Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

Cast Set for Celebration Theatre's 'Die, Mommie, Die!' at Douglas

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 12:31:00 -0700

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE CELEBRATION THEATRE PRODUCTION OF “DIE, MOMMIE, DIE!” PART OF CENTER THEATRE GROUP’S BLOCK PARTY 2018

Written and Directed by Charles Busch and Directed by Ryan Bergmann, “Die, Mommie, Die!” Will Play May 10 Through 20, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

Casting is set for the Celebration Theatre production of “Die, Mommie, Die!” which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Charles Busch and directed by Ryan Bergmann, “Die, Mommie, Die!” will begin previews May 10, open May 12 and close May 20.

The cast includes, in alphabetical order, Andrew Carter, Tom DeTrinis, Drew Droege, Julanne Chidi Hill, Gina Torrecilla and Pat Towne. “Die, Mommie, Die!” has scenic design by Pete Hickok, costume design by Allison Dillard, lighting design by Matthew Brian Denman and sound design by Rebecca Kessin. Original casting is by Jami Rudofsky and Marcedes L. Clanton is the production stage manager.

“Die, Mommie, Die!” is a campy noir classic that follows the devious actions of aging Hollywood star Angela Arden (played by Droege) who is trapped in an unhappy marriage and plots to kill her husband in order to be with her young lover. When Angela’s children learn of her plot and seek revenge, madness ensues in this over-the-top comedy.

Block Party 2018 also remounted Playwrights’ Arena’s production of “Bloodletting” from March 29 through April 8 and is currently remounting Critical Mass Performance Group’s production of “Ameryka” from April 19 through 29. The three visiting companies have received the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production.

“Just in its second year, Block Party is already a favorite tradition for the organization,” said Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie. “We cherish the opportunity to work alongside others in the Los Angeles theatre community and look forward to continuing to learn, share and experience with our colleagues by presenting these three vastly different productions of exceptional caliber.”

Center Theatre Group received 53 submissions for Block Party 2018 from intimate theatre companies in the greater Los Angeles area. Each company was able to submit one production that opened between January 1, 2016, and May 30, 2017.

With Block Party, Center Theatre Group will continue to strengthen its relationships within the Los Angeles theatre community by creating additional avenues for the organization to work with local playwrights, actors, directors and designers. Block Party also helps to foster relationships between Center Theatre Group staff and the staff of theatre companies throughout Los Angeles.

Block Party receives major support from Aliza Karney Guren and Marc Guren with generous funding also provided by Joni and Miles Benickes. This programming is also made possible in part by a Culver City Performing Arts Grant with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Center Theatre Group’s inaugural Block Party in 2017 featured the Coeurage Theatre Company production of “Failure: A Love Story,” followed by The Fountain Theatre production of “Citizen: An American Lyric” and finished with The Echo Theater Company production of “Dry Land.”

Center Theatre Group has a long history of pairing with local theatre companies of all sizes in a multitude of ways. Center Theatre Group presented Deaf West’s production of “Big River” at the Mark Taper Forum in 2002, which went on to Broadway before returning to the Ahmanson Theatre in 2005 as part of a national tour. Center Theatre Group also partnered with 24th STreet Theatre on “Walking the Tightrope,” which played at the Douglas, and with other companies on productions around the city such as “The Behavior of Broadus” (with Burglars of Hamm and Sacred Fools Theater Company), “Birder” (with The Road Theatre Company) and, most recently, “The Hotel Play” (with Playwrights’ Arena).

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading nonprofit theatre company, which, under Artistic Director Michael Ritchie, programs 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 Block Party are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.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 for each individual production range from $25 – $70 (ticket prices are subject to change). The first performance of each play (March 29, April 19 and May 10) is a pay-what-you-want performance, giving patrons the opportunity to decide what their theatre experience was worth before, during or after the performance.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA 90232. Free three hour covered parking at City Hall with validation (available in the Kirk Douglas Theatre lobby).

# # #

April 26, 2018

Critical Mass Performance Group's 'Ameryka' Opens at Douglas

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 16:22:00 -0700

CRITICAL MASS PERFORMANCE GROUP PRODUCTION OF “AMERYKA” OPENS APRIL 21 PART OF CENTER THEATRE GROUP’S BLOCK PARTY 2018

Written and Directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone, “Ameryka” Will Play Through April 29, 2018 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

The Critical Mass Performance Group production of “Ameryka,” which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre, will open Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m. Written and directed by Critical Mass Performance Group Artistic Director Nancy Keystone in collaboration with the company, “Ameryka” is currently in previews and will close April 29.

The cast includes, in alphabetical order, Curt Bonnem, Russell Edge, Ray Ford, Richard Gallegos, Lorne Green, Jeff Lorch, Nick Santoro, Liza Seneca and Valerie Spencer. Lorch will be replacing the previously announced Drew Stafford Harper.

“Ameryka” has scenic design by Nancy Keystone, costume design by Lena Sands, lighting design by Adam J. Frank, sound design and original music by Randall Robert Tico and projection design by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh. Tom Bryant is the dramaturg and Susie Walsh is the production stage manager.

From the American Revolution to the global war on terror, from the struggle for civil rights to the fight against communism, “Ameryka” shines a light on the promises and pitfalls of democracy. An ensemble-created piece developed over six years, it showcases Critical Mass Performance Group’s kaleidoscopic style of found texts, movement, original music and exuberant spectacle.

Block Party 2018 also remounted Playwrights’ Arena’s production of “Bloodletting” March 29 through April 8 and will remount Celebration Theatre’s production of “Die, Mommie, Die!” from May 10 through 20. The three visiting companies receive the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production.

Tickets for Block Party are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.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 for each individual production range from $25 – $70 (ticket prices are subject to change). The first performance of the remaining plays (April 19 and May 10) is a pay-what-you-want performance, giving patrons the opportunity to decide what their theatre experience was worth before, during or after the performance.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA 90232. Free three hour covered parking at City Hall with validation (available in the Kirk Douglas Theatre lobby).

# # #

April 20, 2018

Applications Accepted for Block Party 2019 at Douglas

Center Theatre Group — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 12:35:00 -0700

APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR CENTER THEATRE GROUP’S THIRD ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY AT THE KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE

Center Theatre Group Will Remount Three Local Productions for Block Party 2019

Block Party Information Session to be Held at the Douglas on May 1 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Applications are now being accepted for Center Theatre Group’s third annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre, which will highlight some of the remarkable work being done on other, more intimate stages throughout Los Angeles by producing three previously staged productions at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Intimate theatre companies from the greater Los Angeles area may submit one production for consideration. To be eligible, the production must have opened between January 1, 2017, and May 11, 2018. Three productions will be selected for presentation at the Kirk Douglas Theatre March 7 through April 28, 2019. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 11, 2018.

Interested theatre companies must complete an online application to be considered. The application, found at CTGLA.org/BlockParty, features a few changes from previous years, so applicants should review the updated guidelines before submitting. Should any questions arise throughout the application process, please email BlockParty@CTGLA.org. There will also be a Block Party information session held at the Kirk Douglas Theatre on Tuesday, May 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. The session will be led by members of the Block Party team who will review each section of the application and answer questions. To RSVP for the information session, please visit CTGLA.org/BlockParty.

The three selected productions will each have a two-week run with 12 performances at the Douglas. All three theatre companies will be part of a collaboration with Center Theatre Group and will receive the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production.

Center Theatre Group’s Block Party 2018 is currently underway at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. The program began with the Playwrights’ Arena production of “Bloodletting” March 29 through April 8. It continues with Critical Mass Performance Group’s “Ameryka” from April 19 through 29 and concludes with Celebration Theatre’s “Die, Mommie, Die!” May 10 through 20.

Tickets for Block Party 2019 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/Season.

Tickets for Block Party 2018 are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.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 for each individual production range from $25 – $70 (ticket prices are subject to change). The first performance of each play (March 29, April 19 and May 10) is a pay-what-you-want performance, giving patrons the opportunity to decide what their theatre experience was worth before, during or after the performance.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA 90232. Free three hour covered parking at City Hall with validation (available in the Kirk Douglas Theatre lobby).

# # #

April 16, 2018

Center Theatre Group Hosts Free Teen Youth Summit Inspired By "Soft Power"

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 09:59:00 -0700

CENTER THEATRE GROUP TO HOST A FREE TEEN YOUTH SUMMIT ON MAY 4 INSPIRED BY THE WORLD PREMIERE OF DAVID HENRY HWANG AND JEANINE TESORI’S “SOFT POWER”

“Soft Power” Runs May 3 – June 10, 2018 at the Ahmanson Theatre

Center Theatre Group invites current high school students to attend Reimagine Your American Dream, a teen youth summit inspired by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s “Soft Power.” The free event will take place on Friday, May 4, 2018, from 4:30 – 10:30 p.m. (includes performance time for “Soft Power”) at The Music Center Annex and the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown L.A.

The teen youth summit will explore how much cultural influence teens have on the American Dream by discussing the themes addressed in “Soft Power.” The event includes a talk with playwright David Henry Hwang, dinner and three workshops. The first workshop is “What’s Our Story.” In this workshop, participants work with a master storyteller to learn how to tell their arts education stories to create change within their schools and beyond. The second workshop – “What’s Our Future” – is a physical theatre-based session that will encourage participants to explore their vision of future America. The final, writing-based workshop is “Cultural Appreciation vs. Appropriation,” which teaches participants what an artist’s responsibility is when portraying a culture that's not their own.

“The teen youth summit is a great opportunity to empower students to use theatre as a way to discuss themes of culture, identity and social responsibility,” said Director of Education and Engagement Tyrone Davis.

Students who attend the teen youth summit will also receive a ticket to that evening’s performance of “Soft Power” at the Ahmanson Theatre. However, students must attend the entire event to receive their complimentary ticket.

A contemporary comedy explodes into a musical fantasia in the first collaboration between two of America’s great theatre artists: Tony Award winners David Henry Hwang (“M. Butterfly”) and Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”). “Soft Power” rewinds our recent political history and plays it back, a century later, through the Chinese lens of a future, beloved East-meets-West musical. In the musical, a Chinese executive who is visiting America finds himself falling in love with a good-hearted U.S. leader as the power balance between their two countries shifts following the 2016 election.

As original as it is topical, “Soft Power” overflows with the romance, laughter and cultural confusions of the golden age of Broadway. “Soft Power” is inspired by the legacy of classic American musicals such as “The King and I” as well as China’s current quest for international cultural influence, also known as “Soft Power.”

“Soft Power” is a Center Theatre Group co-commission with The Public Theater. “Soft Power” is produced in association with East West Players.

Hwang returns to Center Theatre Group where he premiered Pulitzer Prize finalist “Yellow Face” and his Tony-nominated revival of “Flower Drum Song.” Hwang’s other work includes the plays “M. Butterfly,” “Chinglish,” “Kung Fu,” “Golden Child,” “The Dance and the Railroad” and “FOB,” and the Broadway musicals “Aida” (co-author, Ahmanson 2001-2002 season) and Disney’s “Tarzan.” He is also America’s most-produced living opera librettist and a writer/producer for the Golden Globe-winning television series “The Affair.” Born and raised in Los Angeles, Hwang is a Tony Award winner (“M. Butterfly”) and three-time nominee, a three-time Obie Award winner and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Recent honors include the 2011 PEN/Laura Pels Award for a Master American Dramatist, the 2012 Inge Award, the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright “Mimi” Award, a 2014 Doris Duke Artist Award and the 2015 IPSA Distinguished Artist Award. He is Chair of the American Theatre Wing and sits on the boards of Young Playwrights Inc. and the Lark Play Development Center. Hwang was recently the Residency One Playwright at New York’s Signature Theatre and currently serves as head of playwriting at Columbia University School of the Arts. In 1998, East West Players named its new mainstage the David Henry Hwang Theater.

Tesori’s Broadway credits include “Fun Home” (2015 Tony Award winner which played at the Ahmanson in 2017), “Violet,” “Caroline, or Change” (also at the Ahmanson), “Shrek The Musical,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (also at the Ahmanson), “Twelfth Night” (Lincoln Center Theater) and John Guare’s “A Free Man of Color.” Tesori also collaborated with Tony Kushner on “Mother Courage” starring Meryl Streep at the Delacorte. Her opera credits include “A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck” (libretto, Tony Kushner; Glimmerglass) and “The Lion, the Unicorn and Me” (libretto, J. D. McClatchy; Washington National Opera). Her songs are featured in the Netflix revival of “Gilmore Girls.” She is the artistic director/co-founder of A Broader Way, an arts empowerment program for girls from underserved communities; the founding artistic director of Encores! Off-Center; and a lecturer in music at Yale University and Columbia University. Tesori is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

The teen youth summit is planned by Center Theatre Group’s Student Ambassadors, a group of high school students participating in a yearlong leadership program. The summit and the Student Ambassadors program is led by the Center Theatre Group Education and Community Partnerships Department. As one of the most active theatre education programs in the country, Education and Community Partnerships reached roughly 34,000 students, teachers, patrons and community members throughout Southern California in the 2016-2017 season.

Bank of America is the season sponsor for Center Theatre Group’s 2017-2018 season the Ahmanson Theatre and Delta Air Lines is the official airline sponsor.

To RSVP to Reimagine Your American Dream, students can visit CTGLA.org/YouthSummit. RSVPs are available through Wednesday, May 2 by 5 p.m. or until the event is filled (whichever comes first). Tickets for “Soft Power” are available by calling (213) 972-4400, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or at the Center Theatre Group Box Office located at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets range from $30 – $130 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Ahmanson Theatre is located at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.

# # #

April 13, 2018

'The Humans' Calendar

Center Theatre Group — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 15:44:00 -0700

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

June – July 2018

EVENT:

“The Humans”

by Stephen Karam

Directed by Joe Mantello

DESCRIPTION:

The angst, anguish and amity of the American middle class are first coaxed – then shoved – into the light in this uproarious, hopeful and heart-breaking play that takes place over the course of a family dinner on Thanksgiving. Breaking with tradition, Erik Blake has brought his Pennsylvania family to celebrate and give thanks at his daughter’s apartment in lower Manhattan. As darkness falls outside the ramshackle pre-war duplex and eerie things start to go bump in the night, the Blake clan’s deepest fears and greatest follies are laid bare. Our modern age of anxiety is keenly observed, with humor and compassion, in this new American classic.

DATES/TIMES:

Previews on June 19 at 8 p.m. Opens June 20 at 8 p.m. Through July 29, 2018.

Regular Performances (June 21 – July 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.

Exceptions: No 8 p.m. performance on Wednesday, July 4. Added 2 p.m. performance on Thursday, July 5.

TICKET INFO:

Ticket Prices: $30 – $130 (Ticket prices are subject to change.)

Tickets are available online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, by calling Audience Services at (213) 972-4400 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office. Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information and charge, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/ACCESS.

LOCATION:

Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre

The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012

# # #

April 6, 2018

Center Theatre Group Announces 2018-2019 Seasons at the Taper and Douglas

Center Theatre Group — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 06:35:00 -0700

CENTER THEATRE GROUP ANNOUNCES 2018 – 2019 SEASON AT THE MARK TAPER FORUM AND KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE

THE 2018 – 2019 SEASONS FEATURE TWO WORLD PREMIERES, A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAY, A NEW WORK BY A PULITZER WINNER, A POWERFUL WORK BY A LOS ANGELES FAVORITE, AN EXCITING SOLO WORK, A RECENT NEW YORK HIT, AN ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF A CLASSIC PIECE AND THE THIRD ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY: CELEBRATING LOS ANGELES THEATRE

The 2018-2019 Season at the Mark Taper Forum Includes “Sweat,” “Valley of the Heart,” “Linda Vista,” “Lackawanna Blues” and “Happy Days” Begins August 29, 2018, and Runs Through June 30, 2019

The 2018 – 2019 Season at the Kirk Douglas Theatre Includes “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play,” “Quack,” Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre and “From the Words and Writings of Dana H.” Begins September 2, 2018, and Runs Through June 23, 2019

Two Subscriber Bonus Options Offered as Part of Off Center, Center Theatre Group Collaborations with Arts Partners Around Town

[For complete listing of plays and performance dates, please see the last pages of the downloadable PDF file to the right.]

Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie has set the 2018 – 2019 seasons at both the Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre. Together, the seasons feature new plays, classic works and the continuation of Block Party, which celebrates the rich array of theatre produced every year in Los Angeles.

“The eight shows scheduled in the 51st season at the Taper and the 15th season at the Douglas run the gamut from world premiere comedies to enduring classics,” said Ritchie. “And each offers us a unique view of humanity.”

“We have insightful works by two Pulitzer winners. Fresh off of its Broadway run, Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer-winning ‘Sweat’ explores how a failing factory can inflame racial tensions and turn a community against itself. And we are also happy to have a new play by Lynn’s fellow Pulitzer winner Tracy Letts. In ‘Linda Vista,’ Letts takes a sharp and witty look into the middle-aged male psyche and a man’s impact on the people around him.

“Eliza Clark’s ‘Quack,’ a biting comedy illuminating the addictive nature of fame and privilege, will have its world premiere at the Douglas. It is a work she developed through our L.A. Writers’ Workshop and it is particularly rewarding to see a play evolve from an idea to a fully realized production.

“Lucas Hnath is also bringing us a world premiere with his truly groundbreaking new theatrical piece, ‘From the Words and Writings of Dana H.’ It is an interview-based recount of a harrowing moment from his family’s history that we will all be talking about for a very long time.

“We will also get to see Tony-winning performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson delve into his own family history with his celebrated solo work, ‘Lackawanna Blues.’ The writer / director / performer brings the characters from his own unconventional upbringing to life in this deeply personal work.

“Legendary Chicano writer / director Luis Valdez follows up the hit revival of ‘Zoot Suit’ at the Taper with ‘Valley of the Heart,’ another play that uncovers a shameful chapter in U.S. history as only Luis can.

“Two-time Oscar-winning actress Dianne Wiest revives her acclaimed performance in Beckett’s classic ‘Happy Days,’ while Jocelyn Bioh’s “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play” takes a story we think we know and shows it to us in a very new way.

“In addition,” Ritchie said, “we have the continuation of one of my favorite traditions. Three of the remarkable works that are being produced throughout the year at local theatre companies will be remounted in the third annual Block Party.

“And finally, our subscribers will be offered two bonus options which will take them to other venues in Los Angeles – to REDCAT for the return of Gob Squad with ‘Creation (Pictures for Dorian)’ and to UCLA for Joan Didion’s ‘The White Album’ in a performance created by Lars Jan and Early Morning Opera.”

“Together we have 13 extraordinary opportunities to escape our familiar settings and peer into the lives of people in other times, places and circumstances. Led by talented theatre artists we are welcomed to consider what their stories can tell us about our own time and place, and about ourselves.”

First Production at the Mark Taper Forum
“Sweat”
By Lynn Nottage
Directed by Lisa Peterson

Center Theatre Group’s 2018 – 2019 season at the Mark Taper Forum opens with Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer-winning “Sweat” August 29 through October 7, 2018. Directed by Lisa Peterson, the opening of “Sweat” is set for September 5. Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, “Sweat” tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets and laughs while working together on the factory floor. But when layoffs, promotions and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat.

In his review of the Off-Broadway production for The New York Times, Charles Isherwood called “Sweat” “Keenly observed and often surprisingly funny,” adding that “Ms. Nottage, a Pulitzer Prize winner for ‘Ruined,’ is writing at the peak of her powers.” Deadline’s Jeremy Girard called the play “ferociously engrossing” stating, “no play in recent memory has shed more light on the crises and tribulations of America’s great retrenched working middle class.”

In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, “Ruined,” received an Obie, the Lucille Lortel Award, New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play. Lynn Nottage’s other plays include “Intimate Apparel” (New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play), “Fabulation or, The Re-Education Of Undine” (Obie Award), “Crumbs from the Table of Joy,” “Las Meninas,” “Mud, River, Stone,” “Por’knockers” and “Poof!” Nottage’s numerous awards include the 2007 MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant,” the National Black Theatre Festival’s August Wilson Playwriting Award, the 2004 PEN/Laura Pels Award for Drama and the 2005 Guggenheim Grant for Playwriting, as well as fellowships from the Lucille Lortel Foundation, Manhattan Theatre Club, New Dramatists and New York Foundation for the Arts. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild, an alumna of New Dramatists and a graduate of Brown University and the Yale School of Drama, where she is a visiting lecturer.

Second Production at the Mark Taper Forum
“Valley of the Heart”
Written and Directed by Luis Valdez

On the heels of his 2017 hit revival of “Zoot Suit,” Luis Valdez’s “Valley of the Heart” comes to the Mark Taper Forum running October 30 through December 9, 2018. Written and directed by Luis Valdez, the opening is set for November 7. “Valley of the Heart” is presented in association with El Teatro Campesino.

In “Valley of the Heart,” Valdez sets his sights on another disturbing chapter in US history at the beginning of the Second World War.

The fight to maintain dignity, identity, family and faith are at the heart of this American story deeply rooted in the once-fertile farmland that is now known as the Silicon Valley. “Valley of the Heart” tells the story of the Yamaguchis and the Montaños, two immigrant families struggling to provide a future for their American-born children after the Great Depression on the farmland the two families share. The families’ oldest children secretly fall in love only to have the emotional stakes further heightened when the attack on Pearl Harbor throws these Mexican and Japanese American families into uncertainty.

When the Yamaguchis are interned along with thousands of other Japanese Americans, allegiances are tested, heroes are made, and the two young lovers must find a way to stay loyal both to their families, their country and each other.

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.

Third Production at the Mark Taper Forum
“Linda Vista”
By Tracy Letts
Directed by Dexter Bullard

Center Theatre Group’s 2018 – 2019 season at the Mark Taper Forum continues with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of “Linda Vista.” Pulitzer and Tony-winning playwright Tracy Letts (“August: Osage County”) brings his insightful new comedy to the Taper January 9 through February 17, 2019. Directed by Dexter Bullard, “Linda Vista” opens January 16.

Letts’ bitingly hilarious play “Linda Vista” tells of Wheeler, a 50 year-old man who is floating. His marriage is over, his job is mundane and the best years of his life appear to be behind him. A move from the cot in his ex-wife’s garage to his own apartment opens up new possibilities for love, sex and maybe a taste of redemption.

Full of opinions, yet short on self-examination, Wheeler must reconcile the man he has become with the man he wants to be in this searing work that resonates with a new sense of sobriety in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times called “Linda Vista” “a male midlife crisis tragicomedy of epic proportions.” And The Wall Street Journal’s Terry Teachout said it “might just be Mr. Letts’ best play yet.”

Tracy Letts is an award-winning playwright, actor and Steppenwolf ensemble member. He is the author of plays “Mary Page Marlowe,” “The Scavenger’s Daughter,” “Superior Donuts,” “August: Osage County” (Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award), “Man from Nebraska” (Pulitzer Prize finalist), “Bug” and “Killer Joe.” Also an actor, he received the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.” TV and film credits include “Lady Bird,” “The Lovers,” “Christine,” “Elvis and Nixon,” “The Big Short,” HBO’s “Divorce” and two seasons as Senator Lockhart on Showtime’s “Homeland.”

“Linda Vista” was commissioned by and the world premiere presented at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL in April 2017.

Fourth Production at the Mark Taper Forum
“Lackawanna Blues”
Written, Performed and Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Acclaimed writer, performer and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson brings his powerful and touching solo play “Lackawanna Blues” to the Mark Taper Forum March 5 through April 21, 2019. The opening is set for March 13.

A magical, musical and deeply personal work written, performed and directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues” is a reminiscence of his 1950s childhood in a small town on the banks of Lake Erie. Santiago-Hudson takes on more than 20 colorful characters—from would-be philosophers and petty hustlers to lost souls and abandoned lovers—in a brilliant celebration of the eccentric boardinghouse he grew up in. Santiago-Hudson returns to his roots in this tour de force performance accompanied throughout by live blues music performed by Obie winning composer Bill Sims Jr.

In his Variety review, Charles Isherwood wrote that Ruben Santiago-Hudson “slips into the skins of more than a dozen characters in the course of the evening, and he makes each distinct and pungent with life,” adding “the humor, ease and vividness of his writing are continually impressive.” The New York Times’ Bruce Weber said, “Mr. Santiago-Hudson does a virtuoso turn as a performer. Delivering anecdotes and testimonials from Miss Rachel's boarders and friends, the population of a child's world, he passes from one identity to the next so fluidly that you barely notice the flip of the switch."

Tony and Obie Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson recently directed the Broadway debut of August Wilson’s “Jitney” (Tony Award for Best Revival, Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Play) as well as the world premieres of Dominique Morriseau’s “Skeleton Crew” at the Atlantic Theater and “Paradise Blue” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Santiago-Hudson won a Tony for his performance in August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” on Broadway and later went on to direct the play. Other directing credits include “The Piano Lesson,” “The First Breeze of Summer,” “Cabin in the Sky” and many more. The multi-award-winning director and actor wrote, executive produced and starred in the HBO film of “Lackawanna Blues.” It received several honors, including Emmy, Golden Globe, Humanitas, National Board of Review and Christopher Awards. Ruben stars alongside Anika Noni Rose in BET’s new drama “The Quad,” which premiered in January, 2017. Santiago-Hudson also recurs on Showtime’s “Billions” and recently starred in TNT’s “Public Morals.” The Lackawanna, New York native opened the Ruben Santiago-Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center in 2014 in his hometown.

Fifth Production at the Mark Taper Forum
“Happy Days”
By Samuel Beckett
Directed by James Bundy

Center Theatre Group’s 51st season at the Mark Taper Forum concludes with Yale Repertory Theatre’s acclaimed production of Samuel Beckett’s “Happy Days” with Dianne Wiest. Directed by James Bundy, “Happy Days” begins previews on May 15 and continues through June 30, 2019. The opening is set for May 22.

Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest (“Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Bullets Over Broadway”) plays Winnie in Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece “Happy Days.” With her husband increasingly out of reach and the earth itself threatening to swallow her whole, Winnie’s buoyant optimism shields her from the harsh glare of the inevitable in this absurdly funny and boundlessly compassionate portrait of the human spirit. Winnie is considered modern drama’s pinnacle female role. She is an endlessly fascinating spirit of buoyant resourcefulness and unassuming grace in the face of inevitable oblivion in a play Wiest refers to as “’Hamlet’ for women.

Jesse Green of the New York Times said, “Ms. Wiest’s Winnie is more like nature’s plaything, knocked about and childlike. Several times I thought I recognized in her skittishness the affect of an abused woman, clinging to what abuses her, which in this case is life.” He adds, “She shows us what a deeply womanly role Beckett has written, albeit one whose tragedy is refracted through a distorting comic lens. She finds laughs not only in the words but also in the gaps between.

Dianne Wiest’s New York theatre credits include “Rasheeda Speaking” (The New Group), “The Cherry Orchard” (Classic Stage Company), Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” on Broadway, “The Seagull” (CSC), “Third,” “Memory House,” “Salome” and “Oedipus” with Al Pacino, “The Shawl,” “Hunting Cockroaches,” “After the Fall,” “Beyond Therapy” and “The Art of Dining.” For Yale Rep, she previously appeared in “Hedda Gabler” and “A Doll House.” Her film credits include “Five Nights in Maine,” “Sisters,” “The Humbling,” “Synecdoche, New York,” “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” “Hannah and Her Sisters” (Academy Award); “The Purple Rose of Cairo” “Radio Days,” “September,” “Bullets Over Broadway” (Academy Award), “Parenthood” (Academy Award nomination), “Rabbit Hole,” “Footloose,” “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Birdcage.” She received Emmy Awards for her performances in “The Road to Avonlea” and the HBO series “In Treatment” and currently appears in the CBS series “Life In Pieces.”

First Production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
“School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play”
By Jocelyn Bioh
Directed by Rebecca Taichman

The 2018 – 2019 season at Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre launches with the MCC Theater production of “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play” by Jocelyn Bioh. Directed by Tony winner Rebecca Taichman (“Indecent”), “School Girls” will be produced at the Douglas September 2 through 30, 2018. The opening is set for September 8.

Paulina, the reigning queen bee at Ghana’s most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter—and Paulina’s hive-minded friends. Jocelyn Bioh’s buoyant and biting comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe.

Jesse Green of The New York Times said, “The nasty-teen comedy genre emerges wonderfully refreshed and even deepened by its immersion in a world it never considered.” The New Yorker’s Hilton Als called Jocelyn Bioh “a latter-day Restoration comedian,” adding “‘School Girls’ comments on the times—in this case, on our fascinating era, in which so much debate centers on the body, especially the female body.” And, in his review in The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck concluded, “‘School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play’ is a ferociously entertaining morality tale that proves as heartwarming as it is hilarious.”

Jocelyn Bioh is a Ghanaian-American writer/performer from New York City. NYC acting credits include “In the Blood,” “Everybody” (Signature, Lortel Nomination), “Men On Boats” (Playwrights Horizons), “An Octoroon” (Soho Rep), “Neighbors” (The Public Theater) and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2015. Her plays include: 2015 Kilroys’ List selection “Nollywood Dreams” which was presented in the Spring of 2017 as part of The Cherry Lane Mentor Project, “School Girls” (Kilroys’ List 2016,) “Happiness and Joe” (2017,) “African Americans” (Ruby Prize Finalist 2011) “Goddess” (book writer) and “The Ladykiller’s Love Story,” of which she conceived the story and wrote the libretto with music/lyrics by Cee Lo Green. She is a commissioned playwright with MTC and Atlantic Theater Co, is a Resident Playwright at Lincoln Center and is a Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence with MCC Theater for 2017/18. B.A in English/Theatre from The Ohio State University and MFA in Playwriting.

Second Production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
“Quack”
By Eliza Clark
Directed by Neel Keller
World Premiere

“Quack” by Eliza Clark will have its world premiere at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Directed by Center Theatre Group Associate Artistic Director Neel Keller, the incisive new comedy begins performances on October 21, and continues through November 18, 2018. The opening is set for October 28.

Millions of women across America rely on Dr. Irving Baer and his daytime talk show to help them lose weight, manifest their destinies and take their health into their own hands. Then, a take-down piece of journalism goes viral leaving his career hanging in the balance, his marriage on the rocks and his carefully maintained public persona in peril. In the frenzy of crisis management that follows, one thing becomes clear: if Irving Baer is going to fall from grace, he’s bringing everyone else with him. Eliza Clark’s hilarious new comedy exposes the shaky foundations of the wellness industry, the fleeting nature of 21st-century fame, and the relationship between the powerful men who dole out advice and the women who are supposed to receive it with a smile.

“Quack” was developed in Center Theatre Group’s L.A. Writers’ Workshop.

Eliza Clark has developed plays at Manhattan Theatre Club, the Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre, Page 73 Productions, Ensemble Studio Theatre and others. She has received commissions from South Coast Repertory and Yale University’s O’Neill Studio. Clark was a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre’s emerging writers group, Youngblood and was the 2010 Page 73 Playwriting Fellow. Most recently, she was a member of Center Theater Group’s writers group, the L.A. Writers’ Workshop. Her play, “Edgewise,” was co-produced by Page 73 and The Play Company in 2010 and her play, “Recall,” was produced by Colt Coeur at The Wild Project in 2012. Her play, “Future Thinking,” was featured on The Kilroy’s List and commissioned and produced by South Coast Repertory in spring 2016. “Edgewise,” “Recall” and “Future Thinking” are published by Samuel French. Clark also has written for television including AMC’s “Rubicon” and “The Killing.” She is a writer and co-executive producer on “Animal Kingdom” for TNT.

Third Production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre

Drawing upon the rich local theatre community, Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre will return to the Kirk Douglas Theatre for its third season. Presented over six weeks, March 7 – April 28, 2019, Block Party will feature three productions from local 99-seat or smaller theatres.

Los Angeles is home to over 250 theatre companies that feature an abundance of talent, diversity and ingenuity. Center Theatre Group is tapping into this deep pool of artists for Block Party—a selection of three recent productions from local theatre companies, highlighting some of the best work the city has to offer.

Center Theatre Group received over 125 submissions for the first two years of Block Party. The inaugural Block Party in 2017 featured the Coeurage Theatre Company production of “Failure: A Love Story,” followed by The Fountain Theatre production of “Citizen: An American Lyric” and finished with The Echo Theater Company production of “Dry Land.” The plays selected for the current Block Party are Playwrights’ Arena’s production of “Bloodletting,” Critical Mass Performance Group’s production of “Ameryka” and Celebration Theatre’s production of “Die, Mommie, Die!”

Theatre companies from the greater Los Angeles area are invited to submit shows for the 2019 Block Party. The plays must have opened at a local intimate theatre between January 1, 2017, and May 11, 2018. Applications are being accepted beginning Monday, April 9 and continuing through May 11, 2018. Theatre companies interested in submitting an application should visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org/BlockParty.

Fourth Production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre
“From the Words and Writings of Dana H.”
By Lucas Hnath
Adapted from Interviews with Dana Higginbotham Conducted by Steve Cosson
Directed by Les Waters
World Premiere

The World premiere of “From the Words and Writings of Dana H.” by Tony-nominated playwright Lucas Hnath (“A Doll’s House, Part 2,”) and adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham conducted by Steve Cosson is the final production in the 2018-2019 season at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Directed by Les Waters, the startling new work is a co-production with Goodman Theatre which begins performances on May 26 and continues through June 23, 2019. The opening is set for June 2.

“From the Words and Writings of Dana H.” tells the real-life story of Hnath’s own mother. A nondenominational hospice chaplain, Dana had stared death in the face on countless occasions, but when she helped a mentally ill ex-convict turn his life around, she suddenly found her own life hanging in the balance.

“From the Words and Writings of Dana H.” recounts the harrowing five-month odyssey as she was held captive by, traveled with and eventually escaped her unstable captor. Told in Higginbotham’s own words, edited and staged by her son, this innovative work of theatre shatters the boundaries of the form and of our understanding of good and evil.

“From the Words and Writings of Dana H.” was originally commissioned by The Civilians (New York) and Goodman Theatre (Chicago); it will appear at the Goodman as part of their 2019/2020 Season.

Hnath’s work as a playwright includes “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” “Hillary and Clinton,” “Red Speedo,” “The Christians,” “A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney,” “Isaac’s Eye” and “Death Tax.” His work has been produced nationally and internationally, including at Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Soho Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville/Humana Festival of New Plays, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Mark Taper Forum (“The Christians”), Steppenwolf Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Royal Court Theatre, and on Broadway at the John Golden Theater. He is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and a resident of New Dramatists. Hnath is a recipient of an Obie, Guggenheim Fellowship, Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Play, Whiting Award, Kesselring Prize, two Steinberg citations from the American Theatre Critics Association, and a 2017 Tony nomination for Best Play. At NYU, Hnath has previously served as a Language Lecturer in the Expository Writing Program. Additionally, he has taught at Rutgers, University of Rochester and the Southampton Writers Conference.

First Off Center Subscriber Bonus Option
REDCAT in association with Center Theatre Group presents
Gob Squad’s
“Creation (Pictures for Dorian)”
October 18-21, 2018
REDCAT | DTLA
631 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Gob Squad Arts Collective has spent the last 25 years on stage, growing old together. Now well and truly middle-aged, they are inviting a diverse group of local performers, a generation younger and older than themselves, to answer the questions of beauty, morality and power raised by Oscar Wilde’s never-aging character Dorian Gray, and to playfully ask why they all so crave the eye of the beholder.

“Creation (Pictures for Dorian)” is a U.S. premiere production by Gob Squad and HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin. It is developed with support from Center Theatre Group and is a co-production with Münchner Kammerspiele, Schauspiel Leipzig, Schlachthaus Theater Bern. “Creation (Pictures for Dorian)” is a LIFT, Brighton Festival and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts commission and an Imagine 2020 (2.0) project, supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. Supported using public funding by Arts Council of England.

Creation (Pictures for Dorian) is funded within the spartenoffene Fund, Chancellery of the Berlin Senate for Culture and Europe.

Gob Squad is regularly funded by the state of Berlin between 2015 to 2018, Chancellery of the Berlin Senate for Culture and Europe.

Second Off Center Subscriber Bonus Option
UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance in association with Center Theatre Group presents
“The White Album”
by Joan Didion
Performance Created by Lars Jan / Early Morning Opera
April 5 – 7, 2019
Freud Playhouse, UCLA

“The White Album,” developed with support from Center Theatre Group, features Joan Didion’s seminal essay—traversing the tectonically shifting landscape of the late 1960s in California—delivered in its entirety by Obie-winning actress Mia Barron.

Two discrete, but interlocking performance works unfold onstage, one nested within the other. Separated, the two audiences—one, large and seated; the other, small and mobile—experience different but resonant works simultaneously, until confronting one another across divides of generation, race and perspective.

The essay’s legendary first line—we tell ourselves stories in order to live—provokes the project’s double-edged embarkation: the power of both art and our delusions to create meaning in our lives. Lars Jan is a Los Angeles-based director, writer, visual artist and a former CAP UCLA Artist-in-Residence whose work has been presented at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

“The White Album” is developed in association with Center Theatre Group, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is co-commissioned by BAM, CAP UCLA and Wexner Center for the Arts.

Center Theatre Group’s 2018 – 2019 Seasons at the
Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre
Available on Membership Only

Tickets for Center Theatre Group’s 2018 – 2019 seasons at the Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre 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/Season.

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

April 4, 2018 (revised at 1 pm)