Push to Talk Theatre Presents Steve Connell’s Jumping the Median: an Evening of Five Unexpected Acts
Expect the unexpected in a sexy, outrageous, moving, provocative and unabashedly fun evening of five distinctly original new plays. Jumping the Median, by playwright and poet Steven Connell is a hilarious and unique exploration of love, loss and life as we know it, mixing theatre and live music to create a night at the theatre you don’t want to miss.
Santa Monica, CA, February 27, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Producer Patricia Garza announced today that “Jumping the Median: an evening of five unexpected acts” by playwright and poet Steve Connell previews at The Other Space at Santa Monica Playhouse on Friday, March 13, 2009 at 8 pm and opens Friday, March 20 at 8 pm. Expect the unexpected in a sexy, outrageous, moving, provocative and unabashedly fun evening of five distinctly original new plays.
Playwright Steve Connell (who also performs and co-directs) is an acclaimed actor, playwright, spoken word artist and National Poetry Slam Grand Champion (‘02 Hollywood, ‘03 LA Poetry Slam Champion, ‘03 National Champion, team LA). His hit one-man theatrical show, 40 Days - a “world premier tour de force” hailed as “breakneck, mind-boggling theatre”- received rave reviews from the LA Weekly (Pick of the Week) and Backstage West (Critic’s Pick) and Entertainment Today’s pick for Best Solo Performance of 2005. Last year he appeared in the critically acclaimed Robots vs. Fake Robots at the Powerhouse Theatre in Venice, CA. As a writer, his new comedy, The Danger of Being Known, was recently featured in an emerging playwrights’ series in Los Angeles. His latest play; kill the poets, debuted to much praise at the 2008 L.A. Poetry Festival. Connell has also received much acclaim for his collaborative work with hip hop poet Sekou (tha misfit). Their two-man spoken word play, The Word Begins developed at the prestigious Ojai Playwrights Conference and directed by Robert Egan earned nominations for three Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Acting and Best Original Play for its run at the Signature Theater in Washington, D.C. in 2007. Critics hailed it as “explosively funny,” and “…a stunning show on the cutting edge of modern theater.” Most recently Connell has performed at Declare Yourself (Norman Lear’s pre-Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C.), The Marion Anderson Awards, and alongside Barak Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder at Oprah’s fundraiser for Obama’s Presidential Campaign in Santa Barbara in 2008.
Jumping the Median reunites many of the actors from Push to Talk Theatre’s critically acclaimed production Robots vs. Fake Robots. Along with Connell the ensemble cast includes (alphabetically): Greg Crooks (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Ida Darvish (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Ty Hodges, In-Q, Kevin Larsen, Elizabeth Maxwell (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Tyler Moore, Joe Sanfelippo, Jessie Sherman, Sarah Sido (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Brent Tonick and Mike Wood. Rounding out the artistic team are: Set Designer Levi Brewster, Graphic Designer Deliah Hauser, Lighting Designer Jake Mitchell, Sound Designer Adam Phalen, Costume Designer Bich Vu, and Stage Manager Ashley Singh. They are joined by co-Musical Directors Josh Foy and Sekou Andrews. Push to Talk Theatre Artistic Director Emily Weisberg co-directs.
Director Weisberg most recently directed last season’s critically acclaimed Robots vs. Fake Robots at the Powerhouse Theatre. Other credits include Bermuda! at the Eli Broad Stage, the workshop production of Jumping the Median at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, Picnic on the Battlefield, How To Be A Good Son, Independence, as well as, numerous staged readings and workshops in the LA area. Additional directing credits include Sue Ellen as part of Jurassic Theatre Company's production Phenomena, Shasta! with Inner Circle Theatre Company, and co-director of the Emerging Playwrights reading series with The Ensemble Theatre Company.
Jumping the Median is produced by Patricia Garza and Push to Talk Theatre (http://PushToTalkTheatre.com). The company was formed in 2006 to support and give voice to the development and performance of new work,
Producer Patricia Garza holds an MFA/MBA in Theatre Management from California State University, Long Beach and a BA in English and minor in Theatre Studies from UC Berkeley and has extensive experience working in the theater. At Berkeley she was managing director of the undergraduate student-run BareStage Productions and also ran all aspects of the graduate student theatre, California Repertory Company, producing their annual theatre festival for high school students, TheatreFest. Garza serves as Department Manager for the Education and Outreach Department for Center Theatre Group where she previously was acting company manager of the Kirk Douglas Theatre and company manager of multiple workshops for new play production.
Jumping the Median runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm. March 20 - April 19, 2009. Tickets are $20.00 online at http://plays411.com/JumpingTheMedian. For group sales call 562-547-6207.
The Other Space at Santa Monica Playhouse is located at 1211 4th Street. Santa Monica, CA 90401. Convenient parking is located directly across the street in Municipal Structure #1. By public transportation take the Santa Monica Blue Bus or the LA Metro Rapid #720 and exit at 4th and Wilshire.
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Playwright Steve Connell (who also performs and co-directs) is an acclaimed actor, playwright, spoken word artist and National Poetry Slam Grand Champion (‘02 Hollywood, ‘03 LA Poetry Slam Champion, ‘03 National Champion, team LA). His hit one-man theatrical show, 40 Days - a “world premier tour de force” hailed as “breakneck, mind-boggling theatre”- received rave reviews from the LA Weekly (Pick of the Week) and Backstage West (Critic’s Pick) and Entertainment Today’s pick for Best Solo Performance of 2005. Last year he appeared in the critically acclaimed Robots vs. Fake Robots at the Powerhouse Theatre in Venice, CA. As a writer, his new comedy, The Danger of Being Known, was recently featured in an emerging playwrights’ series in Los Angeles. His latest play; kill the poets, debuted to much praise at the 2008 L.A. Poetry Festival. Connell has also received much acclaim for his collaborative work with hip hop poet Sekou (tha misfit). Their two-man spoken word play, The Word Begins developed at the prestigious Ojai Playwrights Conference and directed by Robert Egan earned nominations for three Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Acting and Best Original Play for its run at the Signature Theater in Washington, D.C. in 2007. Critics hailed it as “explosively funny,” and “…a stunning show on the cutting edge of modern theater.” Most recently Connell has performed at Declare Yourself (Norman Lear’s pre-Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C.), The Marion Anderson Awards, and alongside Barak Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder at Oprah’s fundraiser for Obama’s Presidential Campaign in Santa Barbara in 2008.
Jumping the Median reunites many of the actors from Push to Talk Theatre’s critically acclaimed production Robots vs. Fake Robots. Along with Connell the ensemble cast includes (alphabetically): Greg Crooks (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Ida Darvish (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Ty Hodges, In-Q, Kevin Larsen, Elizabeth Maxwell (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Tyler Moore, Joe Sanfelippo, Jessie Sherman, Sarah Sido (Robots vs. Fake Robots), Brent Tonick and Mike Wood. Rounding out the artistic team are: Set Designer Levi Brewster, Graphic Designer Deliah Hauser, Lighting Designer Jake Mitchell, Sound Designer Adam Phalen, Costume Designer Bich Vu, and Stage Manager Ashley Singh. They are joined by co-Musical Directors Josh Foy and Sekou Andrews. Push to Talk Theatre Artistic Director Emily Weisberg co-directs.
Director Weisberg most recently directed last season’s critically acclaimed Robots vs. Fake Robots at the Powerhouse Theatre. Other credits include Bermuda! at the Eli Broad Stage, the workshop production of Jumping the Median at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, Picnic on the Battlefield, How To Be A Good Son, Independence, as well as, numerous staged readings and workshops in the LA area. Additional directing credits include Sue Ellen as part of Jurassic Theatre Company's production Phenomena, Shasta! with Inner Circle Theatre Company, and co-director of the Emerging Playwrights reading series with The Ensemble Theatre Company.
Jumping the Median is produced by Patricia Garza and Push to Talk Theatre (http://PushToTalkTheatre.com). The company was formed in 2006 to support and give voice to the development and performance of new work,
Producer Patricia Garza holds an MFA/MBA in Theatre Management from California State University, Long Beach and a BA in English and minor in Theatre Studies from UC Berkeley and has extensive experience working in the theater. At Berkeley she was managing director of the undergraduate student-run BareStage Productions and also ran all aspects of the graduate student theatre, California Repertory Company, producing their annual theatre festival for high school students, TheatreFest. Garza serves as Department Manager for the Education and Outreach Department for Center Theatre Group where she previously was acting company manager of the Kirk Douglas Theatre and company manager of multiple workshops for new play production.
Jumping the Median runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm. March 20 - April 19, 2009. Tickets are $20.00 online at http://plays411.com/JumpingTheMedian. For group sales call 562-547-6207.
The Other Space at Santa Monica Playhouse is located at 1211 4th Street. Santa Monica, CA 90401. Convenient parking is located directly across the street in Municipal Structure #1. By public transportation take the Santa Monica Blue Bus or the LA Metro Rapid #720 and exit at 4th and Wilshire.
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Contact
Santa Monica Group Theatre/Santa Monica Playhouse
Sandra Zeitzew
310-394-9779 x651
SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com
Sandra Zeitzew
310-394-9779 x651
SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com
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