ANDY WARHOL'S TOMATO Extends Through November 24 at Pacific Resident Theatre

It's 1946 in Pittsburgh. An 18-year-old Andy Warhol finds himself in the basement of the working class bar. Over the course of a summer, Andy gives and gets inspiration, guidance, and friendship from a surprising source.

Pittsburgh folklore has it that there is a working class bar which has the reputation for being the place where a teenage Andy Warhol drew on napkins in exchange for Coca-Cola. While drinking at that same bar, playwright, Vince Melocchi, began to see it in a different way... as a creative, mysterious place. He noted, "Andy allowed us to see, think, and feel about art in a completely new way. I wanted to find out who and what were his real influences. Andy Warhol's Tomato imagines a chance encounter between Warhol and a Pittsburgh bar owner, as one of the steps on Warhol's extraordinary journey in life"

Vince Melocchi is a Los Angeles playwright whose work was first honored with the 2008 run of Lions (Ovation Award nomination - Playwriting for an Original Play). Subsequent works include Julia (L.A Weekly Award nomination - Playwriting), Nice Things, Welcome To Santa, Saints, Making Moves and Figures. Lions and Julia made their world premiere at Pacific Resident Theatre (both directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos). Vince's work has been produced and/or developed at Rogue Machine Theatre, Greenway Court Theatre, The Blank Theatre Company, Williamstown Summer Theatre Festival, The Road Theatre in North Hollywood, Virginia Tech University, Penn State University, Last Frontier Theatre Conference and 59E59 Theatres in New York.

Dana Jackson (Director) is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Director's Lab. At PRT she helmed The Eccentricities of a Nightingale by Tennessee Williams (LA Times Critic's Choice, LADCC Award - Best Lead Performance, 5 Sage Awards, multiple Broadway World Nominations), Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard (LA Weekly "Ten Best Plays of 2014," LADCC nomination, Best Supporting Actor) and co-directed the critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge (LA Times Critic's Choice, LADCC nomination, Best Revival of a Classic Play), Nora, Ingmar Bergman's Stage Adaptation based on Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House (Backstage Critic's Pick, LA Weekly Go, Backstage 10 Standout Theater Performances), Barrie: Back To Back An Evening of Two One Act Plays by J.M. Barrie (LA Times Critic's Choice), and was associate director on Ernest Vajda's Fata Morgana and The Browning Version by Terence Rattigan.

Keith Stevenson stars as Bones. He has appeared in Smart Love, Rhinoceros, My Girlfriend is Alien by Keith DeFacto, Lions (at PRT), Julia (PRT, 59e59 in NYC), King Dick (Gangbusters Theatre), The Steward of Christendom (Pittsburgh Public). Keith is the author of The Fried Meat Trilogy, performed at Pacific Resident Theatre (2012-2015), Out There on Fried Meat Ridge Rd. (2012 Ovation nomination for "Playwriting for an Original Play") which played at Trafalgar Studios in London's West End in 2017 with Mr. Stevenson performing.

Derek Chariton stars as Andy Warhol. He recently starred in Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Sweat, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Selected acting credits include The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, Beauty Queen of Leenane, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. TV credits include American Horror Story, SWAT, 9-1-1, Medal of Honor, CSI: Los Angeles, & Stargate.

Our creative team includes includes Rich Rose (Scenic Design), Christopher Moscatiello (Sound Desig), Andrew Schmedake (Lighting and Projection Design), Keilani Gleave (Costume Design), Mateo Rudich (Technical Director).

Pacific Resident Theatre is nationally recognized as one of the top regional theaters on the West Coast. The company presents works of the highest quality, in order to entertain, inform and educate its multicultural community. In addition to the company's commitment to rediscover the rarely performed classics, PRT is focused on fostering and developing new works through the collaboration of an artistic ensemble influenced by societal relevance, past, present and future. Pacific Resident Theatre promotes the theatre arts by providing opportunities for artists and craftsmen to develop and enrich their skills.

"Andy Warhol's Tomato" is extended to run Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm (with additional performances at 8pm on Thursday and Friday October 24 & 25) through November 24, 2019. Pacific Resident Theatre is located at 703 Venice Blvd., in Venice, CA 90291. Tickets are $25 - $34 and can be purchased online at www.pacificresidenttheatre.com or by calling (310) 822-8392.

Photo: Keith Stevenson and Derek Chariton

Photographed by: Teak Piegdon

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