GRoW @ The Wallis Presents THE HITCH HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams' much loved, absurdist and subversive satire, is presented in a vibrant, fast paced, gender-bending production directed by Madeleine Dahm, from Thursday, June 14 through Sunday, June 17, 2018, including a Science Fiction Costume Night on June 16, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the Lovelace Studio Theater. After its first appearance as a radio play originally produced by BBC 4 Radio in 1978, Adams' work quickly became a worldwide cult classic celebrated for its sharp wit and ironic style. Dahm's version at The Wallis integrates puppetry, stylized movement, miniature sets and live music to bring the timely political satire to life.

Cast members Alex Sheldon, Kelvin Morales, Siera Williams, Mauricio Morazan, Helya Salarvand, Jo Rodriguez, Jayde Kief, Trecey Dory, Matt Maguire and Madalina Nastase are part of an ensemble created by Dahm and GRoW @ The Wallis for early career actors committed to creating innovative theatre for social change. Its mission to cross boundaries is blended with an ethos of collaboration; create thoughtful and provocative work that is rooted in examining our humanity.

A true space opera, commonly referred to by its adoring followers as "HHGG," the story begins after the earth is completely destroyed to make way for an intergalactic bypass. The last human, now known as Martha Dent -- in a switch from Adams' original main character, Arthur Dent -- and her intergalactic traveler sidekick, Ford Prefect, take a hysterical journey through unsuspecting parts of the galaxy hoping to discover the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

"The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxyis as clever as it is silly, as light-hearted as it is subversive, with an underlying commentary on the social, ecological, and political state of modern society, and it is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago," says The Wallis' Director of Education Mark Slavkin. "As a satirist, strong environmentalist and technology advocate, Adams used his unique comedic approach to not only entertain, but also address important issues."

According to Dahm, "Adams addressed the original radio play's lack of female characters in his series of HHGG novels, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Life the Universe and Everything, and as a modern day company that celebrates diversity and those often marginalized in theatre, we felt strongly that in bringing our version of the radio play to the stage we needed to address the gender imbalance of the original Hitch Hiker's Guide. We have attempted to do so in a way that we believe still honors' the integrity of Douglas's overall intent and vision."

In addition to director Dahm, the creative team for The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxyincludes lighting design by Bosco Flanagan, production design by Madeleine Dahm and puppets and masks by Alex Sheldon. Live musicians on piano, accordion, guitar and clarinet are Alex Sheldon, Kelvin Morales and Siera Williams.

Single tickets are now available for $20. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit TheWallis.org, call 310.746.4000, or stop by in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Services located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Ticket prices subject to change.

Audiences are invited to enjoy craft cocktails, a handpicked bottle of wine or draft beer at The Briskin Bar @ The Wallislocated in the beautiful Jim and Eleanor Randall Grand Hall before and after each performance. Patrons attending evening performances are encouraged to arrive early for Happy Hour featuring special drink prices from 5:30pm - 6:30pm, and all audience members can now enjoy drinks at their seats during the performance.

About the Artists

Douglas Adams(Writer) was an award winning British comic writer, advocate for environmentalism, conservation and technological innovation, whose works satirize contemporary life. Adams is best known for the mock science-fiction series known collectively as The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Adams received an M.A. in English literature from the University of Cambridge. He was a writer and script editor for the television series "Doctor Who," "Monty Python's Flying Circus," and wrote scripts for the BBC. The Hitch Hiker's Guideseries is an epic parody that lampoons modern society with biting humor. According to Adams, the idea for the title occurred to him while he lay drunk in a field in Innsbruck, Austria, gazing at the stars. He was carrying a copy of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe, and it occurred to him that "somebody ought to write a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." He later said that the constant repetition of this anecdote had obliterated his memory of the actual event. Despite the original outline, Adams was said to make up the stories as he wrote. The work achieved great popularity, first as a 12-part series on radio in 1978-80 and then in a 5-book series that sold more than 14 million copies internationally. Adams received the Hugo Award in 1979 for Best Dramatic Presentation. The Hitch Hiker's Guidewas later adapted for television, and film. After Adams passed away in 2001 aged 49, the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins said of him, "Science has lost a friend, literature has lost a luminary, the mountain gorilla and the black rhino have lost a gallant defender."

Madeleine Dahm(Director and Production Designer) is an award winning theater director, choreographer, dramaturg and arts activist. Originally from London her work has been presented across the UK, in Europe, and U.S. She has been the Resident Artist at Grow @ The Wallis since 2015, and is the founding director of The Wallis Youth Theater Company. Recent directing credits include co-director and choreographer of Salt, for newly formed Italian physical theatre company, Bämsemble; rehearsal supervisor of Panoramafor The Martha Graham Dance Company; associate director and choreographer for The House is Black Multi-Media Project, a seminal work on Forough Farrokhzad by Sussan Deyhim (Argo), Co-Director Robert Egan (Angels in America); recently seen at The Met, New York and at TheWallis. Dahm is working on the dramaturg and direction of the staged play Isn't it Richtaken from the feminist novella by international journalist Victoria Looseleaf. She is director and choreographer of a new musical comedy by Emmy Award winning film composer Harold Faltermeyer (Beverly Hills Cop), and renowned Disney writer Philip LaZebnik. She trained at the Old Vic as well as with legendary Martha Graham. She is an Associate Member of the Stage Director and Choreographer Society of America and Founding Member of the British Association of choreographers.

Bosco Flanagan(Lighting Designer) is a multi-award winning lighting designer who has worked across the UK, Ireland and the US. He is the resident lighting designer for Tim Robbin's company The Actors Gang, and the critically acclaimed Independent Shakespeare Company.Flanagan has worked with Dahm on various theatre and dance productions in Los Angeles for the past twelve years. He is the recipient of six Ovation Awards for lighting design. His other lighting credits include work for The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Grand Opera House (Dublin), The Royal Court Theatre (London), The New York and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals and touring with the late David Bowie, U2 andThe Rolling Stones.

Alex Sheldon(Masks and Puppets) is in his second year with The Wallis Youth Theater Companyand fourth show at The Wallis. A member of the Society of American Fight Directors, he is the resident fight choreographer for the company. Sheldon got his training as a mask maker learning Commedia dell'Arte at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum, where he has been an actor for several years. His masks have appeared in the company's previous shows Word of Mouth and Disposableas well as several dedicated collections for Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum. In making the puppets for HHGG, Sheldon combines mask technique with sculpture and special effects make up.

Andrew Villareal(Acting Coach), a proud graduate of Texas A&M Int'l and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, is honored to have been given the opportunity to work with such stellar artists. He has been acknowledged with 'Year's Best Performance - Stage Scene LA for his work as Arnold Beckoff in Theatre Out's Torch Song Trilogy. Past recognitions include Best Actor wins for The Rocky Horror Show(Stage Scene LA) and Equus(Santa Monica Theatre Guild). Villareal recently completed work on the comedy web series Kaplan's Korner and celebrated a "Best Comedy" with the cast of Dead Sexyat the IFS Film Festival. Recent credits include The MC in a new musical comedy by Harold Faltermeyer and Disney's Phillip LaZebnik, Konstantin in The Seagull, Dieter Keller in The Red Dress at The Odysseyand Voldar in the beloved Orange County cult classicSanta Claus Conquers the Martians.

About The Company:

The Wallis Youth Theater Company was launched in 2016 when GRoW @ The Wallis joined with theatre director Madeleine Dahm to create this groundbreaking ensemble. Since its inception The Ensemble has mounted three full scale theatrical productions at The Wallis; Bram Goldsmith and the Lovelace Theatres: Two highly original devised pieces exploring our political, social. and ecological challenges in a post truth era, and a contemporary adaptation of the Greek tragedy Thebesby British playwright Gareth Jandrell (US premiere 2017).Their first devised production Word of Mouthwas featured on NPR by Priska Neely, at Rise Up LA and was also performed in Italy at the Crisis Art Festival (2017); their most recent production Disposable, an uncompromisingly dark and avant-garde work, is now heading to the San Diego International Fringe Festival in July of this year.

About the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts:

Since opening its doors in October 2013, The Wallis has produced or presented more than 250 dance, theatre, opera, classical music and family programs to an ever-expanding audience. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Paul Crewes and Managing Director Rachel Fine, The Wallis brings audiences world-class theater, dance and music, performed by many of the world's most talented and sought-after artists. Featuring eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its notability as the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis offers original and revered works from across the U.S. and around the globe.

The mission of The Wallis is to create, present and celebrate unique performing arts events and educational programs that reflect the rich cultural diversity of our community. Nominated for 47 Ovation Awards, four L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards and the recipient of six architectural awards, The Wallis is a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot venue that celebrates the classic and the modern and was designed by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA of Studio Pali Fekete architects. The building features the restored, original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) that serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and houses the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, GRoW at The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education (a gift of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family and the Annenberg Foundation) and the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater. Together, these structures embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike.

The Official Sponsors of The Wallis' 2017/18 Season include: Delta Air Lines (Official Airline Sponsor), Montage Beverly Hills (Preferred Hotel), Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills (Official Automotive Sponsor) and Meridith Baer Home (Official Décor Sponsor).

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