Highways Performance Space Stages FLESHEATINGTIGER Tonight

Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica has announced two performances only of Amy Tofte's FleshEatingTiger, directed by acclaimed director/choreographer Vincent Paterson, tonight and Saturday, June 21 and 22 at 8:30pm.

Vicious dark humor chronicles an affair under the influence in Amy Tofte's FleshEatingTiger. The Man struggles with sobriety; The Woman is dependent on his affection. Scenes unravel between realism and absurdism, and the line between acting in the play and reality is relentlessly blurred, just as addiction blurs a healthy relationship. Of a 2011 production of FleshEatingTiger at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Scotsman said, "Tofte utilizes poignant monologues to contrast comedic double acts, helping create tenderly strong characters who drag the audience into the disorder."

Director Vincent Paterson has directed and/or choreographed films, concert tours, Broadway shows, operas, music videos, television shows, and commercials. He is perhaps best known for his work with Michael Jackson and Madonna. For Jackson, Paterson directed the BadTour and choreographed several other iconic Jackson music videos and live performances; he conceived, choreographed and co-directed theSmooth Criminal number in the film Moonwalker as well as the video for Blood on the Dance Floor. He directed and choreographed Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour, which is featured in her Truth or Dare documentary, as well her Express Yourself and Vogue videos. Paterson also choreographed the films Evita and The Birdcage and he directed and choreographed the musical sequences for the film Dancer in the Dark. His choreography for Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway earned him a Tony Award nomination. Paterson wrote and directed the Cirque du Soleil show Viva! Elvis that ran for over 1000 performances in Las Vegas. Paterson directed and choreographed Berlin's first original production of the musical Cabaret at Bar Jeder-Vernunft, a mirror-tent from 1914. It is the longest running play in Berlin's history.

Amy Tofte's plays and solo pieces have been performed around the United States in locales such as Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, The Kennedy Center, Alaska, Mississippi, Iowa, Texas and internationally at the 2010 and 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. Tofte's play The Course We Set was performed at various locations in England as part of Western Washington University's annual touring company in 2012. Her play WhiteDevil-Loving Mother was recently presented as a staged reading by the Northwest Playwrights Alliance at Seattle Repertory. Tofte's Relentless Pursuit of a Lady was a semi-finalist for the 2013 Source Festival in Washington, DC, and she was published in the Last Frontier Theatre Conference's 2009 - 2012 Anthology.

The cast of FleshEatingTiger will feature (in alphabetical order) Sam Breen and Gabriela Trigo. Set design is by Sarah Krainin, lighting design is by Ryan Bona, costume design is by Jenny Foldenauer, sound design is by John Nobori, and video design is by Sean T. Cawelti. Original music is by Rene Lamontagne.

General admission is $20, with member, student, and senior discounts available at $15. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.highwaysperformance.org or via phone at (310) 315-1459. Highways Performance Space @ 18th Street Arts Center is located at 1651 18th Street, in Santa Monica, 90404. Onsite and street parking are available.

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