ASSISTANT DIRECTING: COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS “THE WOODSMAN” — OPENING MAY 8 & 9 AT LYRIC-HYPERION THEATRE & CAFE

COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY
LA’S ‘PAY WHAT YOU WANT’ THEATRE COMPANY
PRESENTS
THE WOODSMAN
BY STEVEN FECHTER
DIRECTED BY JEREMY LELLIOTT

BEGINS PERFORMANCES MAY 6
AT LYRIC-HYPERION THEATRE & CAFE

Coeurage Theatre Company, LA’s ‘Pay What You Want’ Company, has announced the second production of its 2015 season, The Woodsman by Steven Fechter, directed by Jeremy Lelliott. There will be two preview performances on Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7 at 8pm and opening will be split between Friday, May 8 at 8pm and Saturday, May 9 at 8pm. The Woodsman will play through June 13 at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe in Silver Lake.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Venny Caranza, Tim Cummings, Julianne Donelle, Mark Jacobson, Nardeep Khurmi, John Klopping, Gregor Manns, Katie Pelensky, Cesar Ramos, Christopher Salazar, Erin Sanzo, and Joey Nicole Thomas. Scenic design is by Sammi Smith, lighting design is by Michael Kozachenko, costume design is by Heather Korn, sound design is by Joseph V. Calarco, and the movement coach is Donna Eshelman. The stage manager is Emily Goodall.

Having just been released from prison after 12 years for molesting young girls, Walter is determined to find a ‘cure’ for his disease. In order to keep his desires from turning back into damaging behavior he must face down his demons once and for all. Having isolated himself from his loved ones, Walter relies on unexpected sources to help him move on with his life.

Playwright Steven Fechter’s theatrical works have been produced throughout North America and Europe. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 2004 film version of The Woodsman starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick and was nominated for the Humanitas Prize in screenwriting. Fechter’s other plays include The Land-Surveyor, The Commission, The Golden Aurora, The Artifacts, The Mentee, Lancelot, and Shakespeare’s Slave. He is a member of EST Playwrights Unit, Resonance Ensemble, Oberon Theatre Ensemble, and the Dramatists Guild.

The Woodsman will play two preview performances on Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7 at 8pm and opening will be split between Friday, May 8 at 8pm and Saturday, May 9 at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm through June 13 only. All seats are available on a Pay What You Want basis, and may be reserved online at www.coeurage.org/tickets or by calling (323) 944-2165.

The Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe is located at 2106 Hyperion Avenue in Los Angeles, 90027. Street parking is available.

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04-08-15

NEWS RELEASE — COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS “THE PITCHFORK DISNEY” — OPENS SATURDAY 1/31 AT 8PM

COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY
LA’S ‘PAY WHAT YOU WANT’ THEATRE COMPANY
PRESENTS
THE PITCHFORK DISNEY
BY PHILIP RIDLEY
DIRECTED BY REBECCA EISENBERG

OPENS SATURDAY, JANUARY 31
AT LYRIC-HYPERION THEATRE & CAFE

Coeurage Theatre Company, LA’s ‘Pay What You Want’ Company, has announced the first production of its 2015 season, The Pitchfork Disney written by Philip Ridley and directed by Rebecca Eisenberg. There will be two preview performances on Thursday, January 29 and Friday, January 30 at 8pm and opening is set for Saturday, January 31 at 8pm. The Pitchfork Disney will play through March 6 only at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe in Silver Lake.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Joseph V. Calarco, Adam Kern, Jeremy Lelliott, and Nicole Monet. Scenic design is by Amanda Stuart, lighting design is by Michael Kozachenko, costume design is by Marcy Hiratzka, sound design is by Jenna Riley, and fight direction is by TJ Marchbank. The stage manager is Vanessa Babida.

Presley and Haley have lived in squalor and isolation since the disappearance of their parents 10 years ago. The agoraphobic twins use chocolate, drugs, and fantasy to keep the outside world away until Presley allows menacing entertainer Cosmo Disney and his imposing sidekick Pitchfork Cavalier into their home. For mature audiences only.

Philip Ridley is a writer, photographer, and film director. The Pitchfork Disney is his first play (1991). Other plays include The Fastest Clock in the Universe (1992), Vincent River (2000), Mercury Fur (2005), Leaves of Glass (2007), and Tender Napalm (2011), among others. Ridley has authored numerous plays and novels for young people and he has written and directed several films. Ridley’s photography has been exhibited in London, Italy, and France.

The Pitchfork Disney will play two preview performances on Thursday, January 29 and Friday, January 30 at 8pm and opening is set for Saturday, January 31 at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm through March 6 only (no performance on Saturday, February 7). All seats are available on a Pay What You Want basis, and may be reserved online at www.coeurage.org/tickets or by calling (323) 944-2165.

The Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe is located at 2106 Hyperion Avenue in Los Angeles, 90027. Street parking is available.

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01-06-15

**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.

PRESS RELEASE — COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY PARTNERS WITH DIANE HAITHMAN AND HER NEW NOVEL “DARK LADY OF HOLLYWOOD”

COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY
PARTNERS WITH LA BASED NOVELIST
DIANE HAITHMAN AND HER NEW NOVEL
DARK LADY OF HOLLYWOOD

LA’s ‘PAY WHAT YOU WANT’ THEATRE COMPANY
WILL RECEIVE A PORTION OF BOOK SALES
DURING RUN OF THE COEURAGE PRODUCTION
OF SHAKESPEARE’S ANDRONICUS

Coeurage Theatre Company, LA’s ‘Pay What You Want’ Company, and novelist Diane Haithman have announced a unique partnership in honor of the Bard. During the run of the company’s bold production of Shakespeare’s Andronicus — adapted and directed by Coeurage artistic director Jeremy Lelliott — Haithman will donate a portion of book and Kindle e-book sales of her new critically acclaimed comic novel Dark Lady of Hollywood to the brash young theatre company. This special offer will continue through September 1 only.

A finalist for the William Faulkner Creative Writing Competition and published by Harvard Square Editions, Dark Lady of Hollywood is a merry mashup of the worlds of Shakespeare and the television industry that tells the story of a dying TV executive’s murderous search for a soul mate like Shakespeare’s mysterious Dark Lady of the Sonnets. Raves Jill Allen of ForeWord Reviews, “It takes a special kind of talent to simultaneously skewer Hollywood and Shakespeare while writing a thought provoking novel, and Dark Lady of Hollywood proves Diane Haithman has this genius.” And Ellen Dostal of BroadwayWorld.com said, “Dark Lady of Hollywood is a dream for any lover of Shakespeare with a secret desire to see behind the curtain of show biz. Capitalizing on Haithman’s unique point of view and savvy intellect, it has ‘deadly guilty pleasure’ written all over it.’”

Autographed copies of the book that purchased at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe on performance nights or via the Coeurage website [www.coeurage.org] as well as Amazon Kindle e-book sales are included in this special promotion.

Coeurage company member and director of development Mark Jacobson called Haithman’s novel the perfect match for Lelliott’s streamlined adaptation of Shakespeare’s original horror play. “As a company, we’re always looking for partnerships, and anyone with a passion for Shakespeare would catch our eye,” said Jacobson of Coeurage, which is committed to presenting one Shakespeare production each year.

Said Haithman, “I’m delighted to support a company that has the nerve to take on Andronicus, Shakespeare’s first tragedy and most violent play. Coeurage is serious about finding the humor in Shakespeare’s darkest moments.” Arts and entertainment journalist Diane Haithman, a longtime Studio City resident, was a Los Angeles Times staff writer for more than two decades. She is a frequent contributor to the Deadline Hollywood industry website and Deadline’s print publication Awardsline, among others. She has also served on the adjunct faculty of USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism.

In Andronicus, deliciously twisted humor gives way to unexpected poignancy in this bold take on William Shakespeare’s original horror play The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus. Reveling in the darkest corners of human nature, Andronicus is a streamlined adaptation of Shakespeare’s most violent play; the bard’s masterful dramatic structure and brutal tale of revenge have been carefully preserved. Of the Coeurage production, Jason Rohrer at StageAndCinema.com said, “Director Jeremy Lelliott understands and makes clear pretty much all that may be found in the text to disgust and to amuse … he packs [the theatre] with bodies and action that threaten to overspill the [playing] area … this is a good thing in a highly emotional show. It’s an exciting and worthwhile production.”

The running schedule for Andronicus is as follows — Fridays, July 18, 25 and August 1, 8, and 15 at 8pm; Saturdays, July 26 and August 9 at 8pm; Sundays, July 20 and August 3 and 17 at 7pm. All seats are available on a ‘Pay What You Want’ basis, and may be reserved online at www.coeurage.org/tickets or by calling (323) 944-2165.

The Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe is located at 2106 Hyperion Avenue in Los Angeles, 90027. Street parking is available.

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07-18-14