LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF TRANCED
JAN 1 - FEB 3, 2008
LAGUNA BEACH, CA – January 3, 2008 – The Laguna Playhouse is pleased to present the World Premiere of Tranced by Bob Clyman, running January 1 through February 3, 2008 in The Playhouse’s Moulton Theatre. The production, directed by Jessica Kubzansky, is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award, a grant-making program that helps fund the production of new plays.
In Tranced, an African graduate student (Azmera) suffering from panic episodes seeks the help of a prominent psychiatrist (Philip) specializing in clinical hypnosis.After being tranced, she describes an incident that took place in an African village that could have international repercussions. But is her recall credible enough to have a journalist report the story? Accepting the premise that the most important decisions must invariably be made without enough information, Tranced explores the elusive nature of memory and the art of persuasion.
Tranced features four Los Angeles-based actors: Erica Tazel (Azmera), Thomas Fiscella (Dr. Philip Malaad), Ashley West Leonard (Beth, a journalist) and Andrew Borba (Logan, Director of African Affairs).
Bob Clyman’s plays have been performed Off-Broadway and at regional theaters, including The Laguna Playhouse, Denver Center Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Williamstown Theater Company, Colony Studio Theatre, Missouri Repertory Theater, Playwrights Theater of New Jersey, and Philadelphia Festival Theater. Subsequent to its performance at Laguna Playhouse, his play Secret Order was recently produced at Merrimack Repertory Theatre and opened Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theatre in November of 2007. He has also been awarded a number of national prizes, including a Eugene O’Neill Summer Conference Fellowship, New Jersey State Arts Council Award, Geraldine Dodge Fellowship, Berilla-Kerr Foundation Award, Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship, Djerassi Foundation Fellowship, Shenandoah Valley Playwrights Fellowship, Playwrights First Award and Theater in the Works Fellowship. He was a member of the Circle Rep Lab in New York, where four of his plays were produced.
Jessica Kubzansky is an award-winning director who was awarded the 2004 LA Drama Critics Circle Margaret Hanford Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatre. New works are a passion for Kubzansky, whose recent forays include: the world premiere and Ovation Award-winning production of Bryan Davidson's War Music for the Playwrights' Arena/Echo Theatre at LATC which went on to play at The Geffen Playhouse; the world premiere of Cold/Tender for The Theater @ Boston Court; the critically-acclaimed West Coast premiere of Sheila Callaghan's Kate Crackernuts at the 24th Street Theatre; the multiple award-winning Toys in the Attic at The Colony; and the award-winning new musical Moscow, by Nick Salamone. Kubzansky's work out of town includes Julia Cho's BFE for Portland Center Stage's JAW West Festival, David Gow's Bea's Niece for MetroStage in Washington, D.C., Pirates of Penzance for The Publick Theatre (Boston), Tony Kushner's The Illusion for the American Stage Co. (Florida), Twelfth Night for the Grand Canyon Shakespeare Festival (Arizona), and Macbeth at Greyfriars Kirkyard (Edinburgh). Kubzansky is blessed to indulge her wildly eclectic theatrical tastes in Southern California, with productions as diverse as Measure for Measure for A Noise Within, Amy's View (with Carol Lawrence and Susan Egan) as well as A Servant to Two Masters for International City Theatre, world premieres for the Mark Taper Forum New Works (plays by Diana Son, Paula Weston Solano, et al), Moon for the Misbegotten at The Laguna Playhouse, Wedekind/Peter Barnes' Lulu for Pacific Resident Theatre, Dancing at Lughansa for McCoy-Rigby/La Mirada, Vaclav Havel's The Memorandum for the Odyssey Theatre, The House of Blue Leaves for West Coast Ensemble, Heartbreak House for the Colony Theatre, Arthur Schnitzler's Anatol for the Buffalo Nights, the world premiere of Carol Wolf's The Thousandth Night (Monsieur Shaherazad) with Ron Campbell, which has played London's Old Red Lion and toured the world; and many more. Kubzansky and her productions have received numerous theatre honors, including the Scotsman's Fringe First, London Fringe, Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle, LA Weekly, Drama-Logue, Backstage West Garland, OC Weekly, and Robby Awards. Kubzansky has an M.F.A. from California Institute of the Arts, a creative writing degree from Johns Hopkins University, was a V.U.S. at Harvard University, and teaches at UCLA.
Andrew Borba (Logan) is delighted to be making his Laguna Playhouse debut. Recent stage appearances include: The Constant Wife, Private Lives and It's a Wonderful Life at The Pasadena Playhouse, A Picture of Dorian Gray and Medea at Theatre@Boston Court, The Just and All My Sons at Chautauqua Theatre Co, Lovers & Executioners at South Coast Repertory, Pericles and The Countess at The Old Globe, and Closer at Berkeley Rep. At The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (4 seasons): Arcadia, Othello, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Pentacost, Cymbeline, and Henry IV pt 1, among others. Other credits include: The Misanthrope at Dallas Theater Center, Mrs. Warrens’ Profession, The Illusion and Othello at Portland Stage Company, An Enemy of the People at Long Wharf Theater, A Shayna Maidel at Delaware Theater Company, The Tempest and Two Gents at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. TV/Film credits include: Charlie Wilson's War, Nine Lives, Live from Baghdad, “Grey's Anatomy,” “House,” “Jericho,” “Without a Trace,” “Monk,” “CSI: Miami,” “Lincoln Heights,” “24,” “That 70's Show,” “Nip/Tuck,” and “The Shield.” Andrew is a Graduate of the NYU Graduate Acting Program and Brown University. Proud member of A.E.A.
Thomas Fiscella (Dr. Philip Malaad). Selected local work includes The Bigger Man, An American Book of the Dead, and You’re From Philly (co-developer and director), all as a member of the Circle X Theatre Company in Los Angeles. In Chicago: Stalag 17 (American Blues Theatre) and The Manchurian Candidate (Shattered Globe Theatre), both awarded Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson “Jeff” Citations for outstanding cast & production. Others: Black Friday (Live Bait Theatre), 1,001 Afternoons in Chicago (Prop/Live Bait at the Firehouse Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Chicago Shakespeare Rep), and With & Without (Victory Gardens Theatre). Regionally: Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and Covielle in The Would-Be Gentleman (both for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival), Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew and Cassio in Othello (both for the Texas Shakespeare Festival, where he’s also directed touring theatre for their educational outreach program), and Miss Evers’ Boys (Detroit Rep Theatre, Free Press Critics’ Award for outstanding cast). Film & Television: Snowman; Man of the House; Foodfight (premiering this April); “Early Edition” (CBS); Condemned (award-winner: Ankara Film Festival, Turkey). Proudly Actors’ Equity, SAG and AFTRA. www.thomasfiscella.com.
Ashley West Leonard (Beth, a journalist) is thrilled to be reunited with the matchless talent of Jessica Kubzansky after working on the world premieres of Unfinished American Highwayscape #9 & 3 32 and Cold/Tender, both with The Theatre@Boston Court and Kate Crackernuts at the 24th Street Theatre. Other much loved L.A. theatre credits include No Mercy at 24th Street Theatre, Eddie Legs at the Lillian Theatre along with Don Juan in Chicago and The Comedy of Errors at Sacred Fools Theatre. TV credits include “Frasier,” “MADtv” and “Ghost Whisperer.” Ashley holds an MFA from UC, Irvine.
Erica Tazel (Azmera) is thrilled to be making her Laguna Playhouse debut. She recently completed a run of Macbeth at the Lillian Theater of Los Angeles. After graduating from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program, she went on to appear in A Winter’s Tale at the New York Shakespeare Festival and in the World Premiere of Wendy Macleod’s Juvenilia at Playwright’s Horizon. She had the great privilege of being a part of the first American company to be invited to perform Shakespeare at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In that production of Cymbeline, she appeared as Imogen. Other theater credits include I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda for which she received an NAACP Theater Award (The Colony Theater), Much Ado About Nothing (The Old Globe), Four and The Exonerated ( TheaterWorks) Crumbs From the Table of Joy (Dallas Theater Center/ Arizona Theater Company). Television credits include “ER,” “Heartland,” “Without a Trace,” “Jericho,” “Bones,” “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Law and Order,” “Firefly,” “Third Watch,” “Sex in the City” and “One Life to Live.” She is a proud member of The Colony Theater Company.
TRANCED - Performance & Ticket Information:
Ticket Prices: $25 to $65
Previews:
Tuesday – Friday, January 1 – 4: 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 3: 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Opening Night Gala:
Saturday, January 5: 7:30 p.m.
(By invitation only and press night)
Regular Performances
January 6 – February 3, 2008
Tuesday – Saturday evenings: 8:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday matinees: 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 27: 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
FOR INFORMATION & TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
Box Office: 949.497.ARTS (2787), ext. 1
Group Sales: 949.497.2787 ext. 229
www.LagunaPlayhouse.com
THE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE / MOULTON THEATRE
606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California
