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!