Celebration Theatre Presents LIKE DROWNING Tonight

CELEBRATION THEATRE presents as part of its New Works Reading Series "Like Drowning" tonight, March 17 at 7:30pm at the West Hollywood City Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. in West Hollywood. "Like Drowning" takes place in an upper East Side Manhattan apartment, switching back and forth in time from the early 1990s to present day. The earlier scenes explore the relationship of Richard, a handsome, irresponsible actor in his 40s, and Rodney, a slightly older, attentive, well-off member of a theater's Board of Directors. In the present-day scenes, some 25 years later, an older version of Rodney brings an older version of Richard to his apartment to care for him as he faces his greatest personal challenge.

Taken together, Like Drowning is a complex, detailed, funny exploration of the nature of unrequited love from both the giver's and receiver's point of view, and the bonds of friendship and devotion that somehow manage to withstand turmoil and time.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST
BRIAN PETTI (Playwright) has been produced Off-Off Broadway (Masquerade, Before the Parade Passes By, Hindenburg-the Musical) and regionally (Next Year in Jerusalem, The Measure of a Man, On the Expectation of White Christmases) by such companies as Ten Grand Productions, The American Theater of Actors, Inc. and The Duplex Cabaret. Masquerade was staged at Cherry Lane Theater in NYC and Next Year in Jerusalem was the winner of the Humboldt State University National Play Contest in California, where it received a student production. The Measure of a Man and On the Expectation of White Christmases are published by JAC Publishing and Promotions, and Banshee is published by Next Stage Press. Echoes of Ireland was recently produced in County Cork, Ireland by the Skibbereen Theatre Society and is published through Eldridge Plays and Musicals. Ten Seconds was produced by Motivational Theatre as winner of the Carlton E. Spitzer Excellence in Playwrighting Award. The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein was part of All Out Arts' Fresh Fruit Festival in July, 2013. Most recently, Banshee was produced by Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood, CA.

CHRISTOPHER MAIKISH (Director) Christopher Maikish is an award-winning actor, director, and producer, known to Celebration Theatre audiences for originating the role of the hero prince in the world premiere musical, THE NEXT FAIRY TALE by Brian Pugach. His directorial debut for the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival production of Jason Robert Brown's SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD was hailed as "inventive" (Stage and Cinema), "subtle yet powerful" (Rob Stevens), and "with consummate imagination" (StageSceneLA). The show received multiple theater award nominations, including a local Robby Award nomination for "Best Director" and a win for "Best Ensemble Performance". He also co-founded and executive produces the popular musicals concert series, ALittleNewMusic.org.

The cast of Like Drowning will feature: Jeremy Mann, Michael Shutt, Michael Heimos, Neil Eliot.

PRICING
Admission is free... with donations gratefully accepted.

Celebrating New Works is produced by Celebration Theatre's Literary Director Nathan Frizzell.

Celebration Theatre is headed by its Co-Artistic Directors Michael Matthews and Michael A. Shepperd, along with its Executive Director Michael C. Kricfalusi.

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