That would be CARYL Churchill, the bold British playwright who is premiering two plays in Los Angeles this month. Recently her newest play, The Skriker was well received at New York's Public Theatre. Churchill is also well known for plays Cloud Nine, Top Girls and Serious Money. The following listings reveal where to see previously unseen Churchill in LA.
A BIG LITTLE FESTIVAL:
A new producing company, two Los Angeles premieres, several of Hollywood's top-rate talents, and six one-acts by major playwrights make up the debut production of Theatre Salazar/Goulston, Little Plays...Big Playwrights, playing from June 22 through July 28 at the McCadden Theatre in Hollywood.
The Festival is divided into 2 evenings: Evening A consists of The Long Goodbye, by Tennessee Williams, Life Under Water by Richard Greenberg, and The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie by Albert Innaurato. Evening B contains Nobody, a Los Angeles premiere by Howard Korder, Three More Sleepless Nights a Los Angeles premiere by Caryl Churchill, and The Disposal by William Inge.
The plays explore various human losses such as love, work, self esteem, and life itself. Churchill's Three More Sleepless Nights explores the battle in bed between spouses who are trying to force each other to become the perfect mate.
Actress Francis Fisher will star in ...Nights, returning to the stage after eight years in film and television, performing many roles such as the wife of Armand Assante in the upcoming Strip Tease with Demi Moore, a lead in the Fox-TV series "Strange Luck", and as 'Strawberry Alice' in Unforgiven. Greg Mullavey will star in three of the shows, an actor best known for his work as Tom Hartman in "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," who also appeared on Broadway opposite Veronica Hamel in Rumors, and Mia Farrow in Romantic Comedy. Prominent LA Acting Teacher Joe Salazar will direct and act in several of the one-acts, as he has directed many LA productions and played many roles on LA and Off-Broadway stages.
Little Plays...Big Playwrights will premiere in the newly refurbished McCadden Theatre on Thur-Sat 8 PM; Sun 7 PM. Tickets Re $18. For tickets or more information call (213) 466-1767.
IT'S A MAD, MAD MATRIX:
Three seasons have seen the Matrix Theatre Company, and the company has witnessed overwhelming success, receiving the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Production three years in a row. The company closes their third season with the Los Angeles premiere of Caryl Churchill's Mad Forest, currently in previews to open June 29, running through Sept. 1.
The play is subtitled a play from Romania, and examines how two different families (one intellectuals, one laborers) living through the 1989 collapse of Romanian dictatorship, anticipate the change in their country's surroundings, and how they suffer the torment of their austere existence.
A cast of eleven Matrix Company members portray over forty characters in the play. The Matrix Company includes noted LA actors such as George Murdock, Julia Campbell and Cotter Smith.
Mad Forest runs at the Matrix Theatre on Melrose, Tues-Sat 8 PM; Sun 7 PM. Tickets are $15-22, and can be reserved by calling (213) 852-1445.
