Archived entries for The Why

PRESS RELEASE — AUDIENCE TALKBACK AT BLANK THEATRE’S “THE WHY” ON SUNDAY 9/28 AT 3:30PM

THE BLANK THEATRE
PRESENTS
AN AUDIENCE TALKBACK SESSION
SUNDAY 9/28 AT 3:30PM

FOLLOWING THE MATINEE PERFORMANCE OF
THE WHY

The Why - Blast BannerThe Blank Theatre (Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director; Noah Wyle, Artistic Producer) has announced an audience talkback session following the matinee performance of The Why on Sunday, September 28. The conversation begins at 3:30pm at the 2nd Stage Theatre in Hollywood. The event is scheduled to last one hour.

The Why is a fast-paced tragicomedy — one part modern satire, one part honest investigation of school shootings. Of the production, Paul Birchall of StageAndCinema.com said, “Crackles with genuine anger and frustration at the horrors of gun violence … sincere and powerful … there’s a lot of passion here, depicted with commendable skill and ferocity.” And from Shari Barrett at BroadwayWorld.com, ” … sickening, mind-bending, and totally necessary to point a finger right where it belongs — at all of us.”

Blank Theatre board member Paolo Andres will serve as moderator, and members of organizations with opposing viewpoints will be present to participate in the conversation. Shoot Safe Learning is a training school at which quality training is administered to law abiding citizens by using the best teaching techniques in a safe environment that instill proper attitude and discipline. Women Against Gun Violence (WAGV) seeks to educate the public, policymakers, and the media about the human, financial, and public health consequences of gun violence. Taking on gun violence as a women’s issue and focusing on violence prevention on a community level forms the basis of this organization’s work.

Playwright Victor Kaufold was just 19 years old when he wrote The Why in response to the Columbine tragedy. The play was a Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival winner and was later produced on The Blank’s mainstage. Kaufold received an LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award nomination for World Premiere Play, the youngest person ever to do so.

The cast of The Why features (in alphabetical order) Ben Crowley, Nicholas Cutro, Jen Landon, and Jeff Witzke. The regular performance schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through October 19. Admission is $30 (student price is $20; must show valid ID), and tickets 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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09-24-14

PRESS RELEASE — BLANK THEATRE OPENS 24TH SEASON WITH “THE WHY” ON SATURDAY 9/20 AT 8PM

THE BLANK THEATRE
PRESENTS
THE WHY
BY VICTOR KAUFOLD
DIRECTED BY DANIEL HENNING

24TH SEASON BEGINS ON SEPTEMBER 16
AT THE BLANK’S 2nd STAGE THEATRE
OPENING SET FOR SATURDAY 9/20 AT 8PM

The Why - Blast BannerThe Blank Theatre (Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director; Noah Wyle, Artistic Producer) has announced that the first production of its 24th season will be The Why by Victor Kaufold, directed by Henning. Previews begin September 16 and opening is set for Saturday, September 20 at 8pm. The engagement will run through October 19.

The Why is a fast-paced tragicomedy — one part modern satire, one part honest investigation. The central story concerns Robert, an American teenager guilty of murdering three of his classmates in a school shooting. Spliced among the dramatic exchanges between Robert and his assigned social worker, a parade of fantastical stereotypes storms in and out, creating a dichotomy between moments of hilarity and sorrow. Confronted by disturbingly accurate exaggerations of the tabloid-like modern media, the audience is made to laugh and then question that laughter.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Ben Crowley, Nicholas Cutro, Jen Landon, and Jeff Witzke. The design team includes Martha Carter (lighting), Sarah Kalb (costumes), and Rebecca Kessin (sound). The stage manager is Samantha Else. Sarah Allyn Bauer serves as producer.

Said Blank Artistic Producer Noah Wyle, “The Why is a truly original take on a very serious and very complex subject: what is happening to the youth of America? Why are kids killing each other? Who or what is to blame? Through blended styles, mixed media, and a constant shifting between drama, farce, satire, and melodrama, The Why seems to offer an answer. Or at least it manages to debunk several popular theories being touted by ‘experts’ in the media. Its continued relevance is frightening.”

Playwright Victor Kaufold was just 19 years old when he wrote The Why, which was a Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival winner. Later produced on The Blank’s mainstage, Kaufold received an LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award nomination for World Premiere Play, the youngest person ever to do so.

Preview performances of The Why begin on Tuesday, September 16 at 8pm, and continue Wednesday, September 17 through Friday, September 19 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, September 20 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through October 19. Admission prices are $25—$30 (student price is $20; must show valid ID), and tickets 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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08-13-14