a staged reading series of new plays. It was then produced in the new Living Room Series Plus, a process which takes a play further into development with more rehearsal time and a few performances in front of an audience. Author Aliza Goldstein, who makes her professional debut with this production, was a four-­time winner in The Blank’s Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival, having her first play produced in the YPF at age 15.

Aliza Goldstein is a playwright and video game writer based in Orange County, CA. Her work has been produced at theatres across the country including the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She is a two-time finalist in the International Thespian Society’s Playworks Program (2008, 2009), a four-time winner in The Blank Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), and a 2009 finalist in the Young Playwrights Inc. National Playwriting Competition. Goldstein is also the recipient of the 2007 VSA Playwright Discovery Award, the 2013 John Golden Prize for Undergraduate Playwriting, and the 2015 Ebell of Los Angeles Playwright Prize.

Director Christopher J. Raymond is a graduate fellow of the American Film Institute and currently serves on The Blank’s Living Room Series Artistic Committee. He directed the world premiere of Michael Shaw Fisher’s rock opera Doomsday Cabaret at the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival. In addition, he has directed numerous plays for the Living Room Series and the Young Playwrights Festival. He is currently in development for his directorial feature film debut of his adaptation of D.M. Thomas’ novel Flying Into Love. His award-winning screenplay and finalist for the Nicholls Fellowship, Daughter of Heaven, is also in development.

Preview performances of A Singular They begin on Saturday, March 19 at 8pm and continue on Sunday, March 20 at 2pm, and Tuesday through Friday, March 22—25 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, March 26 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through May 1. Tickets are $25 for previews and $30 for regular performances and may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com or via phone at (323) 661-9827.

The Blank’s 2nd Stage Theatre is located at 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard (on Theatre Row at Wilcox), in Hollywood, 90038.

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02-02-16

NEWS RELEASE — THE BLANK THEATRE PRESENTS “SOMETHING TRULY MONSTROUS” — WORLD PREMIERE PLAY OPENS SAT 10/3

CAST & DESIGNERS SET
FOR THE BLANK THEATRE’S
WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF
SOMETHING TRULY MONSTROUS
BY JEFF TABNICK
DIRECTED BY DANIEL HENNING

PERFORMANCES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 26
AT THE BLANK’S 2nd STAGE THEATRE

The cast and designers have been set for The Blank Theatre’s world premiere production of Something Truly Monstrous by Jeff Tabnick, directed by Daniel Henning. Preview performances begin September 26 with opening night set for Saturday, October 3, and the engagement will run through November 8.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Jason Paul Field, Amir Levi, and Jilon VanOver. Set design is by Chad Dellinger, lighting design is by Jeremy Pivnick, costume design is by Allison Dillard, and sound design is by Warren Davis. The stage manager is Samantha Else, and Something Truly Monstrous is produced for The Blank Theatre by Daniel Henning, Noah Wyle, and Sarah A. Bauer.

Something Truly Monstrous is based on the Hollywood rumor that on the night John Barrymore died, Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart stole his body and went joy riding. On the day Hollywood finally killed John Barrymore, Jack Warner offers a studio contract to Peter Lorre, who is currently shooting Casablanca. Saddled with expensive tastes and a nasty drug habit, Lorre is tempted to sign. However, Humphrey Bogart explains the contract will force Lorre to play monsters in the B-unit forever. To ensure that Lorre will never give into this temptation, he decides to do something truly monstrous. Something Truly Monstrous was presented in The Blank’s Living Room Reading Series in 2013.

During the run of Something Truly Monstrous The Blank Theatre will be partnering with the George Hurrell Estate. Hurrell was a photographer who made a significant contribution to the image of glamour presented by Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. Special activities will include a lobby display, discounts on purchases from the Hurrell Estate website, and a raffle for one of Hurrell’s famed photos.

Preview performances begin on Saturday, September 26 at 8pm and continue on Sunday, September 27 at 2pm, and Tuesday through Friday, September 29—October 2 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, October 3 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through November 8. Tickets are $25 for previews and $30 for regular performances and may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com or via phone at (323) 661-9827.

The Blank’s 2nd Stage Theatre is located at 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard (at Wilcox), in Hollywood.

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08-19-15