Theatre Unleashed offers TWO modern classics in rep!
The ambitious company takes another bold step in just its second year, with Sarah Kane’s “4.48 Psychosis” and David Ives’ “All in the Timing” running side by side.
LOS ANGELES - Theatre Unleashed is excited to present Contemporary Constructions, its third and fourth Main Stage shows of the season, running in rep from Aug. 7-30 at The Sherry Theatre in North Hollywood. A celebration of two very distinct modern day playwright geniuses, Contemporary Constructions will feature Sarah Kane’s final poetic plunge into the depths of depression, 4.48 Psychosis, as well as David Ives’ comedy of the absurd, All in the Timing.
“Doing shows in rep has been a goal of ours because it gives us a chance to stretch and expand upon the ‘rules’ of theatre,” said Artistic Director Phillip Kelly. “With these two polar opposite shows, we’ve allowed ourselves to give our own inspired touch to recognizable pieces whose only similarity is that they were written by playwrights with a true gift for words…words that speak volumes.”
Kelly will direct 4.48 Psychosis, a show that confronts clinical depression straight on by allowing the audience to see inside the mind of a depressive in the hours before her suicide. This brutally honest show also explores the many factors that lead to that decision. As she approaches 4:48 a.m., the time of night in which depressives supposedly see the clearest, her imagination begins to meld with her reality, driving her closer and closer to the edge. To enhance the breaking of the main character’s psyche, the show will also feature the use of dance, live cello music, strategically placed mirrors and multimedia projection.
“I wanted to take a cue from Kane’s notion that beautiful art can be derived from even the darkest of subject matters,” Kelly said. “The idea is to use these different tools and art forms to help create the haunting and emotionally jarring effect of the slowly crumbling minds of the two female protagonists as they inch closer to the meaning of their mortality.”
The second part of Contemporary Constructions will be the Ives’ classic comedic collection of one-acts, All in the Timing, directed by Carlos Martinez. Bizarre humor at its best, Martinez is sticking to the original lineup that made up the earliest rendition of the show, including: Sure Thing, The Universal Language, Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread, The Philadelphia, Variations on the Death of Trotsky and Words, Words, Words. Though each vignette is capable of standing on its own, Martinez is looking to take the show a step further, melding the pieces together with the use of creative lighting, sound and movement.
“The idea is to take the audience through an abstract journey into the craziness and outlandish relationships that make up the show,” Martinez said. “It’s such a funny show that get s funnier with each reading and each viewing and of course, that honest comedy is what we’re focusing on. But we also hope to grab people by more than just their funny bone.”
Theatre Unleashed is also excited to announce Tales of an Unsettled City: Revelations, the third installment in its late night theatre series, running Saturdays at 10:15 p.m. after presentations of Contemporary Constructions. Theatre Unleashed is coming off a string of sellout shows for the original full-length Tracing Sonny and the recent installment of the Galleries Series, Metamorphose.
LOS ANGELES - Theatre Unleashed is excited to present Contemporary Constructions, its third and fourth Main Stage shows of the season, running in rep from Aug. 7-30 at The Sherry Theatre in North Hollywood. A celebration of two very distinct modern day playwright geniuses, Contemporary Constructions will feature Sarah Kane’s final poetic plunge into the depths of depression, 4.48 Psychosis, as well as David Ives’ comedy of the absurd, All in the Timing.
“Doing shows in rep has been a goal of ours because it gives us a chance to stretch and expand upon the ‘rules’ of theatre,” said Artistic Director Phillip Kelly. “With these two polar opposite shows, we’ve allowed ourselves to give our own inspired touch to recognizable pieces whose only similarity is that they were written by playwrights with a true gift for words…words that speak volumes.”
Kelly will direct 4.48 Psychosis, a show that confronts clinical depression straight on by allowing the audience to see inside the mind of a depressive in the hours before her suicide. This brutally honest show also explores the many factors that lead to that decision. As she approaches 4:48 a.m., the time of night in which depressives supposedly see the clearest, her imagination begins to meld with her reality, driving her closer and closer to the edge. To enhance the breaking of the main character’s psyche, the show will also feature the use of dance, live cello music, strategically placed mirrors and multimedia projection.
“I wanted to take a cue from Kane’s notion that beautiful art can be derived from even the darkest of subject matters,” Kelly said. “The idea is to use these different tools and art forms to help create the haunting and emotionally jarring effect of the slowly crumbling minds of the two female protagonists as they inch closer to the meaning of their mortality.”
The second part of Contemporary Constructions will be the Ives’ classic comedic collection of one-acts, All in the Timing, directed by Carlos Martinez. Bizarre humor at its best, Martinez is sticking to the original lineup that made up the earliest rendition of the show, including: Sure Thing, The Universal Language, Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread, The Philadelphia, Variations on the Death of Trotsky and Words, Words, Words. Though each vignette is capable of standing on its own, Martinez is looking to take the show a step further, melding the pieces together with the use of creative lighting, sound and movement.
“The idea is to take the audience through an abstract journey into the craziness and outlandish relationships that make up the show,” Martinez said. “It’s such a funny show that get s funnier with each reading and each viewing and of course, that honest comedy is what we’re focusing on. But we also hope to grab people by more than just their funny bone.”
Theatre Unleashed is also excited to announce Tales of an Unsettled City: Revelations, the third installment in its late night theatre series, running Saturdays at 10:15 p.m. after presentations of Contemporary Constructions. Theatre Unleashed is coming off a string of sellout shows for the original full-length Tracing Sonny and the recent installment of the Galleries Series, Metamorphose.