NEWS RELEASE ▪︎ TALENT MANAGER PAULO ANDRÉS NAMED BOARD CHAIR OF HOLLYWOOD’S BLANK THEATRE

TALENT MANAGER
PAULO ANDRÉS
NAMED BOARD CHAIR
OF HOLLYWOOD’S BLANK THEATRE

Talent manager Paulo Andrés has been named The Blank Theatre’s new Board Chair, it was announced today by Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director.

Paulo Andrés is partner at Rothman/Andrés Entertainment, a boutique talent management company based in Studio City. The company serves a small, select group of working actors. His non-profit experience includes being a board member and eventual Board President for Common Ground (now called Venice Family Clinic). Andrés also served as a board member on Century of Compassion, an organization dedicated to making this century the most compassionate ever.

Said Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning, “I am so looking forward to beginning this new journey with Paulo as The Blank’s Board Chair. His sensibilities and experience will help us reach new heights and new audiences. As he moves from board member to Chair, we are very lucky to have him on our team for this exciting time in our history.”

More information is available at www.theblank.com. 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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08-18-17

Paulo Andrés.

NEWS RELEASE ▪︎ MORE THAN 50 ACTORS SET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLNK THEATRE’S 25th ANNIVERSARY YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

MICHAEL GRANT TERRY, JANINA GAVANKAR,
LENNY JACOBSON, JENNIFER STONE
AND MORE SET TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE BLANK THEATRE’S
25TH ANNIVERSARY
YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL
JUNE 1–25

More than 50 actors have been set to participate in The Blank Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Young Playwrights Festival, including Michael Grant Terry (Bones, NCIS, Grimm, CSI), Janina Gavankar (The Mysteries of Laura, The Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy), Lenny Jacobson (Nurse Jackie, Frequency, Big Time in Hollywood, FL), and Jennifer Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place). Twelve winning plays by young playwrights aged 17, 18, and 19 from six different states will be presented during this year’s festival at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, running from June 1–25.

Other notable performers scheduled to appear are (in alphabetical order) Tess Aubert, Paris Benjamin, Luke Benward (Ravenswood, Good Luck Charlie), David Bloom (Wet Hot American Summer), Tor Brown, Elena Campbell-Martinez, Nick Cardiff, A.B. Cassidy, David Castaneda, Kate Connor, Kimberly Crandall, George Baron Dalton, Shannon Dang, Mark Daugherty, Cecile Del Rosario, Ming-Wei Cyprian Fasquelle, Lainnie Felan, Jessie Franks, Tim Gabriel, Evan Holtzman, Alyssa Jirrels, Tim Jo (The Neighbors, Glory Daze), Stephanie Jones, John F. Knight, Elizabeth Knoweleden, Bethany Joy Lenz (Dexter, One Tree Hill, American Gothic), Mallory Nakamura Low, Ross MacKenzie, Jamie McRae, Megan McGown, Madison McLaughlin (Arrow, Chicago PD, Modern Family), Kate McNeil (NCIS: Los Angeles, Mad Men), Jamie McRae, Eve Moon, Marguerite Moreau (Wet Hot American Summer, Parenthood), Toyin Moses, Kaori Neville, Gabriela Ortega, Lizzie Peet, Cait Pool, Hannah Prichard, Cameron Protzman, Laura Seay, Emma Shannon, Hojo Shin, Ben Stillwell, Wyatt Stromer, Debra Sullivan, Jack Terbush, Larry Van Buren, Roxy Wood, Jeff Witzke, and Bridger Zadina.

The Blank Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Young Playwrights Festival runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm, beginning June 1 and continuing through June 25 at the Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Boulevard (at Highland), in Hollywood. Each week’s program includes three plays. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students. Festival Passes, which include one ticket for each week, are $80 for adults and $50 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.theblank.com 0r by calling (323) 661-9827.

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05-30-17

NEWS RELEASE ▪︎ THE BLANK THEATRE’S 25th ANNIVERSARY YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL CHOOSES WINNERS

THE BLANK THEATRE’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

CHOOSES WINNERS

12 PLAYS BY THE NATION’S BRIGHTEST YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS

WILL BE PERFORMED AT

 THE STELLA ADLER THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD

JUNE 1 – 25, 2017

Now celebrating its 25th Anniversary, The Blank Theatre’s Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival has chosen 12 plays by playwrights aged 17, 18, and 19 from six different states and the District of Columbia. These plays will be presented by professional actors and directors in this year’s Festival at The Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, June 1–25.

Said Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director of The Blank, “Each spring for the past 24 years, The Blank has found the freshest, most original voices in the American theatre, invited them to Los Angeles, and promoted their work during a month-long festival in June. This thought–provoking work, performed and directed by seasoned professionals, has entertained thousands of audience members over the years. While these authors are often as different as the states from which they come and the subjects with which they deal, they share something truly improbable. They’re teenagers.” Henning continued, “These are not only the voices of today’s theatre — they are the voices of tomorrow’s as well.”

This year’s winning plays are: CAROLINE’S GRAND FINALE by Madison Kiernan, Fernandina Beach, FL, Age 17; QUARTER CUP by Lani Kording, Costa Mesa, CA, Age 19; THE PRESENT IMPERFECT by Rachel Linton, Washington, DC, Age 19; LOADED by Trinity Goderstad, Engelwood, CO, Age 18; DEATH ROWS by Jasmine Sharma, Franklin Lakes, NJ, Age 18; TAKE IT WITH YOU by Jasmine Perry, New York, NY, Age 19; YOU’RE A BRAIN, THAT YOU ARE by Dana Hensler, Danville, CA, Age 19; THIS AMERICAN STRIFE  by Akela Munsey, Monrovia, CA, Age 17; THE SECRET LIFE OF BICYCLES by India Kotis, New York, NY, Age 19;THE AUGUST 22^nd OF MY CHILDHOOD by Rayna Berggren, Santa Monica, CA, Age 18; OCEAN DEBRIS by Cassandra Hsiao, Walnut, CA, Age 17; and THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT by James La Bella, Marlborough, CT, Age 19.

A panel of theatre professionals chose from 241 plays submitted by young writers across the nation. Winning playwrights are next assigned a mentor, and then a professional director who will help them hone their scripts for four public performances with professional actors. This year’s mentors include Dave Holstein (Weeds, Raising Hope), Ellen Byron (Just Shoot Me, Wings), Gary Tieche (Medium), Kit Steinkellner (four-time YPF winner), Beth Bigler (The Real Housewives of Atlanta and three-time YPF winner), Bert V. Royal (Dog Sees God), Austin Winsberg (five-time YPF winner;The Sound of Music Live, Gossip Girl), Adam Lapidus, Robert L. Freedman (two-time Tony Award-winner for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Shelagh McFadden, Jennie Webb, and Adam Belanoff (Major Crimes). This year’s directors are (in alphabetical order) Barbara Bain, June Carryl, Warren Davis, Rebecca Eisenberg, James Kerwin, Angela Oh, Christopher J. Raymond, Michael A. Shepperd, Laura Stribling, Richard Tatum, April Webster, and Stoney Westmoreland.

Over the past 24 years, The Blank has produced 284 plays by young playwrights.Eleven of those plays or playwrights have gone on to be presented on The Blank’s mainstage. Additionally, many of the plays have been nominated for LA theatre awards, including an Ovation Award for Best Writing—World Premiere, and an LA Weekly Award for Best One-Act Playwriting. Other alumni playwrights are populating the nation’s theatres and sound stages with their work. Many YPF winners have gone on to successful writing careers on Broadway, are filling regional stages, and have created network TV shows. Alumnus winner Stephen Karam has been a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and is a Tony Award-winner for Best Play of the 2016 Broadway season for The Humans.

This year’s YPF is made possible in part by The Bloomberg Philanthropies, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs, The Rosenthal Family Foundation, The Plum Foundation, and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.

The Blank Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Young Playwrights Festival will run June 1–25 at the Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Boulevard, in Hollywood. The performance schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. Each week’s program includes three plays, and admission is $25 for adults and $15 for students. Festival passes, which are good for one ticket each week of the festival, are $80 for adults and $50 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com, or by phone at (323) 661-9827.

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05-05-17