Jaxx Theatricals Makes Its Hollywood Fringe Festival Debut With The World Premiere Of HALFWAY TO GETHSEMANE!

The Jaxx Theatre has announced the final show of their 16th anniversary season. HALFWAY TO GETHSEMANE makes its World Premiere at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. The show is written and directed by Christopher Robert Smith (Dirty Dancing / Elf National Tours). The Associate Director is Jeremy Lucas*, Artistic Director of The Jaxx Theatre, Cultural Arts Envoy with the US State Dept., Artistic Director Achievement & LA Ovation Award Nominee. The production is co-produced by Jesus David Torres Morabito & Angelina Ramirez alongside Lucas and Smith.

This dark comedy follows teenage burnout character "X" (double cast as Mads Durbin & Jo Nunokawa) through a week of community service in a local mental health institution. The residents of the facility that he works with believe that this kid is someone else. They try to convince him of this through an absurd stream of unusual events to help him realize his true calling. Can the residents convince the kid of his mysterious greatness before it's too late or are all the residents just 'out of their minds'? The end is nigh! Come see this dark humorous, end of times puzzle come together or fall apart...

The cast of HALFWAY TO GETHSEMANE features: Alexandra Ackerman (Nurse Bell), Patrick Boylan (Peter), Alex Butte (Gabe/Paulie), Avalon Kerr (Gardener/Quartet), Alora Kinley (Dee/Quartet), Carter Michael (Timmie/Quartet), JD Morabito (Lazy Russ), Joshua Clifton Powell (Governor), Ken Maurice Purnell (Captain/Mo), Christopher Robert Smith (Joe), Kyle Stocker (Mike), Courtney Ullery (Secretary) & West Wayne (Kyle/Gardener). The cast also includes the following actors who are double cast: Amaya J & Joelle Tshudy as Nurse Maggie, Allison Lobel & Whitney Vigil as Tabby, Pete Sauber & Collin Lee Turner as Sam. Understudies/Swings/Covers include: Jonathan Flemings (Gardener/Kyle/Quartet) & Renee Wylder (Nurse Bell/Secretary).

Costume design by Jeremy Lucas & Christopher Robert Smith, lighting design by Grant Gorrell & Steven Parker, projection design by Whitney Dunn, sound design by Steven Parker, set design by Jeremy Lucas, JD Morabito, Emily Naiman, Leora Samouha & Pete Sauber. The show is stage managed by Lola Lambe with Boo Kilroy and Kristen Renee Leeper as Assistant Stage Managers.

Jaxx Theatricals is thrilled to make its Hollywood Fringe Festival debut with HALFWAY TO GETHSEMANE. The producers at Jaxx are behind the critically acclaimed west coast premieres of Cy Coleman's The Life starring Dionne Gipson ("NCIS"), David St. Louis ("Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist") and Willam ("RuPaul's Drag Race") at the Stella Adler Theatre and Lippa's Wild Party featuring Mink Stole of John Waters movie fame here at the former Met Theatre. Other producing credits include: Annie (Theatre Asylum/Zoom -- starring actors from the Hollywood Bowl production); A Chorus Line MACHA -- featuring actors from the Broadway Tour); the two-time Ovation-nominated production of Chicago, starring Tony Award Winner, Katrina Lenk, Willam, Mekia Cox (Princess Tiana in "Once Upon a Time") at the Hudson and most recently the 99-seat premiere of Matilda, the Musical here at the Jaxx Theatre in 2019 - the show that helped a theatre company survive a worldwide pandemic. Jaxx has been featured on Good Day LA, KTLA, Telemundo and the Grammy's Live from the Red Carpet.

HALFWAY TO GETHSEMANE previews this Tuesday, 6/6 @ 8PM, opens on Friday, 6/9 @ 8PM, runs Saturday, 6/10 & Thursday, 6/22 @ 8PM, Sunday, 6/18 @ 4PM and closes on Friday, 6/23 @ 8PM. The Jaxx Theatre is located at 1089 N. Oxford Ave. in East Hollywood, 90029. For tickets please visit: www.HollywoodFringe.org/Shows

*Denotes, member of the Stage Director & Choreographer Society, the union for professional Directors & Choreographers in the United States.

 

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