24th STreet Theatre and Viaje Redondo Producciones Present ROME AT THE END OF THE LINE, 9/15-10/7

On the heels of winning this year's national TCG Peter Zeisler Award for risk taking and innovation in the American theater, 24th STreet Theatre launches its 15th Anniversary Season with a U.S. premiere. The captivating story of a friendship that spans a lifetime, Rome at the End of the Line (Roma al Final de la Via), written by Daniel Serrano and directed by Alberto Lomnitz, opens on Sept. 15 for a limited run through Oct. 7 in a co-production with Mexico's Viaje Redondo Producciones. All performances will be in Spanish with English supertitles and are appropriate for ages 12 through adult.

Norma Angélica and Julieta Ortiz star as EvAngelina And Emilia, born a few days apart in a small Mexican town. As seven-year-olds, they walk together to the train tracks with the child-like hope of boarding the train and traveling to Rome. From that moment, their lives are forever tied together. The two return to the tracks five more times-at ages 13, 20, 40, 60 and 80-to share their dreams, worries and love stories.

"Norma and Julieta are two of the best actors in all of Mexico, and I'm thrilled to welcome them back to 24th STreet's stage," says executive director Jay McAdams. "We've been partnering with Mexican artists and organizations for several years now, part of our mission to make 24th STreet the 'go-to place' for adults and kids to share some of the most sophisticated and provocative art for families seen anywhere in the U.S."

Rome at the End of the Line premiered in April 2011 at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana?s theater "La Casa de la Paz," located in Mexico City?s Colonia Roma. In May 2011, the play was chosen for the XV Festival Universitario de Teatro of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Norte for which it was presented in Tijuana, Mexicali and Ensenada. Since then, it has been staged at the National Center of the Arts of Monterrey, NL as part of the xx Festival de Teatro of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon; at the Teatro de la Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa as part of the Novenario Teatral of Culiacan, Sinaloa; and at the Theatre of the City of La Paz as Special Guest to the fifth Regional Theatre Forum of La Paz, Baja California. Last November the play was chosen from over 200 participating plays to be part of the annual National Theatre Forum of Mexico, held in Campeche, Campeche.

Now, Rome at the End of the Line continues 24th STreet Theatre's ongoing, critically acclaimed tradition of presenting work in Spanish with English supertitles, including La Razón Blindada, which was honored with theLA Weekly 2011 Production of the Year Award, and El Ogrito, named a "Critic's Choice" by the Los Angeles Times.

Under the leadership of artistic director Debbie Devine and executive director Jay McAdams, 24th STreet Theatre is known for being a leader in arts education and community outreach as well as for presenting quality professional theater for young and old alike. Using art as a tool to positively impact the world around them, 24th Street's programming includes free after school enrichment programs, Teatro Nuevo Latino Initiative projects, a music series, outreach programs for at-risk teens, free community events, professional development programs for teachers, arts-ed school workshops, gallery exhibits and international touring in addition to critically acclaimed season productions geared for both adult and family audiences.

Daniel Serrano is a playwright, actor, and theater director who has lived in Tijuana, Mexico since 1995. Of his fifteen written plays, his most recently published work is the trilogy "Ciudades imposibles" (Impossible Cities), which includes the plays París detrás de la puerta (Paris Behind the Door), Roma al final de la vía (Rome at the End of the Line), and Berlín en el desierto (Berlin in the Desert). He is general director of the Dramared theater company, where he recently curated the repertory Memorama and El hombre sin adjetivos (The Man Without Adjectives) by Mario Cantú Toscano, as well as París detrás de la puerta (Paris Behind the Door) and El carbón en la boca de Porcia (The Coal in Porcia?s Mouth), his own work, the latter produced by the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Centro Cultural Tijuana. A member of the National System of Art Creators, Daniel is currently the director of the School of the Arts at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, México.

Alberto Lomnitz ranks among Mexico?s most recognized and prolific theater artists. He has directed more than forty professional productions, written nearly a dozen plays (the last of which won a Mexican National Theater Award in 2009), has designed sets, lighting and created masks for some of his own productions as well as for others, and is an experienced teacher of acting and directing. He was the artistic director of the National Theatre Company (Mexico) from 1998-2000. Since 1992 he is the founding artistic director of "Seña y Verbo," the renowned Mexican Theatre of the Deaf, and he is also currently one of two artistic directors of Mexico?s oldest theater company, that of the University of Veracruz in the city of Xalapa. He is a member of the National System of Art Creators.

Norma Angélica was nominated for the 2012 Ariel Award (the Mexican version of the Academy Award) for Best Supporting Actress. She is a graduate of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México CUT- UNAM and has appeared in over fifty plays, earning national and international awards both in theater and film. Since 2007, she has belonged to the Actors Bank of Cirque du Soleil. Norma previously performed at 24th STreet Theatre in Aristides Vargas' Nuestra Señora de las Nubes.

Julieta Ortiz is a graduate of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México CUT-UNAM drama school and has participated in national and international festivals, performing in more than 35 professional plays under the guidance of some of the most recognized Mexican directors. She has belonged to six theater companies, receiving several grants from the Mexican Government for her own productions and professional development. Julieta lives in Los Angeles, where she appears in movies and TV shows including Price of the American Dream II, The Perfect Game, Prime Suspect, Law & Order, Criminal Minds, Medium and Day Break. She received the Best Actress award from the La Cinema Fe Film Festival of New York for her lead role in Dirt by Nancy Savoca. She also is an experienced teacher in theatrical mask usage, body training for actors and creative workout/games for seniors.

Movement design for Rome at the End of the Line is by Isabel Romero, costume design is by Adriana Olivera, lighting design is by Alberto Lomnitz andIsmael Carrasco, and sound design is by Alejandro López Velarde and Javier de la Peza.

Performances of Rome at the end of the Line take place Sept. 15 through Oct. 7 Saturdays @ 2 pm and 7:30 pm; and Sundays @ 2 pm. Tickets are$15 for adults; $10 for children and teens under 16; $12 for students, seniors and teachers; and 24 cents for residents of the theater's surrounding North University Park neighborhood. For reservations and information, call (213) 745-6516 or go to www.24thstreet.org.

24th STreet Theatre is located at 1117 West 24th St., Los Angeles, Calif. (at the intersection of 24th and Hoover). Free parking is available in the adjacent parking lot. The theater is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.

 

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