Archived entries for The cost of the Erection

Announcing: “The Cost of the Erection” by Jon Marans Begins Previews at Blank Theatre on Sat 2/4/12

THREE-TIME DAYTIME EMMY AWARD WINNER
MICHAEL E. KNIGHT (ALL MY CHILDREN) SET TO STAR
IN THE BLANK THEATRE’S PRODUCTION OF
THE COST OF THE ERECTION
A NEW PLAY BY JON MARANS

WEST COAST PREMIERE WILL FEATURE KNIGHT,
ROBIN RIKER, KAL BENNETT, AND JAMES LOUIS WAGNER
DIRECTED BY DANIEL HENNING

PREVIEWS BEGIN FEBRUARY 4, 2012
AT THE BLANK’S 2nd STAGE THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD

The Cost of the Erection posterRenowned daytime television stars Michael E. Knight (All My Children) and Robin Riker (The Bold and the Beautiful), along with Kal Bennett and James Louis Wagner are set to star in The Blank Theatre’s production of The Cost of the Erection by Jon Marans, directed by Blank Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning. The West Coast premiere begins previews on February 4, and opening night is set for Saturday, February 11 at 8:00. The engagement will run through Sunday, March 18.

In The Cost of the Erection, 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. The Cost of the Erection will have its world premiere under the title A Raw Space at the Bristol Riverside Theatre in Bristol, Pennsylvania on February 3.

Playwright Jon MaransOld Wicked Songs was a 1996 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, the winner of a New York Drama League Award, a Los Angeles Drama Logue Award, and it was included in Otis Guernsey’s Best Plays of 1996-97. Marans’ other plays include A Strange and Separate People, Jumping For Joy, Legacy of the Dragonslayers (based on Studs Terkel’s Coming of Age), the musical Irrationals (Book & Lyrics by Marans, Music by Edward Thomas), and The Temperamentals, which had a successful run at The Blank Theatre in the spring of 2011.

Set and lighting design for The Cost of the Erection are by Cameron Zetty, costume design is by Rachel Engstrom, and sound design is by Warren Davis. Casting is by Scott David, Erica Silverman, and Bob Lambert. Nicki Gannon is stage manager.

Started in 1990 by Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning, The Blank Theatre is Hollywood’s resident 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.

Preview performances of The Cost of the Erection are Saturday, February 4 at 8pm, Sunday, February 5 at 2pm, and Tuesday, February 7 – Friday, February 10 at 8pm. The Friday 2/10 performance is available for press review, and opening night is set for Saturday, February 11 at 8:00. The regular performance schedule is Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through March 18. 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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12-16-11

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!