Caroline Aaron Stars in LA Debut of BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW at NoHo Arts Center, Now thru 5/25

49TH Parallel in association the multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE), are thrilled to present the Los Angeles premiere of a new play, BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW, written by Bekah Brunstetter (OOHRAH!) and directed by Sara Botsford. BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW will preview tonight, April 17 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 18 at 8pm and run for six weeks through Sunday, May 25, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

Young wife Melody has never been to a funeral - until her husband dies in a plane crash. Expected to instantly assume proper widowhood, Melody is left to wonder, what's the right way to grieve? Fortunately, her mother-in-law is a professional. Widow, that is. Under her guidance, Melody must try her best to be a good little widow. A sad comedy about loss and longing, BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW had its world premiere at Ars Nova in New York City and its West Coast premiere at the Old Globe in San Diego.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

BEKAH BRUNSTETTER (Writer) Her plays include THE OREGON TRAIL (O'Neill Playwright's Conference, 2013,) BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW (The Old Globe, Ars Nova.) OOHRAH! (The Atlantic Theater), MISS LILLY GETS BONED (Finborough Theater, London) and HOUSE OF HOME (Williamstown theater Festival.) She is a member of the Center Theater Group's playwright group, and is currently working on an commission for South Coast Repertory. She is a story editor for ABC Family's Switched at Birth. MFA, The New School for Drama.

SARA BOTSFORD (Director) As a director: Feature film, Dead Innocent. In Theatre: (LA) East of Berlin, Palace of the End, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, History of Bowling, Zastrozzi, Cover of Life, The Good Life, , On the Way Up, Dorothy Parker, The Goodnight Bird. (NY) Savage in Limbo, (Vancouver) Summer and Smoke. Co-artistic director of 49th Parallel Theatre, with Christopher Brown (www.49thparalleltheatre.com) and the writer, co-director, co-producer of CANOOKS, an original web comedy on YOUTUBE, about to shoot SEASON 2. One half of the production company THOSE DAMN CANADIANS. Sara coaches in NYC, LA, Vancouver and Toronto. As an Actress: Theatre highlights: Good People, Geffen Playhouse (Ovation Nom.) dir. Matt Shakman; The Real Thing, Broadway and National tour, dir. Mike Nichols; Top Girls, (Obie Award); Romeo and Juliet, dir. Sir Peter Hall; Glass Menagerie (Independent Theatre Best Actress Award), Blithe Spirit, Private Lives, Present Laughter, Royal Family, Tamara, Candida, Uncle Vanya, Stratford Festival of Canada (3 seasons) Film: The Egg Factory,The Fog, Still of the Night, Tremors 4,(DVD Exclusive, Best actress Nomination) Legal Eagles, Jumping Jack Flash, By Design,(Genie nomination, Best actress) The Fixer, Deadly Eyes, Murder by Phone. Television highlights: The Lizzie Borden Story, SOPHIE (Series lead), ABC Family; award winning Canadian series E.N.G, (Series lead, Gemini Award for Best Actress); AMC series The Lot, (Series lead); multiple guest stars in U.S. and Canada.

ABOUT THE CAST AND DESIGN TEAM:

CAROLINE AARON made her Broadway debut in Robert Altman's "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" and later appeared in the film. The following Broadway season,she starred in the Jose Quintero/Jason Robards' revival of "The Iceman Cometh". She next starred in Mike Nichols's Broadway smash comedy "Social Security". Mr. Nichols first directed her on film in "Heartburn". She re-teamed with Mr. Nichols for "Working Girl", "Primary Colors", and "What Planet Are You From?" She returned to Broadway starring in "I Hate Hamlet." She headlined the west coast premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosensweig" and was acknowledged with both a Helen Hayes and Dramalogue Award. Most recently she starred on Broadway in Woody Allen's comedy "Honeymoon Hotel". Last season she starred In Lincoln Center's award winning play "A Kid Like Jake." Film audiences perhaps best know Ms. Aaron best as Woody Allen's sister in "Crimes and Misdemeanors". She also worked with Woody Allen in "Alice", "Bullets Over Broadway", "Husbands and Wives", and again played his sister in "Deconstructing Harry". Her repeated work for top directors includes working again with Robert Altman on "O.C. & Stiggs", as well as with Nora Ephron on "Sleepless in Seattle", "This Is My Life", "Lucky Numbers", and at The Geffen Theatre in Ms. Ephron's comedy hit "Love, Loss, and What She Wore." Caroline starred in Kevin Spacey's film "Beyond the Sea". Other film credits include "Just Like Heaven", "Nancy Drew", "Surveillance", "Love Comes Lately", "Edward Scissorhands, "Anywhere But Here", "The Big Night", and "Bounce". For her role in "Bounce" she was honored with a Blockbuster Award as best supporting actress.

LARISA OLEYNIK began her professional acting career at the age of eight in a San Francisco production of Les Miserables. It was her first professional audition. She went on to star in the popular Nickelodeon show The Secret World of Alex Mack and in the teen movie 10 Things I Hate About You. Since graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in '04, Ms. Oleynik has been steadily working in TV and independent film. Recent favorites include multi-episode arcs on Hawaii 5-0 and Pretty Little Liars, and a recurring gig on Mad Men as Mrs. Ken Cosgrove. She also has two films currently on the festival circuit, BFFs and OJ: The Musical. Yes, a musical about OJ Simpson. Larisa is ever grateful to bring the Los Angeles premiere of Be A Good Little Widow to life.

TREY McCURLEY grew up in Oklahoma and attended UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television, graduating with an MFA in Acting. He recently played Hamlet with Colonials Theater Co., and was last seen onstage in The Goodnight Bird at the NoHo Arts Center, also directed by Sara Botsford. Upcoming films include "Crazy Bitches," "Caged, "Echoes in an Empty Apartment," "Hot Guys with Guns, "Chavez-Cage of Glory," and "P-51 Dragon Fighter". He'll also be appearing in the second season of Sara Botsford's and CB Brown's comedy series, "Canooks".

DONOVAN PATTON is a recent LA transplant from New York, Donovan's career is diverse, with roles ranging from a lead in the film Lies I Told My Little Sister ("Best of the Fest" at the Gasparilla Film Festival) and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet (Hangar Theatre) to the video game Grand Theft Auto V and Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues, for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy. Theatrically, he has performed Off-Broadway and regionally with the likes of Michael Mayer and Kathleen Chalfant (True History and Real Adventures at The Vineyard Theatre), Hal Holbrook and Greg Boyd (Our Town at The Hartford Stage Company), as well as Matt August (The Complete History of America...Abridged at The Hangar Theatre). An alum of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where he studied with Ron Stetson, and Richard Pinter, Donovan is also a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy. Donovan's voiceover career is extensive, performing regularly as Bot in Team Umizoomi, as well as many voices in Pixar's Monster's University, among others. Additional credits include Blue Bloods, Nurse Jackie, Damages, One Life to Live, and more. Most recently, Donovan was Optimus Prime in the 30-Minute Musical: Trans4mers, a comedy spoof directed by Brooke Seguin at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood.

BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW has assembled an award-winning design team. The Set Design is by Lacey Anzelc The Lighting Design is by Dan Weingarten. The Sound Design is by Christopher Brown. BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW is being produced by Andrew Carlberg, Christopher Brown, Sara Botsford and Larisa Oleynik.

BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW will preview on Thursday, April 17 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 18 at 8pm and will run for six weeks through Sunday, May 25, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm. Ticket prices are $25.00 for all performances. For tickets, call 323-388-3874 or visit www.beagoodlittlewidow.brownpapertickets.com or www.thenohoartscenter.com.

49TH PARALLEL was created in 2006 with a mandate to bring Canadian playwrights to Los Angeles audiences. Since then we have expanded our mandate to include up-and-coming playwrights from all countries. Since its inception, 49th Parallel has produced: The Good Life, Palace of the End by Judith Thompson, Drawer Boy, The Cover of Life, Zastrozzi, East of Berlin, and The Goodnight Bird. We are very happy to be co-producing Be a Good Little Widow with Andrew Carlberg and Larisa Oleynik, and to be working with playwright Bekah Brunstetter. THE NOHO ARTS CENTER and THE NOHO ARTS CENTER ENSEMBLE was created in 2004, when theatre veterans James J. Mellon and Kevin Bailey partnered with Doug Hutchinson. The Center's resident company - the multiple award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE) - is comprised of actors, directors and writers, galvanized into a passionate ensemble that creates new plays and musicals, adopting as their vision statement "Theatre for Its Own Sake."

THE NOHO ARTS CENTER has garnered three Ovation Awards and 19 nominations; two Garland Awards, along with 10 nominations; eight ADA Awards (including Best Director and Choreography for A BOY CALLED LIZARD) and 24 nominations; three LA Weekly Awards and five LA WEEKLY nominations; and three LADCC Award nominations. Most recently, the NoHo Arts Center was represented on Broadway with Holland Taylor's critically-acclaimed ANN at Lincoln Center. In addition, A BOY CALLED LIZARD and YO HO HO, A PIRATE'S CHRISTMAS have been published by Samuel French, with A BOY CALLED LIZARD garnering the 2012 AATE (American Association of Theatre and Education) award for Best Adaptation of a Musical. www.nohoace.com.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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