Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

Stage Talks for 'Grey Gardens' The Musical at Ahmanson

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 18:43:00 -0700

STAGE TALKS SET FOR “GREY GARDENS” THE MUSICAL AT CENTER THEATRE GROUP/AHMANSON THEATRE

Post-Performance Discussions Will Be Held Tuesdays, July 26, August 2 and 9

A series of Stage Talks have been set for “Grey Gardens” The Musical at CTG/Ahmanson, to take place following the performance on Tuesdays, July 26, August 2 and 9. Cast members Rachel York and Betty Buckley will comment on the production and answer questions from audience members.

“Grey Gardens” The Musical, directed by Michael Wilson, plays through August 14, 2016, at CTG/Ahmanson Theatre.

In conjunction with the Stage Talks, a special $40 ticket is being offered. When purchasing tickets at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, patrons may enter the code: GGWEEKDAY. Tickets are for Mid-Orchestra and Preferred Mezzanine. The offer is not valid on previously purchased tickets and may not be combined with other offers. Handling fees may apply. Tickets are subject to availability.

Rachel York and Betty Buckley lead the cast, with, in alphabetical order, Bryan Batt (AMC’s “Mad Men”), Peyton Ella, Sarah Hunt, Simon Jones, Katie Silverman, Davon Williams and Josh Young. The cast also includes Olivia Curry, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Steven Good, Melina Kalomas, Michelle London and Rebecca Spencer.

The book for “Grey Gardens” The Musical is by Doug Wright, with music by Scott Frankel and lyrics by Michael Korie. The scenic design is by Jeff Cowie, costumes are by Ilona Somogyi, lighting is by Howell Binkley, sound is by Jon Weston, projections are by Jason H. Thompson, wig design is by Paul Huntley and casting is by Beth Lipari. Hope Clarke is the choreographer, Kevin Stites is the music director, Charles Swan is the associate director/choreographer, the production stage manager is Robert Bennett, and the orchestrations are by Bruce Coughlin.

Wilson is bringing new elements into this production, saying, "Being at the Ahmanson has given us the opportunity to expand the scope of our production, incorporating new cast members and production elements. Utilizing both live-feed and pre-recorded footage, we bring the making of the Maysles' iconic documentary more into focus within the musical's story telling."

Set in East Hampton, New York, “Grey Gardens” The Musical tells the story of Big Edie and Little Edie, the eccentric aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and their journey from glamorous aristocrats in the 1940s to notorious recluses in the 1970s, living in a crumbling house filled with memories and cats.

“Grey Gardens” The Musical received 10 Tony Award nominations when it premiered on Broadway in 2006. Ben Brantley of The New York Times said of that production, “‘Grey Gardens’ is … an experience no passionate theatregoer should miss.” Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said, “‘Grey Gardens’ is more than a unique and unmissable musical: it’s a gift!” David Rooney of Variety said, “This spellbinding account of American fallen royalty is as boldly odd, original and beguiling as its subjects.”

Rachel York is a dynamic and versatile actress, singer, dancer and comedienne, best known for her critically acclaimed Broadway performances in “City of Angels,” “Les Misérables,” “Victor/Victoria” (Drama Desk Award) with Dame Julie Andrews, “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Sly Fox” with Richard Dreyfuss, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and recently the new musical “Disaster!” Previously at the Ahmanson, Ms. York starred as Reno Sweeney in the national tour of “Anything Goes.” Also on tour, she created the role of Cruella de Vil in “The 101 Dalmatians Musical,” starred as Guenevere in “Camelot” and portrayed Lilli Vanessi/Kate in “Kiss Me, Kate” (U.S. tour and London’s West End). Off-Broadway she starred in “The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman,” Stephen Sondheim’s “Putting It Together” (Drama Desk nomination), “Dessa Rose” (Drama Desk nomination) as well as NYC Encores! acclaimed productions of “Gentleman Prefer Blondes” and “Little Me.” Among her favorite regional productions are “Ragtime,” “The King and I” and “Turn of the Century” opposite Jeff Daniels. Ms. York turned heads with her courageous portrayal of Lucille Ball in the CBS movie “Lucy.” She has also appeared on several popular TV series including “Power,” “Hannah Montana,” “Frasier,” “Numb3rs,” and will be featured in the upcoming film “It Had To Be You.”

Betty Buckley, who has been called “The Voice of Broadway,” is one of theatre’s most respected and legendary leading ladies. She is an actress/singer whose career spans theatre, film, television and concert halls around the world. She was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame for 2012. She won a Tony Award for “Cats,” received her second Tony Award nomination for “Triumph of Love” and an Olivier Award nomination in London for her performance in “Sunset Boulevard,” which she repeated to more rave reviews on Broadway. Her other Broadway credits include “1776,” “Pippin,” “Song And Dance,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Carrie.” She has starred in many off-Broadway productions including “The Old Friends” for which she received a 2014 Drama Desk nomination. Her film credits include M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening,” Brian de Palma’s “Carrie,” Bruce Beresford’s “Tender Mercies,” Roman Polanski’s “Frantic,” Woody Allen’s “Another Woman” and Lawrence Kasdan’s “Wyatt Earp.” She is currently shooting “Split,” a new film directed by Shyamalan in which she is co-starring with James McAvoy. Her numerous TV credits include the series “Oz” for HBO and four seasons starring as Abby on “Eight is Enough.” She has received two Emmy nominations, and she has recorded 16 CDs, receiving two Grammy nominations. Her latest CD “Ghostlight” was produced by T Bone Burnett.

Michael Wilson directed the 2013 Broadway revival of “The Trip to Bountiful,” which garnered a Best Actress Tony Award for Cicely Tyson. This production was later presented at the Ahmanson Theatre. He received 2015 DGA and Image Award nominations for his direction of the Lifetime/Ostar production of “Bountiful,” which was nominated for two Emmys including Outstanding Television Movie. He received Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his direction of Horton Foote’s “The Orphans’ Home Cycle” at Signature Theatre. His other Broadway productions include Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man,” “Dividing the Estate,” “Enchanted April” and “Old Acquaintance.” Off-Broadway his productions include “Talley’s Folly,” and also “The Old Friends” with Betty Buckley. He recently finished work on his first independent motion picture, “Showing Roots,” starring Maggie Grace, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth McGovern, Adam Brody and Cicely Tyson.

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading nonprofit theatre company, programming seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1600 to 2000-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.

Tickets for “Grey Gardens” The Musical are available by calling (213) 972-4400 or online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, or by visiting the Center Theatre Group box office at the Ahmanson Theatre. The Ahmanson Theatre is located at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, 90012.

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July 22, 2016

Cast Set for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Taper

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 01:52:00 -0700

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR AUGUST WILSON’S “MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM” DIRECTED BY PHYLICIA RASHAD AT THE MARK TAPER FORUM

SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 16, 2016

Center Theatre Group has announced the casting for August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” which begins previews September 1, opens September 11 and continues through October 16, 2016, at the Mark Taper Forum.

Phylicia Rashad, who directed Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the Taper in 2013, will direct this groundbreaking play that depicts the racism and exploitation in the music industry through a 1927 recording session in Chicago with a legendary blues singer. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is inspired by the real-life Gertrude “Ma” Rainey.

The cast features, in alphabetical order, Greg Bryan, Keith David, Jason Dirden, Damon Gupton, Matthew Henerson, Nija Okoro, Lamar Richardson, Ed Swidey, Glynn Turman and Lillias White.

Scenic design is by John Iacovelli, costume design is by Emilio Sosa, lighting design is by Elizabeth Harper, sound design is by Dan Moses Schreier and the production stage manager is David Blackwell.

“This play is a searing inside account of what white racism does to its victims – and it floats on the same authentic artistry as the blues music it celebrates. Harrowing as ‘Ma Rainey's’ can be, it is also funny, salty, carnal and lyrical,” said Frank Rich of The New York Times of the Broadway opening in 1984. Jack Kroll of Newsweek also said of Wilson’s debut Broadway play, “Extraordinary! Ma Rainey rides on the exultant notes of the blues!”

Center Theatre Group has presented eight of August Wilson’s plays: “Jitney” and the Tony Award-nominated plays “King Hedley II,” “Gem of the Ocean,” “Radio Golf” and “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the Taper, the Tony Award-nominated play “Seven Guitars” at the Ahmanson Theatre, and the Tony Award-nominated plays “Two Trains Running” and “The Piano Lesson” (1990 Pulitzer Prize) at the Doolittle Theatre in Hollywood. Wilson’s “Fences” won both the 1987 Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award.

Tickets for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” are available by calling (213) 628-2772 or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Tickets range from $25 – $85 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Mark Taper Forum is located at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.

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July 21, 2016/Updated July 26, 2016

Center Theatre Group Celebrates 50 Years at Mark Taper Forum

Center Theatre Group — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 01:15:00 -0700

REVISED†

CENTER THEATRE GROUP CELEBRATES 50 YEARS AT THE MARK TAPER FORUM

THE 2017-2018 SEASON FEATURES ONE WORLD PREMIERE, A PULITZER PRIZE WINNER, A NEW WORK BY A MACARTHUR “GENIUS” AND THE RETURN OF A GROUNDBREAKING TAPER PLAY

IN ADDITION TO FIVE PLAYS IN THE THEATRE, “REMOTE L.A.” WILL TAKE THE CELEBRATION TO THE STREETS

The 2017-2018 Season at the Mark Taper Forum Begins January 31, 2017, and Runs Through May 13, 2018
[For complete listing of plays and performance dates, please download PDF of release.]

†Please note the dates of “Zoot Suit” and “Archduke” are different from the originally announced schedule, “Heisenberg” has been added and “Soft Power” is no longer part of the Mark Taper Forum 2017-18 Season

Center Theatre Group celebrates 50 years in the iconic Mark Taper Forum with the 2017-2018 season announced today by Artistic Director Michael Ritchie. The new season features five plays that represent the past, present and future of the theatre, plus a special immersive event on the streets of Los Angeles.

“Theatre has always created an extraordinary connection between artists and audiences,” said Ritchie. “Nowhere is that more clear than in the uniquely intimate space of the Mark Taper Forum. And that connection continues well beyond the curtain call in plays like Luis Valdez’s ‘Zoot Suit,’ which changed the cultural landscape when it premiered at the Taper almost four decades ago and will continue to offer a vital insight when it opens our 50th season at the Taper in 2017.”

“I am also excited to welcome back Rajiv Joseph with the world premiere of ‘Archduke,’” Ritchie continued. “Drawing on Rajiv’s signature dark comedy and ability to draw parallels between current and historical events, this new work offers a fascinatingly personal look at the path to terrorism.”

“MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant winner Tarell Alvin McCraney comes to the Taper for the first time with his powerful new work ‘Head of Passes.’ Phylicia Rashad is recreating her tour de force performance from the production at The Public Theater earlier this year. And we will present our first play by Quiara Alegría Hudes with her Pulitzer-winning ‘Water by the Spoonful.’”

“Our 50th anniversary also includes a special event,” added Ritchie. “‘Remote L.A.’ is a production that literally takes the performance out of the theatre, changing the way we see our city and interact with the community at large."

“Over the past 50 years the Taper has been a place to explore diverse perspectives, experience new ideas and be entertained by amazing storytellers. This theatre has sparked countless conversations, and as I look at our upcoming season and many seasons to come, I know it will spark a million more,” Ritchie concluded.

“Zoot Suit”
Written and Directed by Luis Valdez

Center Theatre Group’s 50th anniversary season at the Mark Taper Forum kicks off with one of the most iconic works from the Taper’s past, “Zoot Suit,” written and directed by Luis Valdez, January 31 through March 19, 2017. Presented in association with El Teatro Campesino, the opening night of “Zoot Suit” is February 12.

“Zoot Suit” was originally commissioned and developed by Center Theatre Group, playing for nearly a year in Los Angeles first at the Taper from August 6 to October 1, 1978, then from October 10, 1978, through July 1, 1979, at the Aquarius in Hollywood, and went on to become Broadway’s first Chicano play, was made into a major motion picture and became a cultural phenomenon.

Nearly forty years after its world premiere, the original creator will once again fill the Taper’s stage with a company of 25 actors, singers and dancers weaving fact and fiction together as they portray the events surrounding the infamous 1942 Sleepy Lagoon murder in Los Angeles. Filled with heart, sly wit and the infectious songs of Lalo Guerrero, “Zoot Suit” remains an urgent portrayal of the clash between generations in a Chicano family, the rifts between cultures in America and how racism and injustice can haunt a city and a society.

Luis Valdez founded the internationally renowned and Obie Award-winning El Teatro Campesino (The Farm Workers’ Theater) in 1965 during the United Farm Workers (UFW) struggle and the Great Delano Grape Strike in California’s Central Valley. His involvement with Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the early Chicano Movement left an indelible mark that remains embodied in all his work: his early actos (short plays written to encourage campesinos to leave the fields and join the UFW), his mitos (mythic plays) gave Chicanos their own contemporary mythology, his examinations of Chicano urban life in “I Don’t Have To Show You No Stinkin’ Badges,” his Chicano re-visioning of classic Mexican folktales in “Corridos” and his exploration of his indigenous Yaqui roots in “Mummified Deer.”

Valdez’s screen credits include “Zoot Suit” (featuring Edward James Olmos), “La Bamba” (starring Lou Diamond Phillips), “The Cisco Kid” (featuring Jimmy Smits and Cheech Marin) and “Corridos: Tales of Passion and Revolution” (with Linda Ronstadt). Awards include LA Drama Critic Circle Awards, Bay Area Critics Awards, the George Peabody Award for excellence in television, the Presidential Medal of the Arts, the Governor’s Award from the California Arts Council and Mexico’s prestigious Aguila Azteca Award given to individuals whose work promotes cultural excellence and exchange between the U.S. and Mexico. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2007, he was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship as one of the 50 U.S. artists so honored across the United States. Valdez was recently inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as a director.

“Archduke”
By Rajiv Joseph
Directed by Giovanna Sardelli
World Premiere

Pulitzer finalist Rajiv Joseph returns to Center Theatre Group with the world premiere of “Archduke.” Directed by Giovanna Sardelli, Joseph’s insightful and darkly comic play, a Center Theatre Group commission, begins April 25, 2017, and runs through June 4. Opening night is May 7.

“Archduke” follows the unlikely path to terrorism as three strangers, already struggling to get by, receive a death sentence in the form of a tuberculosis diagnosis. But being young men with nothing to lose in Belgrade, 1914, makes them the perfect recruits for a secret organization looking to strike a blow in the name of Serbian nationalism.

“Archduke” explores the short journey from individual hardship to public harm as personal desperation is cultivated into an act with international significance and a few average men spark World War I.

Rajiv Joseph’s “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” premiered at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2009 before moving to the Taper in 2010 and Broadway in 2011. “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” was named a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama and was also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. Joseph’s play “Guards at the Taj” was a 2016 Obie winner for Best New American Play and 2016 Lucille Lortel winner for Best Play. His other plays include “The North Pool,” “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” “Animals Out of Paper” and “The Lake Effect.” His plays have been translated and produced worldwide.

Rajiv Joseph has written for television and film and is the librettist for the opera “Shalimar the Clown,” adapted from the novel of the same name by Salman Rushdie, which had its premiere this past June at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

He has been awarded artistic grants from the Whiting Foundation, United States Artists and the Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. Joseph received his B.A. in creative writing from Miami University and his MFA in dramatic writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He served for three years in the Peace Corps in Senegal.

“Heisenberg”
By Simon Stephens
Directed by Mark Brokaw

Manhattan Theatre Club’s acclaimed production of “Heisenberg” by Tony Award and two-time Olivier Award winner Simon Stephens has been announced as part of Center Theatre Group’s 50th Anniversary Season. This insightful and entertaining new play comes to the Taper June 28 through August 6, 2017. Opening is set for July 6.

Directed by Drama Desk Award winner Mark Brokaw and featuring Denis Arndt and Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Mary-Louise Parker, the creative team for “Heisenberg” includes Mark Wendland (scenic design), Michael Krass (costume design), Austin R. Smith (lighting design) and David Van Tieghem (sound design).

Amidst the bustle of a crowded London train station, Georgie (Parker) spots Alex (Arndt), a much older man, and plants a kiss on his neck. This electric encounter thrusts these two strangers into a fascinating and life-changing game as “Heisenberg” brings to blazing, theatrical life the uncertain and often comical sparring match that is human connection.

When “Heisenberg” received its world premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2015, Ben Brantley of The New York Times called the play “a probing work that considers the multiplicity of alternatives that could shape our lives at every moment.” On returning to see the Broadway run in 2016, Brantley said “Heisenberg” “seems more shimmeringly and satisfyingly elusive each time I see it.” Adding that Parker and Arndt are “the sexiest couple on a New York stage just now.”

Mark Kennedy of Associated Press said playwright Simon Stephens “does nothing less than alchemy here. He captures new love and old love at the same time, hope and fear, the new world and the old. He's turned the simplest of tales — boy meets girl — into an unexpectedly rich thing with just two chairs, two tables and two actors.” Jesse Green of New York Magazine added, “Under Mark Brokaw’s exquisite direction, the two actors could not be better.”

“Heisenberg” was commissioned by Manhattan Theatre Club and received its world premiere in the summer of 2015 as part of The Studio at Stage II – Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series, MTC's initiative to bring bold new work to audiences. “Heisenberg” was then transferred to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in 2016.

“Head of Passes”
By Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Tina Landau

Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad returns to the Taper stage in “Head of Passes,” an astonishing, deeply moving new drama about family, acceptance and the power of faith by MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney (“The Brother/Sister Plays”). Directed by Tina Landau, “Head of Passes” begins performances on September 13 and continues through October 22, 2017. The opening night is set for September 24.

Family and friends are gathering to celebrate Shelah’s (Rashad) birthday under the leaky roof of her home at the mouth of the Mississippi River. But an unwanted birthday party and unrelenting rains are only the first challenges in this contemporary parable inspired by the Book of Job in which unexpected events turn the reunion into the ultimate test of faith and love. As her world seems to collapse around her, Shelah must fight to survive the rising flood of life’s greatest challenges in this poetic and piercing new play.

When “Head of Passes” was presented at The Public Theater, Ben Brantley of The New York Times said, “… in her remarkable, pull-out-all-the-stops performance in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s ‘Head of Passes,’ Ms. Rashad gives the impression that she could definitely hold her own on Shakespeare’s blasted heath. Portraying a sorely tested Southern matriarch, she can be found railing against God and the elements with a harrowingly Lear-like rage.” Linda Winer of Newsday observed, “If Phylicia Rashad had not already taken us on formidable journeys through the world of August Wilson and so many other formidable dramas, it would be tempting to call Shelah, the matriarch in ‘Head of Passes,’ the role of a lifetime.”

Phylicia Rashad last performed at the Taper in 2003 in the world premiere production of August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean,” a role that would earn her a 2005 Tony nomination. She won the 2004 Tony for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Lena Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun.”

Tarell Alvin McCraney is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and founding member of Teo Castellanos/D-Projects. In addition to the MacArthur "Genius" Grant, he has received the Doris Duke Artist Award, Whiting Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Windham Campbell Award. He was International Writer in Residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company (2009 to 2011) where he remains an associate artist. He is a professor of theatre and civic engagement for the University of Miami’s department of theatre. McCraney is the Artistic Director of the Youth Arts Leadership Summer Program. His Public Theater productions include “Head of Passes,” “The Brother/Sister Plays” and an edit of “Antony and Cleopatra.” “The Brothers Size” was a part of the Under the Radar Festival and other credits include “Choir Boy” and “Wig Out.”

“Water by the Spoonful”
By Quiara Alegría Hudes
Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz

The 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Water by the Spoonful” by Quiara Alegría Hudes will be presented at the Taper January 31 through March 11, 2018. Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, the opening of “Water by the Spoonful” is set for February 11.

A janitor, a software mogul, a college grad and an IRS paper-pusher have one thing in common. Although they live thousands of miles apart, these four people share a secret: they’re recovering addicts who have found a safe haven in an online chat room. There, with liberal doses of jokes and bullying, they help each other navigate the broken terrain of their lives. But when an Iraq War veteran’s tragedy spills over into their cyberhome, everything changes. In this fearless play by Quiara Alegría Hudes (“In the Heights”), worlds virtual and real unfold onstage, challenging our notions of family, forgiveness, community and courage.

When it played off-Broadway, Charles Isherwood of The New York Times said,“‘Water by the Spoonful’ gives off a shimmering, sustaining warmth. Ms. Hudes writes with such empathy and vibrant humor that regeneration and renewal always seem to be just around the corner.”

Quiara Alegría Hudes is the author of a trilogy of plays including “Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue” (2006), “Water by the Spoonful” (2011) and “The Happiest Song Plays Last” (2012). “Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue” premiered off-off Broadway by Page 73 Productions and was a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. “Water by the Spoonful” premiered at Hartford Stage Company and won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. “The Happiest Song Plays Last” premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in 2013. Hudes wrote the book for the Broadway musical “In the Heights,” which received the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, a Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical, and was a 2009 Pulitzer Prize finalist. Other works include the plays “26 Miles” and “Yemaya’s Belly” and the children’s musical “Barrio Grrrl!” Hudes grew up in West Philadelphia where she studied music with Don Rappaport, Dolly Kranzapolski and Linda Hudes. She was later mentored by playwright Paula Vogel at Brown University. Hudes is an alumna of New Dramatists and sits on the board of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, which produced her first play in the tenth grade.

“Remote L.A.”
By Rimini Protokoll
Concept, script and direction by Stefan Kaegi
Co-directed by Jörg Karrenbauer

Presented outside of the Mark Taper Forum as a bonus production in addition to the regular subscription, “Remote L.A.” runs March 12 through April 2, 2017. Opening is set for March 14.

Written and directed by award-winning international documentary theatre team Rimini Protokoll, “Remote L.A.” invites audience members to join a group of 50 people venturing out into Los Angeles on a guided audio tour that seems to follow its audience members as much the audience is following it. Audience members meet up, put on headphones and have their perspectives changed as they are provided with a soundtrack to the streets, parking garages and rooftops of Los Angeles. A computer-generated voice guides the group’s movements on a course through the city in real time. The performance reveals a “secret Los Angeles,” continuing to places normally unseen, places where humans encounter their limits, places where crowds gather, hidden alleys, back hallways and common areas seen through a new lens. At times the group is given tasks—take the Metro, travel at a new pace. They are not just audience members—they become actors and spectators, observers and observed, individuals and hordes, all at the same time.

Helgard Haug, Stefan Kaegi and Daniel Wetzel have been working as a team since 2000, and since 2002 they have written collectively under the label Rimini Protokoll. At the focus of their work is the continuous development of the tools of the theatre to allow for unusual perspectives on our reality. They have created works in dozens of cities around the world, winning the NRW Impulse Preis, the European Theatre Prize for “New Realities,” the Faust Theatre Prize and the European Prize for New Theatre Forms among others.

Jörg Karrenbauer has collaborated with Rimini Protokoll since 2003. Together with Stefan Kaegi he's focused on site-specific projects. He adapted Kaegi's “Remote“ for more than 30 cities in Europe, India and the US.

Center Theatre Group’s 2017 – 2018 Mark Taper Forum Season
Available on Membership Only

Tickets for the Mark Taper Forum’s 50th season are currently available by season ticket membership only. For information and to charge season tickets by phone, call the Exclusive Season Ticket Hotline at (213) 972-4444. To purchase season memberships online, visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org/Taper.

Center Theatre Group offers a number of services to accommodate persons requiring mobility, vision, and hearing access. For more information, please visit www.centertheatregroup.org/access

Center Theatre Group

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July 19, 2016/Updated August 1, 2017

2017/18 Mark Taper Forum Season Announcement

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 21:29:00 -0700

'Grey Gardens' The Musical Opens at the Ahmanson Theatre

Center Theatre Group — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 19:20:00 -0700

“GREY GARDENS” THE MUSICAL OPENS THIS WEDNESDAY JULY 13 AT CENTER THEATRE GROUP/AHMANSON THEATRE

Performances Continue Through August 14 For Los Angeles Premiere

“Grey Gardens” The Musical opens at CTG/Ahmanson Theatre this Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Directed by Michael Wilson, performances of the bittersweet story continue through August 14.

The book for “Grey Gardens” The Musical is by Doug Wright, with music by Scott Frankel and lyrics by Michael Korie. The scenic design is by Jeff Cowie, costumes are by Ilona Somogyi, lighting is by Howell Binkley, sound is by Jon Weston, projections are by Jason H. Thompson, wig design is by Paul Huntley and casting is by Beth Lipari. Hope Clarke is the choreographer, Kevin Stites is the music director, Charles Swan is the associate director/choreographer and the production stage manager is Robert Bennett.

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July 11, 2016

CTG Expands Free Play Readings For Boyle Heights Community

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 00:48:00 -0700

CENTER THEATRE GROUP EXPANDS FREE BILINGUAL LIBRARY PLAY READINGS FOR BOYLE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY FROM JULY 19 THROUGH DECEMBER 15, 2016

Center Theatre Group continues its free play reading series with the reading of six plays at three public libraries in Boyle Heights. Continuing for the fourth year in a row, the series has expanded to twelve readings (the other six will be announced later this year) and will take place at Benjamin Franklin Library, Malabar Library and Robert Louis Stevenson Library from July 19 through December 15. Readings will be done in English and Spanish as noted below.

The first six plays to be presented are “Tsunami” by Jesús Castaños-Chima; “El Amante” by Tony Dúran; “A Mexican Trilogy: Faith, Hope, and Charity” by Evelina Fernandez; “The Last Firefly (A Kabuki Fable)” by Naomi Iizuka in both English and Spanish (as “La Última Luciérnaga”); “The jalapeño, heavy metal, baseball, Frosted Flake adventures of Mr. Henry Carrillo” by Juan E. Carrillo; and “Barrionetas” by Juan Jimenez Gutierrez, Epitacio Hernández, Héctor Dávalos and Mauro Mendoza with the music of Chava Flores.

As a new component this year, all readings will include elements of music made possible by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation grant that Center Theatre Group received in February. The musical component promises a more multifaceted, immersive experience for those who attend. All readings will begin at 6 p.m.

Readings of “Tsunami” and “El Amante,” presented in Spanish by Grupo Apolo, will take place Tuesday, July 19 at the Benjamin Franklin Library; Wednesday, July 20 at the Malabar Library; and Thursday, July 21 at the Robert Louis Stevenson Library.

“Tsunami” is an account of the tragedy that devastated Japan in 2011 and shows that, despite the magnitude of the events, the country has managed to be reborn from the rubble. The second reading of “El Amante” follows the title character (translated as “The Lover”) as he plays out the adventures that befall him in his search for love through music, song and magic.

Readings of select scenes from The Latino Theater Company’s “A Mexican Trilogy: Faith, Hope, and Charity” will take place on Tuesday, August 16 at the Benjamin Franklin Library; Wednesday, August 17 at the Malabar Library; and Thursday, August 18 at the Robert Louis Stevenson Library.

“A Mexican Trilogy: Faith, Hope, and Charity” is an American story that follows the Morales family over the span of 100 years, highlighting the Latina/o experience in the U.S. Music evokes era and mood as the three parts of this play—Faith, Hope and Charity—paint a canvas of universal family struggle that depicts the eternal sense of belonging we all crave: to family, to culture, to country.

The Spanish readings of “The Last Firefly (A Kabuki Fable),” or “La Última Luciérnaga (Una Fábula Kabuki),” will be presented by Off The Tracks Theater Company on Tuesday, September 13 at the Benjamin Franklin Library; Wednesday, September 14 at the Malabar Library; and Thursday, September 15 at the Robert Louis Stevenson Library. The English readings of “The Last Firefly” will be presented by Artists at Play on Tuesday, December 13 at the Benjamin Franklin Library; Wednesday, December 14 at the Malabar Library; and Thursday, December 15 at the Robert Louis Stevenson Library.

Inspired by Japanese folktales, “The Last Firefly” follows the journey of a young boy named Boom who is trying to find his missing father—who may or may not be Thunder. Boom’s quest takes him through a fantastical world where trees talk, spiders weave clouds and boys punch holes through the sky. It is a story about parents, children and what is found when they discover where they came from and who they really are.

Presented by SuperCity, readings of “The jalapeño, heavy metal, baseball, Frosted Flake adventures of Mr. Henry Carrillo” will take place Tuesday, October 11 at the Benjamin Franklin Library; Wednesday, October 12 at the Malabar Library; and Thursday, October 13 at the Robert Louis Stevenson Library.

“The jalapeño, heavy metal, baseball, Frosted Flake adventures of Mr. Henry Carrillo” is a solo performance piece featuring guitar that follows first grade teacher Mr. Carrillo as he navigates through the sometimes contradictory realms of heavy metal, Mexico and the classroom in East L.A., where he was born and raised.

Readings of “Barrionetas” will be presented in Spanish by Teatro y Cuento and will take place Tuesday, November 15 at the Benjamin Franklin Library; Wednesday, November 16 at the Malabar Library; and Thursday, November 17 at the Robert Louis Stevenson Library.

“Barrionetas” explores the problems and circumstances of one neighborhood in Mexico City—as well as the resilience and passion for life of the people who live there—with the music of Chava Flores woven through.

The Benjamin Franklin Library is located at 2200 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033; the Malabar Library is at 2801 Wabash Ave., Los Angeles, 90033; and the Robert Louis Stevenson Library is at 803 Spence St., Los Angeles, 90023.

For reservations to the readings, contact Jesus A. Reyes at jreyes@ctgla.org or call 213-972-8028. More information on CTG’s community programs can be found at www.centertheatregroup.org/community.

The play readings are presented by CTG’s Education and Community Partnerships department, led by Leslie K. Johnson. CTG frequently partners with local artists, organizations, schools, libraries and other groups to enrich cultural conversations in L.A. neighborhoods and to encourage Angelenos to bring the art of theatre deeper into their lives and use it to share and explore their own stories. Through free workshops, events, productions, discussions and other activities that take place at traditional and nontraditional venues, Center Theatre Group is working to connect with community members and artists throughout L.A. and to facilitate inclusive and thoughtful cultural conversations.

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July 8, 2016

Center Theatre Group Names New Directors of Marketing and Communications

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 20:19:00 -0700

Deborah Warren has been named the new Director of Marketing and James Sims the new Director of Communications at Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles, one of the largest and most active nonprofit theatre companies in the country, it was announced today by Stephen D. Rountree, Center Theatre Group’s Managing Director.

Warren arrives at Center Theatre Group with a marketing background that includes a decade at League of Resident Theatres (LORT), including five years as Director of Marketing at the Geffen Playhouse. She spent 15 years marketing Broadway productions in New York and around the country with Disney Theatrical Group as Director of Tour Marketing and Serino Coyne, the Broadway advertising agency, where she oversaw the two-year run of “Wicked” in Los Angeles.

During Warren’s time with Disney Theatrical Group, she worked directly with Center Theatre Group on touring productions at the Ahmanson Theatre. Warren has most recently been consulting on arts marketing in Los Angeles, including as the Head of Marketing and Communications at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts during its 2013 launch. She will begin her new role at Center Theatre Group on July 11, 2016.

“I’m impressed with the depth and breadth of Deborah's experiences across the country and in Los Angeles,” said Rountree. “She has an extensive network of relationships within the field. But most of all, Artistic Director Michael Ritchie, Producing Director Douglas C. Baker and I are impressed with her passion for theatre, energy level and lively mind.”

“I am thrilled to be joining Center Theatre Group at an incredible time for the organization,” said Warren. “I’ve spent the last decade working on Broadway blockbusters like ‘Wicked’ and ‘The Lion King,’ and I’m excited to bring that experience to the organization as I begin work on the slate of outstanding shows coming to the Ahmanson. I’m also eager to promote one of the country’s most vital theatres, the Mark Taper Forum, as well as the adventurous Kirk Douglas Theatre. I hope to continue the great work that is already being done, and to work with the staff on creating more initiatives to increase the theatre’s presence in our city and nationally.”

James Sims will work closely with Warren in his new role as Director of Communications to lead Center Theatre Group into a strong position as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017/2018. Sims has been working at Center Theatre Group since 2013, most recently as Content Strategy Director managing a complete redesign of Center Theatre Group’s website and overseeing the company’s new branding and positioning efforts.

“We have reorganized our former Marketing and Communications department in a strategic shift to better serve the rapidly evolving communications landscape,” said Rountree. “As audiences begin engaging with content far beyond a single news source, we knew there was a need for press relations, branded content and digital outreach to live under one forward-thinking leader. Among a field of 105 candidates that included senior communications professionals at arts organizations across the country, James emerged as a person uniquely experienced and trained to shape a vision and to manage this department in the digital age.”

In the newly created position of Director of Communications, Sims will oversee a department that encompasses press relations, social media and digital communications, content development, brand management, web oversight, public relations and internal communications.

Sims has spent the last decade as a journalist and digital content strategist, working with leading cultural institutions including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the American Museum of Natural History and the Nederlander Organization in New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, he started his career as a broadcast journalist in the United States Air Force, later attending Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

On May 26, 2016, Sims oversaw the launch of Center Theatre Group’s redesigned website, following a year-long development process with Made Media Ltd., a London-based digital creative agency. The completely reimagined website focuses on a better user experience, featuring a mobile and tablet-friendly design, customized information based on a visitor’s profile and history with the organization and an emphasis on new content, articles, podcasts and videos to allow visitors to discover Center Theatre Group’s nonprofit mission.

“It’s been an exciting year as we worked closely with each department within this large and busy organization in order to develop the best possible interface. Our website needs to externally reflect not only Center Theatre Group’s many stellar productions at the Ahmanson, Taper and Douglas, but also the important work taking place through artistic development, education and community outreach programs and robust fundraising,” said Sims. “Our new website is fast, smart and rich with our ongoing efforts to create engaging content while better telling the story of Center Theatre Group.”

“This was a dream project for us on just about every level,” said Andrew Shuttleworth, CEO of Made Media’s U.S. operations. “We had a client who really pushed us and who didn’t want to play it safe. Center Theatre Group wanted a website that advanced on all fronts. They have great taste and high standards for design and user experience, and the result is a user journey that’s very intuitive yet very powerful for ticket buyers and subscribers. It's a vision we’re proud to have helped them realize.”

Along with a new website, as Center Theatre Group approached its 50th anniversary, the organization faced a singular opportunity to rethink and refresh its story and visual identity, as well as those of its three theatre programming series. A key objective for the project was to shift Center Theatre Group from a hierarchical “umbrella brand” to one in which the identities of the Ahmanson, Taper and Douglas programs enhance that of the organization overall and vice versa.

Through work with LaPlaca Cohen, the inspiration for the new identity system came from the contrasts that define theatre: between comedy and drama, light and dark, offstage and center stage. Of particular interest was the contrast between the hidden and the visible, and the fact that what audiences see onstage is only a small glimpse of the work and creativity behind the curtain. Bold typography and a bright, fun, yet contrasting color palette gives the identities of Center Theatre Group and the three theatre programming series a new and striking feel—and allows them to appear distinct, while still remaining in the same family.

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July 6, 2016