Center Theatre Group to Host Block Party Kick-Off for Three Local Shows at the Douglas

Center Theatre Group will host the Block Party Kick-Off Event at the Kirk Douglas Theatre to celebrate the remounting of three local productions from Coeurage Theatre Company, The Echo Theater Company and The Fountain Theatre.

This free and public event is open to the entire Los Angeles theatre community and will take place on Monday, January 30 at 7 p.m. Reservations are encouraged and can be made at www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/kirk-douglas-theatre/also-at-the-douglas/block-party- kickoff.

The event will include remarks from Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie starting at 7:30 p.m. followed by complimentary refreshments. There will also be an interactive photo booth, music, games and special ticket offers for Block Party available.

The inaugural Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre will take place April 14 through May 21 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and will feature Coeurage Theatre Company's production of "Failure: A Love Story" by Philip Dawkins and directed by Michael Matthews; The Echo Theater Company's production of "Dry Land" by Ruby Rae Spiegel and directed by Alana Dietze; and The Fountain Theatre's production of "Citizen: An American Lyric" by Claudia Rankine, adapted for the stage by Fountain Co-Artistic Director Stephen Sachs and directed by Shirley Jo Finney.

Each Block Party production will have a two-week run. "Failure: A Love Story" will take the first slot and will begin previews April 14, open April 16 and close April 23. Next will be "Citizen: An American Lyric," which will begin previews April 28, open April 30 and close May 7. "Dry Land" will take the final slot and will begin previews May 12, open on May 14 and close on May 21.

The visiting companies will receive the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production. Full casting for "Failure: A Love Story," "Dry Land" and "Citizen: An American Lyric" will be announced at a later date.

"As we celebrate Center Theatre Group's 50 years of creating theatre in Los Angeles, we want to turn the spotlight on some of the remarkable work being done on other stages," said Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie in discussing Block Party. "Coeurage Theatre, The Echo Theater and The Fountain Theatre, as well as others throughout L.A., regularly produce excellent, boundary-pushing work and we're so glad they are sharing some of that work with us."

With Block Party, Center Theatre Group hopes to strengthen relationships within the Los Angeles community, create additional avenues for the organization to become familiar with local playwrights, actors, directors and designers, and foster relationships between Center Theatre Group staff and the staff at theatre companies throughout Los Angeles.

Block Party receives major support from Aliza Karney Guren and Marc Guren with generous funding also provided by Joni and Miles Benickes.

Center Theatre Group has a long history of pairing with local theatre companies including the Deaf West production of "Big River" which was produced at the Mark Taper Forum in 2002 and went on to Broadway before returning to the Ahmanson Theatre in 2005 as part of a national tour. More recently, Center Theatre Group partnered with Ebony Repertory Theatre for the remounting of "A Raisin in the Sun" (which played at the Douglas), 24th Street Theatre's "Walking the Tightrope" (also at the Douglas) and with other companies around the city for "The Behavior of Broadus" (Burglars of Hamm and SacRed Fools Theater Company) and "Birder" (The Road Theatre Company).

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation's preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles' leading nonprofit theatre company, programming seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1600 to 2000-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation's leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.

Tickets for Block Party will go on sale to the general public in February.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA 90232. Ample free parking and restaurants are adjacent.

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