Local Theater Company Announces 2019/20 Season

Local Theater Company's Founding Artistic Director Pesha Rudnick and Executive Producer Alison Palmer announced the Company's 2019/20 Season - Less virtual. More reality. Recently awarded a National Theatre Company Grant by the Ameri- can Theatre Wing (presenters of the Tony Awards), Local returns to the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder with two world premiere productions, Flame Broiled...or the ugly play by Rodney Hicks and Sin Eaters by Anna Moench, and Local Lab 2020, Boulder's premier three-day festi- val of new American plays.

Artistic Director Pesha Rudnick said, "Both Rodney Hicks' Flame Broiled. or the ugly play and Anna Moench's Sin Eaters speak with clarity and precision to the current moment in America with humor and depth. Flame Broiled. or the ugly play is a searing satire that examines, dissects, and subverts race and identity politics in contemporary American society. Sin Eaters turns its sharp-eyed gaze toward the internet and its unanticipated consequences, specifically those waged on content moderators." She added, "We are always proud to support and bolster emerging writ- ers but this year feels particularly special. Rodney has been a regular on Broadway stages for two decades (original cast of Rent; Come From Away) and Flame Broiled. or the ugly play marks his writing debut. Anna recently made the leap to television writing and we're thrilled to share her sharp voice with theater audiences again."

Local's Executive Producer Alison Palmer added, "We are proud of Local's growth over the past few years. With the support of our community and the strong relationships we have developed with theater-makers both here in Colorado and around the United States, we're confident that our 2019/20 Season will be our strongest yet." Rudnick added, "Local Lab continues to grow. This three-day festival of plays, parties, and workshops is a great way for seasoned and new-to-theater audiences to discover the cutting edge of new American voices. Our network of playwrights, di- rectors and actors has grown significantly over the last year, and we are excited to introduce the Boulder community to a new crop of plays."

Additionally, after the tremendous success of Local's pilot playwriting program for students (LocalWRITES) Local is pleased to announce that the education program will double in size next year. Fifty 8th grade students will participate in LocalWRITES at Casey Middle School, the only bilingual middle school in Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). The program is offered at no cost to the students or school and a professional and public presentation of the students' work will take place in November 2019 and March 2020 at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder.

Flame Broiled. or the ugly play Written and directed by Rodney Hicks Oct. 24 - Nov. 17, 2019 Carsen Theater, Dairy Arts Center | Boulder

About Flame Broiled. or the ugly play This searing satire examines race and identity politics in contemporary American society. Four actors portray more than 30 characters in a series of often-comedic snapshots that employ farci- cal stereotypes in order to shock, provoke, and ultimately highlight the foolishness of prejudice. When the characters finally cross the finish line, what's revealed is the common denominator of humanity: a desire to know, to understand, to connect.

Rodney Hicks' bio Namaste! My name is Rodney Hicks and I am filled with gratitude for Living, Art, Togetherness and Peace. I am a married 45 year-old Black Gay Queer man who is in his new beginning of life, love and Art creation. My husband and I parent two awesome dogs. I have been a professional Artist for over the past 25 years. In 2017, I was diagnosed with a neurological condition called Spasmodic Dysphonia, which affected my brain's connectivity to my voice, I could no longer sing or speak with normalcy or ease. On the morning of my Father's passing in 2018, I regained my voice and singing ability. I am grateful to now be using my WHOLE voice to also create new works of Art for today. www.rodneyhicks.net peace

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Local Lab 2020 March 6 - 8, 2020 Grace Theater, Dairy Arts Center | Boulder

About Local Lab 2020 Local Lab is Boulder's premier three-day festival of new American plays, parties, and work- shops. Now in its 9th year, Local Lab presents concert-style readings of three plays in develop- ment. Audience members are offered the opportunity to participate in conversations with the playwrights that help move these works toward full productions. Local Lab plays have gone on to be fully-produced across the country. Since its inception, Lab has developed 35 new plays and many of the participating playwrights have earned regional, off-Broadway and Broadway pre- mieres. In 2015 the Denver Post named Lab "one of five reasons this region's theater scene is on the national map" and earned a "Best of Boulder" recognition from Boulder Weekly.

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Sin Eaters Written by Anna Moench Directed by Pesha Rudnick April 15 - May 17, 2020 Carsen Theater, Dairy Arts Center | Boulder

About Sin Eaters We become what we see. When Mary Lee scores a job in the tech industry, she believes her ca- reer is on the upward trajectory. However, on her first day at work, she learns that her responsi- bility as a content moderator involves monitoring the graphic-often gruesome-flagged posts on a new social media platform. Soon, the vile underbelly of the Internet has her seeing the worst in everyone, including her boyfriend, Derek. Sin Eaters examines the responsibility these human barriers endure, and how media has the power to transform the human mind... for better or worse.

Warning. This production contains references to graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Ann Moench's bio Anna Moench is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Her plays include MOTHERS (Playwrights Realm 2019), MAN OF GOD (East West Players 2019, InterAct 2020), BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (BETC 2017, ThrownStone 2019, Theatre with a View 2019), and SIN EATERS. She is an alum of UCSD's Playwriting MFA program, the Emerging Writers Group at The Public, and Youngblood at EST. Awards include fellowships from the New York Foundation of the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, and the Van Lier Foundation, the Paul Stephen Lim Playwrit- ing Award from the Kennedy Center, Boulder Ensemble Theater Company's Generations Award, and East West Players' 2042: See Change Award. Anna is currently staffed on an upcoming tele- vision show for Apple TV and is adapting a book to the screen for Universal and Michael DeLu- ca Productions.

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