Freeway
Series – 2008
Write Act Repertory
and Producing Artistic Director John Lant proudly announce their
production of …Of
All Places as the
opener of its 2008 Freeway Series. This innovative production
showcases the distinctive voices of Los Angeles writers and the
diverse talent of Write Act Rep artists, creating a provocative
and impassioned evening. Directed by Bennett Cohon, this
celebration of new work will have a limited engagement at the
Write Act Repertory Theatre from November 15th to
December 20th.
…Of All Places
journeys through the familiar settings of any big city and
reveals a glimpse into the lives of the people all around us.
Their stories are charming, funny, difficult, haunting, and
ultimately beautiful. They can be found in the coffee shop down
the street, the apartment above you, the park where you picnic –
a second later, a moment sooner.
Hop on the raucous newlywed
joyride in Hindi Brooks’ You Did What?, savor the sweet
flirtations in Richard Hirsch’s Confection Perfection,
pass by a sordid affair in Jim McGinn’s The Joggers, take
a moment to question a senseless death in EM Lewis’ Edge of
Ross Island, stop for a bittersweet cup of coffee in Dan
Roth’s Who Do You Like, and plummet headlong into a
profound encounter with a woman who claims to be God in Herman
Poppe’s Loony Bin.

With each vignette, the
production explores what happens when people are willing to
cross barriers, when artists choose to create bridges, and the
freeways of Los Angeles lead us to each other.
Featuring:
Zeff Zwillinger, Jack Seal, Tchia Casselle, Lori
Stone, Anne Mesa, Barry Ford, Jacob White, Arielle Marie
McFadden, Max Klein, Coco Schneider, Aric Cushing, Jackie
Marriott, Tyler Koster, Mark Winn, Sarah Yahr Tucker, Jen
Albert, Redetha Deason, Patrick Rafferty
The Freeway Series
launches in the beautifully rebuilt Write Act Repertory
Theatre on the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church campus,
located at 6128 Yucca Avenue in Hollywood, two blocks east of
the famous Capitol Records building near Gower and Franklin off
the 101 Freeway. Free ample parking is
located one block away
in the lower church parking lot at 6125 Carlos Avenue. The
theatre, which features an outdoor patio reception area, is both
air-conditioned and heated. Seating is limited.
PERFORMANCES:
8
PM, Thursdays through Saturdays from November 15th – December
20th, 2008. (Dark Thanksgiving weekend)
OF ALL PLACES - Review
Sandra Kukor, plays411.com
The
Write Act Repertory theater presents as part of their
2008 Freeway Series, ...OF ALL PLACES, an anthology of
short one-act plays that touch upon the soul of life in the
big city.
A total of six separate segments are showcased, all
taking place in a rather large megoplous. "The Joggers" by
Jim McGinn, features a couple (man & woman) who are jogging
partners that could be beyond limiting their jogging on a
road, Dan Rother's "Who Do Your Like?" is a bonding between
adult son and elderly dad in a coffee shop, Herman Poppe's
"The Loony Bin" is another encounter in the park between a
old man and a rather off-kilter woman who claims that she's
God, "You Did What?" by Hindi Brooks is the arrival of a
newlywed couple in their home only to receive another
blessed event, E.M. Lewis' "Edge of Ross Island" is the
reaction of a cop who had to coax an old man not to jump off
a bridge while she has her own personal dealings with her
lover, and finally, "Confection Perfection" by Richard
Hirsch is about romance and the finer points on gourmet
cupcakes.
These half dozen tales directed by Bennett Cohon is just
as eclectic as their moodiness. Some of the plays are funny,
some are touching, and a few are rather somber in tone. But
all hold their rather charm and appeal. All that said and
done, they represent a slice of the urban landscape, minus
the sensationalism that shows what life is really all about,
rather than a so-called lifestyle seen on a TV or theater
screen.
The ensemble cast of players that make up this production
are (listed in alphabetical order), Jen Albert, Tchia
Casselle, Aric Chushing, Redetha Deason, Barry Ford, Max
Klein, Tyler Koster, Jackie Marriott, Arielle Marie
McFadden, Anne Mesa, Patrick Rafferty, Coco Maria Schneider,
Jack Seal, Lori Stone, Sarah Yahr Tucker, Jacob White, Mark
Winn, and Zeff Zwillinger.
One point that should be noted when seeing a one-act
anthology. If one doesn't like a specific play, one could
wait a moment or two and the play's theme will change.
However, each short episode featured in ...OF ALL PLACES is
good to their last drop. It's just another part of those
eight million stories in the naked city!
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