Los Angeles Premiere

Hear the real story...
From a point of view you would never expect
Marley was dead to begin with... but when Scrooge's partner entered the afterlife, his story was only beginning a new chapter. We bring you the "real" story of A Christmas Carol - the story of Jacob Marley's heroic behind-the-scenes efforts to save old Scrooge's soul - and in the process, save his own. Irreverent, funny, and deeply moving for the whole family, you'll never watch the Dickens' tale the same way again.

Son of Semele Ensemble (SOSE) is presenting the Los Angeles premiere of "TRAGEDY: a tragedy" by Pulitzer Prize finalist Will Eno. "TRAGEDY: a tragedy" is a satire about the news media’s sensationalism of a mundane event which spirals into a deeply human exploration of uncertainty.

The sun has set. Night has fallen, perhaps for the last time. Journalists arrive in locations throughout the city to report on this disaster-of-darkness. As they search for newsworthy content to fill their televised program, the governor offers us encouraging and valiant words to sooth our broken spirits. All seems lost, yet the reporters must continue. If they don’t, they will have to accept that the worst possible scenario has become a reality: the sun will not come up and there is nothing left to say. TRAGEDY reflects the most absurd moments of Bill O’Reilly, Anderson Cooper and the like, while also speaking to a universal fear of nothingness.

From George W. to George Dubya!

43 PLAYS FOR 43 PRESIDENTS is exactly what the title says - 43 short plays, each dedicated to a U.S. President from George W. to George Dubya. Originally produced by Chicago's Neo-Futurists, this high-speed, high-energy evening uses a cast of six to tell the story of America and all of her Commanders-in-Chief through comedy, songs, drama and more! Before casting your vote this November, take a look back at where we've been and who's been in charge along the way!

L.A. Times CRITIC'S CHOICE!
"Vitally engaging... exhilarating... delightfully, thoughtfully provocative."

L.A. Weekly PICK OF THE WEEK!
"...witty, sardonic... adept at underscoring both the playful and the poignant."

BackStage West CRITIC'S PICK!
"...splendidly varied and imaginative... suffused with drama and humor."

Welcome to Boomtown, circa 1849, population 661 - no, 665 - make that 689 - and rising! William Shakespeare's great Tragedy of King Lear is transformed into fun family foolery in the time of the California Gold Rush when The Actors' Gang presents "King O'Leary," its third annual Summer-in-the-Park production. Performances take place outdoors in Culver City's Media Park (adjacent to the Ivy Substation) every Saturday and Sunday morning from August 9 - 31 at 11 am, and admission is FREE.

The Actors' Gang's wild and woolly take on Shakespeare's tale of sibling rivalry and madness is reminiscent of the music hall shows of the Old West with songs, slapstick and a surprising love story. The outdoor production, which runs just under an hour, incorporates live music, masks, puppets and lots of spectacle to create a Lear that's loads of fun for all ages.

"King O'Leary" runs Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am, August 9 - 31. Admission is FREE. Media Park is located next to the Ivy Substation at 9070 Venice Boulevard (near the intersection of Culver and Venice Blvds.) in Culver City. Two hours free parking is available throughout downtown Culver City; the Ince Parking Lot (corner of Culver and Ince) is directly across the street from the park. For more information, call The Actors' Gang Box Office at 310-838-GANG (310-838-4264) or go to www.theactorsgang.com.

An exciting new adaptation by the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble of Frank Wedekind's masterpiece, "Spring's Awakening", will run July 3 though July 26 at The Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica.

Written in 1891, "Spring's Awakening" follows the lives of three teenagers, Melchior, Moritz and Wendla, as they navigate their entry into sexual awareness. First performed in Germany in 1906, Wedekind's controversial play closed after one night in New York in 1917 amid charges of obscenity and public outrage. For the better part of the twentieth century Wedekind's intense body of work was largely unpublished and rarely performed. Yet the play's subject matter - teenage desire, suicide, abortion, and homosexuality - is as explosive and important today as it was a century ago.

"With the Tony Award-winning musical version coming to Los Angeles in the fall, we wanted to offer L.A. audiences the chance to experience the original, groundbreaking script in all its urgency," commented director Evan Drane.

In 1890s Germany, three children embark on a mission to explore their newfound interest in sex, a subject actively suppressed by the adults in their lives. The children's experimentation leads to grave consequences, culminating in the erasing of all that is familiar. Wedekind called his play "a tragedy of childhood" and dedicated the work to parents and teachers.

"Spring's Awakening" runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, July 3 through July 26, except Friday, July 4 which is dark. There will be one Wednesday evening performance on July 23 at 8 pm. All tickets are $20.00. The Powerhouse Theatre is located at 3116 2nd Street in south Santa Monica, just off Main Street between Rose and Marine. For reservations and information, call (310) 396-3680 x3 or visit www.latensemble.org.

PEACHES EN REGALIA, written by Steven A. Lyons, a Bay Area playwright and a favorite of new play festivals nationwide, takes a facetious stab at how our current culture of “Self-Help” actually makes people all the more crazy. Peaches en Regalia won the Best of the Blitz ’05 award, and now L.A. audiences can reap the benefits.

SCOTT STEIN'S FIRST PLAY: A NEW PLAY BY SCOTT STEIN - by Scott Stein - is far from being Mr. Stein’s first play, but is a biting, hilarious commentary about navel-gazing playwrights and the effect that memory and imagination have on our lives.

BACK STAGE WEST CRITIC'S PICK - "Graham Farrow's searing drama is like a sharp punch to the gut"
"A MODERN DAY MASTERPIECE... The best play I've seen in twenty years" -- LA Times Blog
"Heart wrenching and fist clenching" -- What The Butler Saw

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE!
Following the murder of his only child, a man is forced to endure the attention that accompanies the release of the killer’s best-selling autobiography. How far will a father go to get even? And how does the woman who published the novel defend her actions? Timely and controversial, Talk About the Passion is an engaging drama that bravely confronts society’s morbid fascination with terrible crimes and our habit of forgiving the criminal and criminalizing the victim.

Please note: This play contains adult language and mature themes.