Antaeus Sets L.A. Premiere Of EVERYBODY In Glendale, Running September 16-October 17

Life's greatest mystery: the meaning of living. Antaeus Theatre Company presents the Los Angeles premiere of Everybody, a funny, provocative and very modern riff on a 15th-century morality play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Jennifer Chang. Performances take place at Glendale's Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center from September 16 through October 17. Low-priced previews begin September 11.

Adapted from the medieval morality play Everyman (or The Summoning of Everyman), Jacobs-Jenkins's Everybody is an allegorical journey through life in which the title character, "Everybody," searches for a companion-"Somebody"-who will accompany them to their appointment with "Death" (Anne Gee Byrd). Overseeing Everybody's quest are "God" (Cherish Monique Duke), "Time" (Dawn Didawick) and "Love" (Alberto Isaac). Meanwhile, Everybody and the Somebodies, who number among them "Friendship," "Beauty" and "Stuff," are portrayed on a rotating basis by actors Lisa Sanaye Dring, Nicole Erb, Harry Groener, Antonio Jaramillo and Gerard Joseph. Representing the randomness of death, each of these roles is assigned by lottery at every performance-resulting in 120 possible combinations. Each of these actors must memorize the entire script and be prepared to play any role.

"I've always been a huge fan of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's writing and his playful approach to intense topics, such as, in this case, life and death," says Chang. "It's an important reminder to us all to appreciate life because we don't know how long we've got. As part of the fun, to make it clear that this play really is about everybody-about all of us-we're setting it in Glendale. We hope that as audiences enter the theater, they'll be reminded of the street they just left behind."

Everybody premiered off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre in 2017 and was a 2018 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The Huffington Post calls it "theater rather unlike anything you might have seen...unusual, unconventional and eye-opening... not only provocative and involving, it is also funny. Wildly funny, in fact."

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who The New York Times calls "one of this country's most original and illuminating writers," is a Brooklyn-based playwright whose other credits include Girls (Yale Rep), War (world premiere, Yale Rep; LCT3), Gloria (Vineyard Theatre; Echo Theater Company in L.A.; Pulitzer Prize finalist), Appropriate (Signature Theatre; Mark Taper Forum; OBIE Award), An Octoroon (Soho Rep.; Fountain Theatre in L.A.; OBIE Award), and Neighbors (The Public Theater; Matrix Theatre Company in L.A.). A Residency Five playwright at Signature Theatre, his most recent honors include the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright from the London Evening Standard, a London Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwriting, a MacArthur Fellowship (commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant"), the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama, the Benjamin H. Danks Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Steinberg Playwriting Award, and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award. Jacobs-Jenkins has taught at NYU, Juilliard, Hunter College, and the University of Texas-Austin, and he recently joined the faculty at Yale University.

The Antaeus creative team includes scenic and props designer Nicholas Ponting, costume designer Adriana Lámbarri, lighting designer Bryan Ealey, sound designer Salvador Zamora and projection designer Yi-Chien Lee. The dramaturg is Ryan McRee, the assistant stage manager is Jess Osorio, and the production stage manager is Trixie Hong.

Jennifer Chang is a multi-disciplinary artist whose recent directing credits include the opera On Gold Mountain by Nathan Wang and Lisa See with LA Opera at the Huntington and The Great Leap by Lauren Yee at Round House Theatre. Jennifer won the 2019 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for her direction of the Los Angeles premiere of Vietgone by Qui Nguyen at East West Players. She was a 2018 Drama League New York Fellow, directing the world premiere of Mara Nelson-Greenberg's The Clitorish and serving as assistant director on the Broadway world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Bernhardt/Hamlet starring Janet McTeer. She is a founding member and co-artistic director of Chalk Repertory Theatre, where her work has been honored with an Ovation, an LA Weekly Award and a Stage Scene LA "Scenie" award. Other select directing credits include Hannah and the Dread Gazebo by Jiehae Park at The Fountain Theatre in association with East West Players; Death and Cockroaches by Eric Reyes Loo for Chalk Rep; Animals Out of paper by Rajiv Joseph at East West Players (L.A. Times "Critics Pick"); Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them for Artists at Play (GLAAD Media Award, Stage Scene LA "Scenie" award for best director, Ovation nominated); and Our American Story and Residence Elsewhere (commissioned for the 75th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066) at the Japanese American National Museum

Antaeus is an actor-driven theater company that explores and produces timely and timeless works, grounded in its passion for the classics. The company illuminates diverse human experiences through performance, training and outreach. It believes in the transformative power of live theater.

The Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center complements Glendale's ongoing commitment to integrate vibrant arts space into the fabric of city life, ensuring the arts remain accessible to all. Located just a few blocks away from The Americana at Brand and the remodeled Glendale Central Library as well as the Alex Theatre, the center promises to build upon Glendale's growing reputation as an arts and entertainment destination. The center includes an 80-seat theater, a reconfigurable 36-seat performance/classroom space, and a theater classics library.

Performances of Everybody begin Friday, Sept. 16, with performances continuing on Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.; and Mondays at 8 p.m. through October 17 (no matinee on Saturday, Sept. 17; dark Monday, Sept. 19).. There will be two additional performances on Thursday, Oct. 6 and Thursday, Oct. 13, each at 8 p.m. Four preview performances take place September 11 through September 15. Tickets to all performances are $40; tickets to previews are $20.

The Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center is located at 110 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205 (between N. Brand Blvd. and Artsakh Ave.). The first 90 minutes of parking is free, then $2 per hour, in Glendale Marketplace garage located at 120 Artsakh Ave. (between Broadway and Harvard). The theater is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.

For reservations and information, call 818-506-1983 or go to www.antaeus.org.

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