Stage Left Theatre to Present World Premiere of Barbara Lhota's WARPED, 9/6-10/6

Stage Left Theatre will present the upcoming world premiere of Warped written by Barbara Lhota and directed by ensemble member Jason A. Fleece. Warped is the first production of Stage Left's 32nd season. Press opening is Friday, September 6th at 8 PM at Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont. The show runs through October 6th.

Warped follows two Chicago police officers who give a ride home to a young, drunk twenty-something. Several hours later, the young woman emerges from her apartment screaming rape. Influenced by the film Rashomon, Warped presents the contradictory stories from each character's perspective and asks the question: Is the truth constant, or is it as malleable as our own perceptions?

Inspired by local and national events, Warped was developed at Stage Left through a Downstage Left Residency in 2011 and appeared in LeapFest 9.

Warped examines the subjectivity of "truth". It also raises debate about the power society gives to authority figures and how we hold them accountable when they are accused of abusing that power. In line with our mission to raise social and political debate, Stage Left offers patrons a Symposium Series for every production. Immediately following each Sunday matinee, we will invite the audience to stay for a discussion centered on a particular question raised by the performance. Admission to the Symposium Series is free, but it is recommended that attendees come having seen the production in order to fully appreciate and participate in the discussion

Warped runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM from 8/31/13 through 10/6/13. Tickets are $25-27 and will be available through the Theater Wit box office either online at www.theaterwit.org or by calling 773-975-8150. Previews are Saturday, August 31st at 8:00pm; Sunday, September 1st at 3:00pm; Wednesday, September 4th at 8pm; and Thursday, September 5th at 8:00pm. Preview tickets are $20. Warped will be performed at Theater Wit at 1229 W. Belmont in Chicago. The theater is handicapped and CTA accessible via the Belmont El (Red & Brown).

Barbara Lhota received an M.F.A. from Brandeis University, where she was an artist-in-residence and taught playwriting. Her plays have been produced in Boston, Chicago, New York and throughout the country. Local companies she has worked with include: American Blues Theater, Artistic Home, Babes with Blades Theatre Company, Bailiwick, Circle Theatre, Pride Films and Plays, Rascal Children's Theater, The Side Project, Strangeloop, Symposium, Theatre of Western Springs, 20% Theatre Company and Women's Theater Alliance. Publishing credits include Strangers and Romance - Women Playwrights: The Best Plays of 2001 (Smith and Kraus) and co-author 4-volume series - The Forensic Duo Plays. Her monologues are included in Young Women's Monologues from Contemporary Plays (Meriwether), The Best Men's Stage Monologues of 2001 andThe Audition Arsenal Series. She is a recipient of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Award for Hanging by a Thread, and the JS&P Margaret Martin Award for Los Desaparecidos. The Vanished Echo, a Eugene O'Neill semi-finalist, was chosen this year for the Athena Project. She is collaborating with Chicago Dramatists resident playwright M.E.H. Lewis on 180 Degree Rule with Babes with Blades Theatre Company. www.barbaralhota.com

Jason A. Fleece is a freelance director and theatre educator based in Chicago. Stage Left directing credits include The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, An Enemy of the People, Warped by Barbara Lhota (LeapFest 9) Underneath by RoB Smith (LeapFest 8), Anna is Saved (LeapFest 6) by Jessica Cluess, and The Meaning of Lunch by Dan Aibel (LeapFest 7). Most recently, Jason directed Treats by Christopher Hampton at Redtwist Theatre. Jason has a particular interest in musicals and in new play development. Other favorite recent productions include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Urinetown: The Musical (Oakton Community College). Jason holds a B.A. in Theatre from Point Park University in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, and an M.F.A. in Directing from the Theatre School at DePaul University. Jason is proud to be a Stage Left ensemble member

The cast features Stage Left ensemble members Kate Black Spence (Hope), Lisa Herceg (Jules) and Mark Pracht (Hal), as well as guest artists Nick Mikula (Alex), Victoria Caciopoli (Kim), and Max Ganet (Josh).

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