Transgender Actor Em Grosland to Lead LOCAL Theater Co's FAITH Premiere

Running November 20 - December 6, 2015, Boulder-based LOCAL Theater Company presents the World Premiere of James McLindon's dark comedy FAITH at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder.

The play examines religious fanaticism via 13-year-old Simon, the son of "an apostate" mother and absent father, desperately seeking an ecstatic vision in the parking lot of his local Walmart. When a Harbinger finally appears to him, his faith transforms, leading him down an unexpected path. Funny and charming, provocative and absorbing, the award-winning James McLindon spurs us to question (and, perhaps, affirm) our own faith. Full of magic, theatrics and- yes- jokes, FAITH was a LOCAL Lab (new play festival) 2014 Selection.

Says director Pesha Rudnick, "When we produced the reading of FAITH during the Lab last year, I was struck by how much of Simon's identity is shaped by his devotion to God. Some teenagers find their sense of identity through fandom of a band, a sports team, Star Wars. The thin line between fan and fanatic is rather permeable through our teenage years."

LOCAL Theater Company's focus since its inception 3 years ago has been on new plays. The company was recently noted by the Denver Post as one of "Five Reasons [this] Region's Theatre Scene is on the National Map." Says Rudnick, "It's been a couple of years since we took our own leap of faith on a LOCAL Lab play and mounted into a full production. We've assembled a first-rate cast, and James is an excellent collaborator. He's a lawyer as well as playwright and it shows in the complex debates on fanaticism. We're fortunate that he'll be out with us a couple of times during rehearsals." (McLindon is based in Northampton, Massachusetts.)

The cast includes transgender actor Em Grosland (emgrosland.com), with whom Rudnick first worked on Eve Ensler's Berkeley and New York productions of EMOTIONAL CREATURE. (PLEASE NOTE, Em's preferred pronoun is "they," rather than "he" or "she.") Meridith Crosley (meridithgrundei.com) of The Catamounts and Second City plays Theresa, Simon's mother; and Leigh Miller plays Simon's guidance counselor, Owen. LOCAL Associate Artistic Director Mare Trevathan (seen in WITTENBERG at Colorado Shakespeare Festival this past summer) plays the Harbinger. Casting by Sylvia Gregory, with New York casting by Stephanie Klapper.

Featuring the designs of Kathryn Kawecki (set), Annabel Louise Reader (costumes), Hunter Ewen (sound), Shannon McKinney (lights), and Sophie Hernando Kofman (props). Dramaturg, Heidi Schmidt; Stage Manager, Michael Aaron Jones; Producer, Megan Mathews.

All performances are preceded by Co-Lab, LOCAL's audience collaboration writing project using SmartPhone and crowdsourcing software.

Previews are Friday, November 20 at 7:30PM, and Saturday, November 21 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM. Preview tickets are $12. Opening night is Sunday, November 22 at 4:00PM, followed by a reception. Performances will then run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM, Sundays at 4:00PM, with additional 2-for-1 admission performances Saturday, November 28 at 2:00PM and Thursday, December 3 at 7:30PM. Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door.

*Special events:

Saturday, November 21 2:00PM preview is followed by a discussion with playwright James McLindon

Sunday, November 22 4:00PM opening is followed by a reception

Saturday, November 28 2:00PM show is 2-for-1 admission and is followed by a Holiday Happy Hour

Sunday, November 29 2:00- 3:00PM Prologue: Staging Faith FREE RSVP at LOCALTheaterCompany.org

Sunday, November 29 4:00PM show is followed by a discussion with the cast

Thursday, December 3 7:30PM show is 2-for-1 admission and is followed by a discussion with the cast

*Subject to change, check LOCALTheaterCompany.org for details

Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door. Seating is General Admission. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. Visit www.LOCALTheaterCompany.org.

ARTIST BIOS:

James McLindon (Playwright of FAITH)'s play COMES A FAIERY was developed at the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and will be premiered at the New Ohio Theatre by Nylon Fusion Theater Company this fall. SALVATION was premiered by Hudson Stage Company, directed by Giovanna Sardelli and will a second production in New York by Nuance Theater this summer. DISTANT MUSIC has enjoyed eight productions around the country, most recently at the Stoneham Theatre in Boston. His plays have been developed and/or produced at theaters such as the Abingdon, hotINK Festival, Irish Repertory, Lark Play Development Center, Samuel French Ten-Minute Play Festival, PlayPenn, Victory Gardens, Lyric Stage, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Conference, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, and Telluride Playwrights Festival. His plays have been published by Dramatic Publishing, Smith and Krause, and Level 4 Press.

Pesha Rudnick (Director of FAITH, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of LOCAL) has directed over 20 new works nationally, including the recent world premiere of O.P.C by Eve Ensler at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard. She previously collaborated with Ensler as Associate Director of the world premiere of EMOTIONAL CREATURE at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Signature Theatre Center. Rudnick assistant directed the world premiere of AMERICAN NIGHT by Richard Montoya and Culture Clash at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, directed Deborah Zoe Laufer's LEVELING UP at Florida Stage's 1st Phase Festival, and directed the National New Play Network world premiere of Quiara Alegria Hudes' 26 MILES at Curious Theatre Company. She is the former Associate Artistic Director of Theater Master's National MFA Playwright's Festival where she directed dozens of new plays in Aspen, and successfully transferred more than 15 of these plays to New York City. Rudnick served for six years as the Associate Director of Education at Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's Degree from New York University. Rudnick is a member of Lincoln Center's Director's Lab in New York City, a Drama League Directing Fellow, and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).

Em Grosland* (Simon in FAITH) is very excited to be working with Pesha Rudnick again, having worked together on the off-broadway production of Eve Ensler's EMOTIONAL CREATURE in NYC! Other credits include: Off-Broadway: THE ERKLINGS (Theatre Row), Hermes in THE ANTHEM (Lynn Redgrave Theatre), and Francis Flute in A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM (47th Street Theatre). Regional: Little Prince in THE LITTLE PRINCE (Cape Fear Regional Theatre), Peter Pan in PETER PAN (Candlelight Pavilion), Tom Thumb in BARNUM (Totempole Playhouse), and Linus in YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN (California Theatre Center). Em was recently seen in the feature film Ricki and The Flash starring Meryl Streep. Em is a transgender actor who uses the gender pronouns 'they', 'them', and 'their'. To learn more, visit www.EmGrosland.com. *member Actors' Equity Association

Meridith C. Grundei (Theresa in FAITH) holds an M.F.A. in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University and is a member of The Catamounts where she has been seen in MR. SPACKY... THE MAN CONTINUOUSLY FOLLOWED BY WOLVES, GOD'S EAR (Recipient of the 2011 Camera Eye Award for Best Actress in a Drama), THE THREE FACES OF DR. CRIPPEN, MESSENGER #1 (Nominated as Best Actress in a Comedy for the 2012 Culture West, True West Awards), FAILURE... A LOVE STORY, and MR. BURNS, A POST ELECTRIC PLAY. Meridith and her husband Gary Grundei starred in SWEAT at Off Center at the Jones (Denver Center Theatre Company)--an improvised musical on bicycles, directed by FAITH castmate Mare Trevathan. Currently with The Cats Meridith is in rehearsals for SPIRITS TO ENFORCE, by Mickle Maher. She is also company member with Playback Theatre West and recently directed/co-created NORMAL HEIGHTS with Jim Walker and Gary Grundei. Learn more at meridithgrundei.com.

Leigh Nichols Miller* (Owen in FAITH) joins LOCAL for the first time. His theatre credits include: JACKIE AND ME, Romeo and Juliet, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, RICHARD III, THE MIRACLE WORKER, A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL (Denver Center for the Performing Arts); DIVIDING THE ESTATE (The Arvada Center); THE THREE MUSKETEERS and HENRY IV, PART 1 (Shakespeare Santa Cruz), THE MYSTERIOUS MR. LOVE (Grant Humphreys Mansion); A FLEA IN HER EAR (Connecticut Rep); A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Arvada Center); YANKEE TAVERN (Curious Theatre); AS YOU LIKE IT (Sparrow Theatre); CLOUD 9 and MACBETH (National Theatre Conservatory Rep); DEATH OF A SALESMAN and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Chautauqua Theatre Company). Leigh earned an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory. He teaches low-flying trapeze and is a proud father of two boys and husband to an amazingly hardworking woman. *member Actors' Equity Association

Mare Trevathan (Harbinger in FAITH, Associate Artistic Director of LOCAL) has performed Inupiat folk tales in Barrow, Alaska; stage managed dance-theatre in Tokyo; and studied Chekhov in Vladivostok, Russia. Colorado tamed her wanderlust and has been her home since 2001. Mare is Associate Artistic Director of LOCAL and a former member of Curious Theatre Company. She directed the LOCAL Lab 2014 reading of FAITH. Most recently, she appeared in WITTENBERG at Colorado Shakespeare Festival and was the winner of the August storyslam at Truth Be Told. She has narrated over 250 audiobooks for the Library of Congress.

LOCAL Theater Company is a non-for-profit theater company based in Boulder, CO specializing in original works of exceptional quality. We engage audiences through innovative performances that spark camaraderie, learning, and contemplation, and provide a resourceful environment for theater artists to take creative risks, and develop their work. All theater is LOCAL. Theater is a LOCAL experience. When you elect to enter an audience, you create a new community where -- for that brief span of time -- everyone is a local.

To post a comment, you must register and login.