Archived entries for Dusk Rings a Bell

Announcing: Blank Theatre Opens 21st Season with “Dusk Rings a Bell” by Stephen Belber, Opening Oct. 8

HOLLYWOOD’S BLANK THEATRE WILL OPEN ITS 21st SEASON WITH THE
WEST COAST PREMIERE OF
DUSK RINGS A BELL
BY STEPHEN BELBER
FEATURING THEA GILL AND JOSH RANDALL
DIRECTED BY DANIEL HENNING

PREVIEWS BEGIN OCTOBER 1, 2011
AT THE BLANK’S 2nd STAGE THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD

Dusk Rings a Bell Table Read

The Blank Theatre (Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director) kicks off its 21st season with the West Coast premiere of Dusk Rings A Bell by Stephen Belber, directed by Daniel Henning, with previews beginning on October 1 and opening night set for Saturday, October 8 at 8:00. The engagement will run through Sunday, November 13.

Dusk Rings A Bell will feature (in alphabetical order) Thea Gill and Josh Randall. Originally presented by the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City, Dusk tells the story of Molly and Ray, who spent a romantic summer afternoon together when they were teens, but went their separate ways. They meet, by chance, 25 years later. Both begin to romanticize their reunion, but a renewed connection is disrupted when Ray reveals the sordid details of a crime that left him incarcerated for 10 years. Their encounter reveals two vastly different paths taken, and two lonely souls attempting to reclaim a moment of possibility, when they were young and probably at their very best.

Stephen Belber’s plays have been produced on Broadway, as well as in over 25 countries. His plays include Match (Tony Award nomination for Frank Langella), Tape (Naked Angels, New York/Los Angeles/London), McReele (Roundabout Theatre), A Small, Melodramatic Story (LAByrinth Theater Company), Geometry of Fire (Rattlestick), Fault Lines (Cherry Lane), One Million Butterflies (Primary Stages), and Carol Mulroney (Huntington Theatre Company). He was an associate writer on The Laramie Project (Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominations), and co-writer on the more recent Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. Movies include Tape, directed by Richard Linklater, The Laramie Project (associate writer/Emmy Award nomination for screenwriting), Drifting Elegant, and Management, starring Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn, which he also directed. Belber is currently developing screen adaptations of both Match and McReele. Television credits include Rescue Me and Law & Order: SVU (staff writer). He is a member of both Tectonic Theater Project and LAByrinth Theater Company.

Set design for Dusk Rings A Bell is by Kurt Boetcher, lighting design is by Stephanette Smith, costume design is by Michael Mullen, and sound design is by Warren Davis. Caitlin Eckstein is stage manager.
Preview performances of Dusk Rings A Bell are Saturday, October 1 at 8pm, Sunday, October 2 at 2pm, and Tuesday, October 4 – Friday, October 7 at 8pm. The Friday 10/7 performance is available for press review, and opening night is set for Saturday, October 8 at 8:00. The regular performance schedule is Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through November 13. All preview seats are $26; regular performance prices are $26 on Thursday and Sunday, $30 on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are on sale now, and may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com or by calling (323) 661-9827.

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

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09-07-11

Pictured: THEA GILL and JOSH RANDALL at first rehearsal, Tuesday 9/6/11.

Announcing: The Blank Theatre Announces 21st Season

THE BLANK THEATRE’S 21st SEASON
WILL FEATURE NEW PLAYS BY STEPHEN BELBER,
JON MARANS, AND MICHAEL JOHN LA CHIUSA,
“THE SANTALAND DIARIES” BY DAVID SEDARIS,
AND THE 20th ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

The Blank Theatre Company logoHollywood’s Blank Theatre (Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director, Noah Wyle, Artistic Producer) has announced its 21st Season, which will feature the West Coast premiere of Dusk Rings A Bell by Stephen Belber, the West Coast premiere of The Cost of the Erection by Jon Marans, and the world premiere of Sukie and Sue: Their Story, a new comedy by Michael John LaChiusa. For the third consecutive year, The Santaland Diaries, by David Sedaris, will be presented during the holidays, and the season will conclude with its 20th Annual Nationwide Young Playwright’s Festival, in June of 2012.

The Hollywood theatre company begins its 21st season with a newly revised version of Dusk Rings A Bell by Stephen Belber, directed by Daniel Henning (October 1 – November 13). It will be followed by the return of The Blank’s wildly popular holiday tradition The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, once again directed by Michael Matthews (November 19 – December 18). Santaland has sold out its runs for the last two seasons, so patrons are encouraged to buy tickets early.

The new year will begin with the West Coast premiere of The Cost of the Erection by Jon Marans, directed by Daniel Henning (February 4 – March 18), followed by the world premiere of Sukie and Sue: Their Story, a comedy by Michael John LaChiusa, directed by Kirsten Sanderson (April 7 – May 20). The season will conclude with The Blank’s 20th Annual Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival (May 31 – June 24).

This season’s shows will be presented at two different Hollywood venues: The Blank’s 2nd Stage Theatre, 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard (on Theatre Row), and the Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Boulevard (at Highland). Full descriptions of the main stage plays follow this release.

Between October 2011 and June 2012, The Blank will introduce Los Angeles audiences to over 50 new plays through its various programming. Since 1990, The Blank has presented 46 mainstage productions, over 450 fully staged workshops of new plays (in its Living Room Series), and 220 plays by teenaged writers in its Annual Young Playwrights Festival. Nearly all of this work has been produced in Hollywood.

Started in 1990 by Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning, The Blank Theatre is Hollywood’s regional theatre, consistently offering some of the most high quality and entertaining productions in the area. Over its 20 year history, The Blank has won hundreds of awards, including every major award in Los Angeles for Outstanding Production, such as the LA Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, LA Weekly, NAACP, and Back Stage Garland. The Blank continues to be at the forefront of providing high quality productions with a risk taking sensibility and entertaining experiences for theatregoers. With programs such as The Living Room Series and its annual nationwide Young Playwrights Festival, The Blank Theatre is committed to developing excellence in artistic talent and providing the opportunity for artists to take bold risks. For more information, please visit www.TheBlank.com.

The Blank was awarded the Hollywood Arts Council’s coveted Charlie Award for “pursuing artistic excellence, nurturing the next generation of playwrights, and challenging itself with a grand vision.” The Drama League designated The Blank as one of the Best Regional Theatre companies in America.

Tickets for all shows are now on sale. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.TheBlank.com or call (323) 661-9827.

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08-31-11

 

THE BLANK THEATRE 21st SEASON
PLAY DESCRIPTIONS

DUSK RINGS A BELL
by Stephen Belber
Directed by Daniel Henning
October 1 – November 13, 2011 2nd Stage Theatre

Molly and Ray spent a romantic summer afternoon together when they were teens, but went their separate ways. They meet, by chance, 25 years later. Both begin to romanticize their reunion, but a renewed connection is disrupted when Ray reveals the sordid details of a crime that left him incarcerated for 10 years. Their encounter reveals two vastly different paths taken, and two lonely souls attempting to reclaim a moment of possibility, when they were young and probably at their very best.

 

THE SANTALAND DIARIES
by David Sedaris
Directed by Michael Matthews
November 19 – December 18, 2011 The Stella Adler Theatre

An outrageously funny solo play (by NPR’s David Sedaris) about the author’s experiences as an unemployed writer taking a job as an elf at Macy’s Department Store. At first the job is simply humiliating, but once the thousands of visitors start pouring through Santa’s workshop, he becomes battle weary and bitter, occasionally taking out his frustrations on the children and parents alike. For those who like a little spice with their Christmas sugar, this tale of mass marketing, stressed out sales clerks, drunk Santas, screaming kids and the general insanity of the holidays is hilarious, witty, sardonic and unpredictable; mercilessly cutting through the Christmas spirit to point out what crazy things we do as human beings during the holidays.

 

• THE COST OF THE ERECTION
by Jon Marans
Directed by Daniel Henning
February 4 – March 18, 2012 2nd Stage Theatre

Wealthy Susu Ziegler has purchased an exclusive Manhattan raw space apartment overlooking the Hudson. She hopes to have her architect husband design this tricky space, but with their marriage on the rocks, she forces him to compete against a younger, hotshot architect. This sexy, funny tale is told in a heightened theatrical style, compressing and playing with time and space, and ultimately examines what makes a marriage work. Or not work.

 

• SUKIE AND SUE: THEIR STORY
by Michael John LaChiusa
Directed by Kirsten Sanderson
April 7 – May 20, 2012 2nd StageTheatre

The “true” story of two young nurses who have everything to live for: great boyfriends, jobs that actually help people, and as much weed as they can smoke, until … their Raggedy Ann doll becomes possessed and destroys their lives. This creepy yet hysterically funny story will have you laughing in the aisles and checking under your bed for demons with hair made of red yarn.

 

• 20th ANNUAL NATIONWIDE YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL
12 WORLD PREMIERES
May 31 – June 24, 2012 Stella Adler Theatre

If we didn’t tell you the plays were by teenagers, you wouldn’t know. The 12 best plays in the nation are chosen by a panel of theatre professionals from submissions by teenage playwrights. Winning writers are next assigned a mentor and then a professional director who guide their scripts to the stage. We then cast the plays with some of Hollywood’s hottest award-winning actors and present the work in a month-long festival. You have to see it to believe it!