Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

Center Theatre Group Hosts Community Conversations for "The Beauty Queen of Leenane"

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 15:35:00 -0800

CENTER THEATRE GROUP HOSTS COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS FOR DRUID’S “THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE” ON DECEMBER 2, 2016, AT MUSIC CENTER ANNEX

Pre-Show Panel Features Experts on Irish Culture Alongside CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie

Directed by Garry Hynes, “Beauty Queen” Runs Through December 18 at the Taper

Center Theatre Group will host a Community Conversations event for the Druid production of Martin McDonagh’s “The Beauty Queen of Leenane,” currently playing at the Mark Taper Forum, with a pre-show panel discussion to be held on Friday, December 2. Titled “Martin McDonagh and What Makes Irish Theatre Irish,” the event will feature a discussion about McDonagh’s Irish style, the legacy of his work and why it’s so appealing to audiences. The discussion will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Music Center Annex building, 601 W. Temple Street, in Rehearsal Room A, and will feature experts on Irish literature and culture as well as Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

Joining Ritchie for the discussion are scholars Rónán McDonald and Amy Woodson-Boulton. McDonald is a professor of Modern Literature at the University of New South Wales, Sydney and is currently the president of the Irish Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand. His research interests span modern Irish literature and culture, modernism, theories of cultural value and the role of the humanities in the modern university.

Woodson-Boulton is an associate professor and chair of the history department at Loyola Marymount University. She earned a doctorate from UCLA in 2003, and her work concentrates on cultural reactions to industrialization – particularly the history of art museums, the social role of art and the changing status and meaning of art and nature in modern society.

The moderator for the discussion panel will be prize-winning poet and playwright John Menaghan who teaches courses in Irish literature and culture, 20th-century literature, the dramatic monologue and creative writing. He has a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and also serves as the director of both the Irish Studies and Summer in Ireland programs at Loyola Marymount University.

Directed by Garry Hynes, who won a Tony for her direction of the play on Broadway in 1998, Center Theatre Group’s presentation of “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” plays at the Mark Taper Forum through December 18.

“Beauty Queen,” set in the mountains of Connemara, County Galway, is the tale of Maureen Folan, a plain and lonely woman in her early 40s, and Mag, her manipulative, aging mother, whose interference in Maureen's first and potentially last romantic relationship sets in motion a chain of events that are as tragically funny as they are horrific.

The cast includes, in alphabetical order, Aaron Monaghan, Marie Mullen, Aisling O’Sullivan and Marty Rea. Mullen, who played the daughter Maureen in the original 1996 production and earned a Tony Award for her performance, now plays the role of Maureen’s mother Mag; O’Sullivan plays Maureen; Rea plays Pato; and Monaghan plays Ray.

Hynes also directed McDonagh’s “The Cripple of Inishmaan” at Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2011, as well as Arthur Miller’s “The Price” at the Taper in 2015. Center Theatre Group presented McDonagh’s “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Taper in 2010.

McDonagh is an award-winning writer and director. His work with Druid includes “The Beauty Queen of Leenane,” “A Skull in Connemara,” “The Lonesome West” (Druid/Royal Court/Broadway) and “The Cripple of Inishmaan” (Druid/Atlantic Theater Company/U.S. Tour). Other theatre includes “The Cripple of Inishmaan” (National Theatre, London/West End/Broadway), “The Pillowman” (National Theatre, London/Broadway), “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” (RSC/Garrick/Broadway), “A Behanding in Spokane” (Broadway) and “Hangmen” (Royal Court). His film work (as a writer/director) includes “Six Shooter” (a short), “In Bruges” and “Seven Psychopaths.” His awards include the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy (“The Lieutenant of Inishmore”), Olivier Award for Best New Play (“The Pillowman”), Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film (“Six Shooter”), BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay (“In Bruges”).

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.

RSVPs for the Community Conversations are encouraged; please contact CommunityConversations@CTGLA.org.

Tickets for “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” 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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November 29, 2016

'The Wholehearted' World Premiere Production Opens December 3

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 09:58:00 -0800

“…a boldly arresting work, elevated by its pervasive and skillful use of video
and by Holum’s alternately brooding and explosive portrayal of Dee,”
—Don Aucoin, Boston Globe

Stein | Holum Projects’ engrossing one-woman show “The Wholehearted” previews this Friday, December 2 and opens Saturday, December 3 at 8 p.m. at Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of DouglasPlus. Written and co-directed by Deborah Stein and performed and co-directed by Suli Holum, the world premiere production is produced in association with La Jolla Playhouse. “The Wholehearted” plays through December 11, 2016.

Set in a boxing gym where female boxing phenom Dee Crosby (Suli Holum) is preparing for a whole new fight, “The Wholehearted” looks past the neatly-packaged Cinderella stories of sports coverage into the real world of a woman grappling with lost love and an abusive husband. A tale of revenge and redemption, the violence of love, the sexuality of sports and the high cost of fame, this new play utilizes live projections, film and a thumping rockabilly score to explore the line between personal fantasy and hard reality—and what it takes to be a champion.

Scenic design for “The Wholehearted” is by Amy Rubin, costume design by Angela Harner, lighting design by Stephen Arnold, sound design by Matt Hubbs and James Sugg, video design by Katherine Freer and Dave Tennent, original music by Sugg and Heather Christian, and onstage camera work by Stivo Arnoczy. The dramaturg is P. Carl and the stage manager is Lisa McGinn.

Stein | Holum Projects (SHP) is the creative partnership of playwright/director Deborah Stein and performer/director Suli Holum. Drawing on over a decade of experience in both experimental and regional theatre, SHP works with a core group ofaccomplished designers to create a unique hybrid of the highly visual and dexterously verbal; interdisciplinary physical theatre with complex and nuanced characters. Their first play, “Chimera,” premiered at HERE as part of Under the Radar and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.

Suli Holum is a founder and former Co-Artistic Director of Pig Iron Theatre Company where she established herself as a collaborative playmaker. With diverse training that includes Lecoq, Viewpoints, puppetry and various dance forms, Holum creates work that is highly physical and transformative. Her off-Broadway acting credits include “Hot ‘n’ Throbbing,” “Courting Vampires,” “Live Girls,” “Lebensraum” (Drama Desk Award) and regionally she appeared in “Born Yesterday” (Helen Hayes nomination) at Arena Stage. She is a recipient of a 2010 TCG Fox Resident Actor Fellowship.

Deborah Stein has created collaborative original work with artists such as Joseph Chaikin, Dominique Serrand and Lear deBessonet. Since 2000 she has collaborated on six original works with Pig Iron Theatre Company, for which she received three Barrymore Award nominations. Stein’s other plays include “Heist!” (Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival commission), “God Save Gertrude” (Workhaus Collective, Theatre @ Boston Court), “Wallflower” (Stages Repertory Theatre) and “Bone Portraits” (Stillpoint Productions).

Tickets for “The Wholehearted” are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, at the Center Theatre Group box office at the Ahmanson Theatre or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office two hours prior to performance. Tickets are $25 for the preview and $45 for regular performances (ticket prices are subject to change). The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA 90232. Ample free parking and restaurants are adjacent.

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November 29, 2016

'Adler & Gibb' Calendar Release

Center Theatre Group — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:28:00 -0800

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January 2017

EVENT:

“Adler & Gibb”

By Tim Crouch

Directed by Tim Crouch, Andy Smith and Karl James

A Center Theatre Group co-commission with the Royal Court Theatre

American Premiere

A DouglasPlus Production

DESCRIPTION:

“Adler & Gibb” tells the fictional story of Janet Adler and Margaret Gibb, legendary boundary-pushing conceptual artists working in New York late last century. When they abruptly step away from the limelight at the height of their careers, the mysterious move only adds fuel to their fame. From the real to the unreal, from fake to true and from theatre to film, the play takes Tim Crouch’s fascination with form and marries it to a compelling story of misappropriation.

DATES/TIMES:

Previews January 17 at 8 p.m. Opens January 18 at 8 p.m.

Through January 29.

Regular Performances: (January 19 – 29)

Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. No Monday performances.

TICKET INFO:

Ticket Prices: $25 – $70 (Ticket prices are subject to change.)

Tickets are available online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, by calling Audience Services at (213) 628-2772 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles) or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre Box Office two hours prior to performances. Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information and charge, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/ACCESS.

LOCATION:

Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 Ample free parking and restaurants adjacent.

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November 21, 2016

Center Theatre Group Holds Memorial For Gordon Davidson

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 17:40:00 -0800

CENTER THEATRE GROUP TO HOLD MEMORIAL IN HONOR OF GORDON DAVIDSON

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2017, AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE AHMANSON THEATRE

Center Theatre Group will hold a memorial in honor of its Founding Artistic Director, Gordon Davidson, on Monday, January 9, 2017, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Ahmanson Theatre. The theatre will open at 7 p.m. The memorial will not be a ticketed event and will be open to the public. Additional details will be released at a later date.

“Gordon Davidson was one of the most renowned and respected artistic directors in regional theatre, in part because he was one of the original founders of the entire concept,” said Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie. “He led Center Theatre Group for 38 years and produced one of the broadest arrays of plays, particularly new plays, of any theatre in the country. Without his prolific vision for Center Theatre Group 50 years ago, the theatrical landscape in Los Angeles, and the country, would be very different. He remains one of theatre’s great leaders and I am proud to call him a mentor, friend and colleague.”

From 1967 to 2005 Gordon Davidson was the Artistic Director of the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum at The Music Center. Davidson was also the Producing Director of the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre for 15 years, and the Artistic Director of the inaugural season (2004-2005) at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. In addition to redefining theatre in Southern California, he was one of the founders of the regional theatre movement and had a permanent impact on theatre throughout the country and the world.

Gordon guided hundreds of productions to the Taper stage while overseeing numerous special projects sponsored by the Taper. This work, and his direction of many plays staged at the Taper, were acclaimed both in Los Angeles and New York, garnering the Taper a Tony Award for theatrical excellence in 1977.

Gordon was born on May 7, 1933, and passed away Sunday, October 2, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Judi; their children, Adam and Rachel; and five granddaughters.

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November 18, 2016

Demian Bichir to Play El Pachuco in 'Zoot Suit'

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0800

DEMIAN BICHIR TO PLAY EL PACHUCO IN CENTER THEATRE GROUP’S PRODUCTION OF “ZOOT SUIT” AT THE MARK TAPER FORUM

International stage and screen star Demian Bichir (Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” FX’s “The Bridge,” Showtime’s “Weeds” and Soderbergh’s “Che”) is set to play the indelible role of El Pachuco in Center Theatre Group’s production of “Zoot Suit” at the Mark Taper Forum, with previews beginning January 31, opening set for February 12 and performances continuing through March 12, 2017. Written and directed by Luis Valdez, “Zoot Suit” is presented in association with El Teatro Campesino.

"It's a tremendous honor to be able to portray such an iconic character of modern American theatre. I grew up dreaming of playing El Pachuco when I was a young member of the National Theatre Company in Mexico City. Having the opportunity to work with legendary director Luis Valdez represents my biggest challenge in the theatre to date. These times couldn't be more perfect to present this play to a whole new generation of theatre lovers,” said Bichir.

“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. It went on to become Broadway’s first Chicano play, was made into a major motion picture and became a cultural phenomenon.

Nearly 40 years after its world premiere, original creator Valdez 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.

Demian Bichir was born in Mexico City in a family dedicated to the theatre. He first took to the stage at the age of three at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. A member of the National Theatre Company for seven years, he starred in a dozen plays there, including works by Valle-Inclán, Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill. He has appeared in over 20 films shot in Mexico, Spain, Ireland, Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia, New Zealand and Australia.

In the United States, Bichir is best known for his roles in Showtime’s “Weeds” and FX's “The Bridge,” as well as Steven Soderbergh’s “Che,” Oliver Stone’s “Savages,” and Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.” He will next be seen in Ridley Scott’s “Alien: Covenant.” Bichir was recognized for his acclaimed performance as Carlos Galindo in the 2011 drama, “A Better Life,” for which he earned nominations for the Independent Spirit Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor. “Circus Tale & a Love Song” is his first film as writer and director, and it will be seen this fall at the Morelia International Film Festival, the Denver International Film Festival and will open the Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival in Spain.

Tickets to “Zoot Suit” go on sale Friday, November 18 and will be available by calling (213) 628-2772 or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Tickets range from $25 – $95 (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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November 17, 2016/Updated January 6, 2017

'The Wholehearted' Press Kit

Center Theatre Group — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:59:00 -0800

'Zoot Suit' Press Kit

Center Theatre Group — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:55:00 -0800

'The Wholehearted' Calendar Release

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 17:44:00 -0800

Event:

“The Wholehearted”
Conceived and Created by Stein | Holum Projects
Written and Co-Directed by Deborah Stein
Performed and Co-Directed by Suli Holum
Produced in association with La Jolla Playhouse
A World Premiere Production
A DouglasPlus Production

Description:

Dates/Times:

Preview December 2 at 8 p.m. Opens December 3 at 8 p.m.
Through December 11.
Regular Performances: (December 4 – 11)
Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.;
Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. No Monday performances.
Exceptions: No 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, December 3.

Ticket Info:

General Ticket Price: $45. Preview: $25.
(Ticket prices are subject to change.)
Tickets are available online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, by calling Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles) or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre Box Office two hours prior to performances. Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information and charge, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/ACCESS

Location:

Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre
9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Ample free parking and restaurants adjacent.

November 15, 2016
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'Fun Home' Press Kit

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 17:01:00 -0800

Center Theatre Group Selects High School Teachers To Participate In August Wilson In-School Residency Program

Center Theatre Group — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 14:47:00 -0800

CENTER THEATRE GROUP SELECTS FOUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN 2017 AUGUST WILSON IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Residency is Part of Center Theatre Group’s Annual August Wilson Program

Center Theatre Group has selected four local high school teachers from three different high schools in Los Angeles to participate in the 2017 August Wilson In-School Residency Program. The in-school residency is a semester-long program that provides Title 1 students with an in-depth study of the work of prolific African American playwright August Wilson and provides opportunities for them to discover their own creative voices.

The participating teachers are Damiek Barrow from Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles, Melanie Dubose and Juan Perez from East Los Angeles Performing Arts Magnet in Los Angeles and Craig Robinson from Animo Leadership Charter High School in Inglewood.

The four selected teachers will each partner with a Center Theatre Group Teaching Artist as they deliver curriculum related to one of August Wilson’s plays during 15 in-class sessions spanning four months. In addition to the in-class sessions, the four teachers will participate in two full-day team building meetings to plan and evaluate the curriculum, practice new skills related to the art form and exchange ideas.

Center Theatre Group’s in-school residency is part of the larger August Wilson Program, which also includes the August Wilson Monologue Competition (AWMC). AWMC is an annual monologue competition hosted in cities throughout the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Dallas and Greensboro, North Carolina and is designed to provide intensive learning opportunities for high school students to study and practice the craft of acting, specifically through monologue performances. Furthermore, the classrooms selected for the in-school residency will attend the August Wilson Monologue Competition Los Angeles Regional Finals at the Mark Taper Forum as part of their residency experience, witnessing the power of theatre as their peers bring August Wilson’s characters to life.

“These programs are part of our tradition of nurturing new voices in the American theatre,” said Director of Social Strategy, Innovation and Impact Leslie K. Johnson. “They enable students from all walks of life to discover August Wilson’s profound and deeply relevant works of art, explore their own creative voices, and learn more about our shared history and themselves.”

This is Center Theatre Group’s sixth year serving as facilitator of the August Wilson In-School Residency program, as well as the Southern California home to the AWMC.

CTG honors its long-standing relationship with August Wilson through its August Wilson Program, as well as through its continued production of Wilson’s work. CTG has presented nine of Wilson’s plays, including two world premiere productions of his work. In September/October 2016, Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” had a successful run at the Mark Taper Forum.

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November 15, 2016