Grace McLeod's HERLAND Announced At Greenway Court Theatre

Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co- Artistic Directors) announced today that rehearsals are underway for Grace McLeod's HERLANDat Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles).

The Cast of HERLAND features Gladys Bautista as "Natalie" (Original Company of Magic Circle Theatre's Writers in the Storm; TV credits include Showtime's Masters of Sex and CBS's Criminal Minds); Lisa Richards as "Jean" (Geffen Playhouse's You Can't Take It With You, Greenway Court Theatre's The Glass Menagerie and Papermill Playhouse's Death of a Salesman); Judith Scarpone as "Louise" (Broadway's The Twilight of the Goldsand Skylight Theatre Company's Reasons to Live); Laura James as "Terry" (Open Fist Theatre Company's Walking to Buchenwald; film credits include Losin' It with Tom Cruise and Raging Bull); and Victoria Ortiz as "Becca"(Rogue Machine's Super Variety Match Bonus Round! - "Best Performance" nomination, LA Drama Critics Award; TV credits include Amazon's Transparent and The CW's Jane the Virgin.

Tiffany Moon(Ojai Playwrights Conference Artistic Associate), who serves as Greenway Court Theatre's Producing Director, directs the National New Play Network's (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere play about women growing up, growing old and rocking out to the beat of their own drums. Performances begin May 30, 2019 and play through June 23, 2019, with the official press opening on Friday, May 31 at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue) in Los Angeles.

"We are very excited to have Tiffany direct her first Greenway production. She has a strong understanding of what is both inspiring and entertaining in theater. She truly loves the art form and it shows in her work, exclaimed Whitney Weston, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Greenway Arts Alliance.

Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director Pierson Blaetz of Greenway Arts Alliance commented about Greenway's ongoing partnership with NNPN's Rolling World Premiere productions, "We had a great experience with Jennifer Barclay's Ripe Frenzy. Audience and critics loved Jennifer's riveting and powerful play. There is nothing that can replace the benefit of multiple productions in the play development process, and we are thrilled to be a part of Grace McLeod's Herland.

HERLAND director and Greenway Court Theatre producing director said, I am so floored by the fierce ensemble we have put together to explore this very timely coming-of-age (and growing-in-age!) story. Grace McLeod's professional debut is nothing short of astonishing, and I am in awe of her continued willingness to investigate these characters and situations. Grace, and by extension I, have learned so much from the first two Rolling World Premiere productions at Moxie Theatre in San Diego and Redtwist Theatre in Chicago, and I can't wait to see the fruition of our developmental work come to life on the Greenway stage.

I'm so grateful to the National New Play Network and to these three theaters for taking a chance on this play. I have worked with such incredible casts and creative teams and learned so much in San Diego and Chicago, and I'm excited to now bring all of that experience to Los Angeles and work with the team at Greenway Court Theatre to craft a joyous and unapologetically queer final production, said HERLANDplaywright Grace McLeod.

McLeod added, To me, HERLANDis about coming of age at all different ages. Nobody has all the answers and we are all constantly discovering what we want and how best to belong to ourselves. I hope Los Angeles audiences will see themselves in this story of intergenerational friendship and enjoy cheering on a group of rock stars who rarely get to take the mic.

Joining Tiffany Moon, the HERLANDcreative team also includes: lighting designer Azra King-Abadi(Greenway Arts Alliance's The Color Purple and Ripe Frenzy), costume designer Elena Flores(Center Theatre Group's and The Echo Theater's production of theLos Angeles Premiere of Dry Land), scenic designer and technical director Rene O. Parras Jr.(Greenway Court Theatre), sound designer Corwin Evans(Soul Art's Plasticity- Ovation Award for Best Video Design), dramaturg Scott Horstein(Cornerstone Theater Co. and Black Dahlia Theatre), casting director Victoria Hoffman (Boston Court's Judas Kiss and resident casting director for Rogue Machine Theatre) and production stage manager Madi Mays (Desert Foothills Theater's High School Musical). HERLANDis produced by Greenway Court Theatre's associate producer Lily Brown (The Townies, Inc. Producing Director).

HERLAND tells the story of Natalie, a recent high school graduate who gets a summer internship working for her elderly neighbor Jean. She is tasked with the special project of creating a DIY retirement home for Jean and her two best friends Louise and Terry. As Natalie helps set up shop in Jean's garage formerly a rehearsal space for her ex-husband's Springsteen cover band she finds herself planning the next chapter of the trio's lives together. HERLAND is a queer coming-of-age comedy about women growing up, growing old, and growing into themselves.

National New Play Network, the nation's alliance of professional theaters that collaborate in innovative ways to develop, produce, and extend the life of new plays, celebrates the continuation of its 85th Rolling World Premiere (RWP) with Grace McLeod's HERLAND. The Roll kicked off at San Diego's Moxie Theatre (January 20 February 17, 2019), continued at Chicago's Redtwist Theatre (March 16-April 14, 2019 and will culminate at Greenway Court Theatre (May 31-June 23, 2019). Prior to HERLAND'S RWP, the play was developed during McLeod's 2017-2018 playwright-in-residence at Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago, as part of the Trellis Residence Initiative. And, in 2018, Greenway Arts Alliance presented a workshop production of the play at Greenway Court Theatre. For HERLAND, Grace was the First Place recipient of the University of Chicago's 2018 Olga and Paul Menn Foundation Prize for Original Playwrighting.

HERLAND will play at Greenway Court Theatre, 544 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036 from May 30 through June 23, 2019; with the official press opening on Friday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m. There will be one preview performance on Thursday, May 30 at 8:00 p.m. All preview tickets are $15 with general admission seating. The regular performance schedule is Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. Performance schedule notes: There will be one special Saturday matinee performance at 3:00 p.m. on June 15; and there will be no Sunday matinee performance on June 16. Regular ticket prices are $34 with general admission seating. Special discount prices include: senior (65+) and student tickets for $20. All discounted tickets are general admission seating. Tickets are available online at GreenwayCourtTheatre.org/Herland. For more information call 323-673-0544 or visit GreenwayCourtTheatre.org. Free parking is available in the Fairfax High School parking lot on Fairfax and Clinton, directly adjacent to the theatre.

Since its 1997 inception, the Greenway Arts Alliance has united communities through the arts, education and social enterprise. Through Greenway Court Theatre's professional theatre productions, Greenway Institute for the Arts' education programs and the Melrose Trading Post's weekly art-based open market, Greenway Arts Alliance builds a vibrant artistic community in the heart of Los Angeles. GAA has modeled an innovative partnership with the Fairfax High School campus to leverage community resources to connect the professional artistic and public education communities around a commitment to learning and creation in the arts. Greenway Arts Alliance was Co-Founded by artists-activists Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, both of whom serve as Co-Artistic Directors for the organization.

Pictured: Gladys Bautista

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