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

Hollywood’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!

Release: Stars of “Defenders,” “Modern Family,” “Dexter,” and More to Act in the Blank Theatre Company’s Young Playwrights Festival

STARS OF THE DEFENDERS, MODERN FAMILY,
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, GENERAL HOSPITAL,
DEXTER, AND NURSE JACKIE
SET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLANK THEATRE COMPANY’S
19TH ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

Jerry O’Connell (The Defenders, Crossing Jordan), Jennifer Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place, Harriet the Spy), Lenny Jacobson (Nurse Jackie), Ariel Winter (Modern Family), Michael J. Willett (United States of Tara), Scott Lowell (Queer as Folk), and Larry Poindexter (The Hard Times of RJ Berger on MTV) will join soap opera stars Billy Miller and Greg Rikaart (The Young and The Restless), and Megan Ward (General Hospital) in The Blank Theatre Company’s 19th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. Twelve winning plays by teen playwrights aged 15 -19, from five different states, will be presented during this year’s festival at The Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, running from June 2 – 26, 2011.

Among the 70 actors who will appear in this year’s festival, WEEK ONE (June 2-5) will feature Larry Poindexter and Greg Rikaart, along with Gale Harold (Hellcats, Queer As Folk, Desperate Housewives), and Susan Park (The Unusuals). WEEK TWO (June 9 –12) will feature Jennifer Stone, Megan Ward, and Ariel Winter, along with Dale Dickey (My Name Is Earl, Breaking Bad). WEEK THREE (June 16—19) will feature Lenny Jacobson and Jerry O’Connell, along with Julia Campbell (Dexter), Scott Lowell (Queer As Folk), Eric Nenninger (Generation Kill, Glory Days), and Marcia Wallace (The Simpsons). WEEK FOUR (June 23—26) will feature Billy Miller, along with Parvesh Cheena (Outsourced), and Tessa Thompson (Detroit 1-8-7).

Winners were chosen by a panel of theatre professionals from plays submitted by teenagers from across the nation. Winning playwrights were next assigned a mentor and then a professional director who has helped them hone their scripts for four public performances. In the past 17 years, The Blank has produced 196 plays by teenaged playwrights. Eleven of those plays or playwrights have gone on to be presented on The Blank’s mainstage, including Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam, a three-time winner in The Blank’s YPF. Additionally, many past plays have been nominated for LA theatre awards, including an Ovation Award for Best Writing—World Premiere, and a LA Weekly Award for Best One-Act Playwriting.

The Blank Theatre Company’s 19th Annual Young Playwrights Festival plays Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm, beginning June 2 and running through June 26 at The Stella Adler Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Boulevard, in Hollywood. Each week’s program includes three plays. Tickets are $17 for adults and $12 for students. Festival Passes, which include one ticket for each week, are $56. Tickets may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com, or by calling (323) 661-9827.

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05-27-11

Announcing: Blank Theatre Company’s 19th Annual Young Playwrights Festival Kicks Off June 2

THE BLANK THEATRE COMPANY’S 19TH ANNUAL NATIONWIDE
YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL CHOOSES WINNERS

12 Plays By The Nation’s Brightest Teenaged Playwrights
Will Be Performed At The Stella Adler Theatre In Hollywood Throughout June, 2011

The Blank Theatre Company’s 19th Annual Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival has chosen 12 plays by teenaged playwrights, aged 14 -19, from six different states. These plays will be presented by professional actors and directors in this year’s month-long festival at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, beginning June 2, 2011.

“Ever since I acted in the first Young Playwrights Festival, I have always had a special place in my heart for these extremely talented teenagers, “ says Blank Artistic Producer Noah Wyle. “The issues tackled, and the depth of emotion and understanding these kids have is remarkable. I wish I knew as much as they do when I was their age!”

This year’s winning plays are: LOCKDOWN by Nicole Acton, Grandville, MI Age 17; LIVING BY NUMBERS by Lucy Portman, Interlochen, MI, Age 17; EISEGESIS by Nickolas Mecikalski, Madison, AL Age 17; THE ADVENTURES OF BOY AND GIRL AS TOLD BY INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUES by Alex Grossman, New York, NY, Age 16 and Rachel Kaly, Forest Hills, NY, Age 15; PLATFORM NINE by Rebecca Moretti, Los Angeles, CA, Age 15; WASH by Delali Ayivor, Interlochen, MI, Age 18; YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL by Layla Treuhaft-Ali, Jackson Heights, NY, Age 15; INK AND PAINT GIRLS by Emma Steinkellner, Santa Barbara, CA, Age 16; WALK TO THE VET by Cathy Mayer, Santa Monica, CA, Age 17; TANOSHINDE by Alex Nunnelly, Cambridge, MA, Age 19; LIKE A DOG IN SPACE by Aliza Goldstein, Jacksonville, FL, Age 19; and SPIDERMAN: TURN ON THE LIGHTS by Adam Brodheim, New York, NY, Age 17.

A panel of theatre professionals chose from plays submitted by teenagers 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 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award-winner E.M. Lewis, and television producers Adam Belanoff (The Closer), David Rambo (V, CSI), and Jeff Greenstein (Desperate Housewives). In the past 18 years, The Blank has produced 208 plays by teenaged playwrights. Eleven of those plays or playwrights have gone on to be presented on The Blank’s mainstage, including Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam, a three-time winner in The Blank’s YPF.

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.

“Alumni” playwrights are populating the nation’s theatres and sound stages with their work. Many YPF winners have gone on to successful writing careers creating TV shows, filling regional stages, teaching writing to others, and founding regional Young Playwrights Festivals. This year, 21-year-old Adam Cochran (a two-time winner in YPF) was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in NYC for Outstanding Music in a Play.

This year’s festival is made possible by The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Plum Foundation, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Blank Theatre Company’s 19th Annual Young Playwrights Festival runs June 2 – 26 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 $17 for adults and $12 for students. Festival passes, which are good for one ticket each week of the festival, are $56. Tickets may be purchased in advance online at www.TheBlank.com, or via phone by calling (323) 661-9827.

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05-12-11