NEWS RELEASE — WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY “TELL MR. POULOS” OPENS SAT 10/3 AT 8PM — DORIE THEATRE AT THE COMPLEX

WILDTOWN PRODUCTIONS
ANNOUNCES A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT OF
THE WORLD PREMIERE COMEDY

TELL MR. POULOS
BY DONALD WOLLNER
DIRECTED BY PAGE BURKHOLDER

FOUR WEEKS ONLY
OCTOBER 1 — 25
OPENS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 AT 8PM

WildTown Productions has announced a limited engagement of the world premiere comedy TELL MR. POULOS by Donald Wollner at the Dorie Theatre at the Complex in Hollywood beginning October 1. Directed by Page Burkholder, the play will begin previews on October 1 at 8pm and opening is set for Saturday, October 3 at 8pm. The limited engagement will run through October 25 only.

The cast of Tell Mr. Poulos will feature (in alphabetical order) Lindsey Andersen, Beresford Bennett, Kina Bermudez, Yetta Gottesman, and one more actor to be announced. The design team will include Rebecca Raines (lighting) and Bill Campbell (sound).

When Jimmy Meadows loses his job after 10 years of loyal service, his once stable life spirals into ridiculousness. Job interviews lead only to degradation. Aloof from his wife, he takes up with an admiring, beautiful, but deeply disturbed young woman. Jimmy’s lonely wife, a nurse, enters into a bizarre relationship with a 90-year-old patient under her care. Into this turmoil comes the enigmatic Mr. Poulos, who rents a room in the Meadows’ apartment. Is he a seer? A spy? Or is he just an old guy who reads Greek language newspapers all day?

Playwright Donald Wollner is a two-time recipient of an NYFA grant for playwrighting. Some of his other plays include Kid Purple, Badgers, Lone Deer, The Harvard Club, Men in Waiting, and Bavarian Humor. Tell Mr. Poulos was workshopped at Labyrinth Theatre’s 2013 Summer Intensive, and Kid Purple is scheduled for a production by The Never Wonder Players in Sherman Oaks this month.

In New York City, Page Burkholder has directed for The Women’s Project, HERE, Clubbed Thumb, Theater for the New City, The Flea Theater, Dixon Place, and New Dramatists. In Tucson, AZ she has worked with The Invisible Theater and Shakespeare Under the Stars.

Preview performances of Tell Mr. Poulos are on Thursday, October 1 at 8pm and Friday, October 2 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, October 3 at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 5pm through October 25 only. General admission tickets are $10 and may be obtained online at http://wildtown.org/ or by calling (866) 811-4111. The Dorie Theatre at the Complex is located at 6476 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, 90038.

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09-08-15

NEWS RELEASE — GREENWAY ARTS ALLIANCE PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF “BREATHE” BY JAVON JOHNSON — OPENS 9/25

GREENWAY ARTS ALLIANCE
PRESENTS
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
BREATHE
BY JAVON JOHNSON
DIRECTED BY LEVY LEE SIMON

OPENS SEPTEMBER 25 FOR 5 WEEKS ONLY

Greenway Arts Alliance has announced the world premiere production of Breathe, a drama by Javon Johnson. Directed by Levy Lee Simon, there will be two preview performances on September 23 and 24 at 8pm and opening night is set for Friday, September 25 at 8pm. The limited engagement of 17 performances will run through Friday, October 23.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Brandon Armstrong, Wade Barrett, Walter Cox, Monifa Days, James Giordano, Dutch Hofstetter, John Marshall Jones, Blake Scott Lewis, Carrie Madsen, Kamahl Naiqui, and Lyn Ross. The set design is by Max Oken, lighting design is by Jeremy Pivnick, costume design is by EB Brooks, and sound design is by Will Mahood.

Breathe is the story of two teenagers (one black, one white) who are involved in separate acts of violence but the consequences they each face are based not only on evidence but also on the color of their skin. Using a combination of urban poetry and dramatic action, Breathe explores the tensions, decisions, and conditions that lead the boys to prison and the effect their imprisonment has on their families.

Playwright Javon Johnson is an actor, writer, poet, and director. He is a founding member of Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago. His work has been recognized with many honors including the Black Theatre Alliance August Wilson Award, the Lorraine Hansberry Award, a Yukon/Pacific New Play Award, and a Kennedy Center Fellowship. Several of Johnson’s plays have been performed in regional theatres across the country. As an actor, he has appeared on The Mob Doctor, Prison Break, Survivor’s Remorse, and Trapped in the Closet, among many others.

Director Levy Lee Simon is also an actor and a playwright. He is the author of more than 20 plays which have received productions in the U.S. and the Caribbean. The list includes For the Love of Freedom Trilogy, The Bow Wow Club, and The Guest at Central Park West, to name only a few. His most recent plays include The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel and The Last Revolutionary, both of which were featured at the 2015 National Black Theatre Festival. As an actor Simon has performed in over 60 productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in regional theatres, in England, and the Caribbean.

The mission of Greenway Arts Alliance is to unite the community through art, education and enterprise. A nationally recognized innovator, Greenway has created a world class model of how a non-profit arts organization can thrive while operating 99-seat theatre that welcomes emerging artists, students, and seasoned professionals alike.

There will be two preview performances of Breathe on Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, September 24 at 8pm and opening is set for Friday, September 25 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule is as follows, all at 8pm (except as noted) — Saturday 9/26; Sunday 9/27 at 7pm; Mondays 9/28 & 10/5; Wednesdays 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21; Thursdays 10/8, 10/15, 10/22; Fridays 10/9, 10/16, and 10/23. Tickets are $35 for reserved seats and $25 for general admission and may be purchased online at www.greenwaycourt.org or via phone by calling (323) 673-0544.

Greenway Court Theatre is located at 544 N. Fairfax Boulevard, in Los Angeles, 90036. Free parking is available in the lot adjacent to the theatre.

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09-04-15

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