NEVER LAND Opens 10/8 At Rogue Machine

Fierce passions flood through Phyllis Nagy's award-winning play, a visionary love story set in a remote, rain-swept village in the South of France. NEVER LAND'S exploration of love, loss, cultural dispossession and the abiding power of the human imagination moves from scabrous wit to heart-breaking tenderness as it charts the course of three fateful days in the lives of a singular French family that yearns to be English.

Never Land was first produced at London's Royal Court Theatre, where Phyllis Nagy was writer-in-residence during Stephen Daldry's tenure as artistic director. The play has been translated into more than 20 languages, and has been produced throughout Europe-most recently in Finland. Rogue Machine presents the play's American premiere.

Phyllis Nagy (Writer/Director) has dual citizenship in the US and the UK. She lived in London for 15 years prior to returning to the US, several years ago, to direct her first feature film, MRS. HARRIS, which starred Annette Bening and Ben Kingsley. The film, which premiered as a gala presentation at the Toronto Film Festival, aired on HBO, and was nominated for multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards, including nods for Nagy as writer and director. She won a PEN USA award for her script, and Prism, WIN, and Gracie Allen awards for her direction.

Nagy's plays have been performed widely throughout the world and include WELDON RISING, DISAPPEARED, and THE STRIP, first produced by The Royal Court Theatre; BUTTERFLY KISS, first produced by The Almeida Theatre Company; the SCARLETT LETTER, an adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel, first produced by the Denver Centre Theatre; TRIP'S CINCH, first produced by The Actors Theatre of Louisville; and THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, adapted from the novel by Patricia Highsmith and first produced at the Palace Theatre, Watford. Phyllis has translated Claudine Galea's LES IDIOTS into English for The Royal Court Theatre and has provided a new version of Chekhov's THE SEAGULL for the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Phyllis Nagy is currently under commission to write new plays for the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Court Theatre. Her current feature film projects in development as writer/director include an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's CAROL, and TUMBLE UP-an original screenplay set largely in and around Hollywood Park Racetrack and Casino-for Film 4 in the UK.

NEVER LAND opens on Thursday, October 8, 2009 (previews October, 1-4) and runs Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm thru November 15, 2009. ROGUE MACHINE in Theatre Theater is located at 5041 Pico Blvd., LA, CA 90019. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased by calling (323) 960-7774 or at www.roguemachinetheatre.com

ROGUE MACHINE has been in existence for a little over one year. In that time, the company has presented 2 Los Angeles premiere (COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY, and STOP KISS), 3 West Coast premiere (AMERICAN DEAD, BINGO WITH THE INDIANS, and HALF OF PLENTY), and 2 World premiere productions which include TREEFALL and last season's critically acclaimed production of RAZORBACK. ROGUE MACHINE is a collective of award winning entertainment veterans bringing a new and distinctive voIce To Los Angeles Theatre. This presentation of NEVER LAND is the fourth main stage production for the company's second season. The ROGUE MACHINE mission includes building a theatre of ideas and nurturing the development of plays from contemporary writers while manifesting current culture, and consciousness.

John PerriN FLYNN (Artistic Director/Producer) helmed the world premiere production of Henry Murray's award nominated TREEFALL as well as the critically acclaimed and award winning Los Angeles premiere of Rogue Machine's inaugural production, COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY. He directed the Craig Lucas hit SMALL TRAGEDIES at The Odyssey Theatre and the world premiere of John Pollono's LOST AND FOUND at The Lounge Theatre. Executive producer and director of Lifetime's long running award winning series STRONG MEDICINE, John has produced two other series and 14 television movies or miniseries including the Emmy nominated BURDEN OF PROOF. He most recently produced the critically acclaimed production of STOP KISS, currently running at Rogue Machine. John attended The London School of Music and Dramatic Art and has an MA degree in Theatre from Illinois State University.

Katherine Tozer (Elisabeth Joubert) studiEd English at Oxford University where she played Electra, Gertrude, Miss Julie and was secretary of OUDS. She then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company with whom she has worked for several years. Further work has included the world premiere of Caryl Churchill's FAR AWAY at the Royal Court and the Albery in London's West End. Katherine has been directed by Stephen Daldry and Harold Pinter, starred in Strindberg, Lorca, Shakespeare, Timberlake Wertenbaker, and Tennessee Williams. She was nominated last year for the British Theatre Manager's Awards for her performance of Blanche DuBois.

Lisa Pelikan (Anne Joubert) began her theatrical career starring in SPRING'S AWAKENING with The Circle Repertory Company in New York City. She made her television debut in the HallMark Hall of Fame production of THE COUNTRY GIRL with Jason Robards and Shirley Knight, and her feature film debut as the young 'Julia' in Fred Zinnemann's JULIA sharing the title role with Vanessa Redgrave. Lisa has starred in many world premiere stage productions including Arthur Miller's THE AMERICAN CLOCK directed by Dan Sullivan, Jim Leonard's THE DIVINERS with The Circle Repertory Company, and PANACHE, in New York where she won an Artistic Directors Award as Best Actress in a Comedy. Other theater credits include the west coast premieres of Craig Lucas' BLUE WINDOW, for which she received a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and Lynn Kaufman's DAISY IN THE DREAMTIME, directed by Simon Levy in which she played the title role. FILM credits include RETURN TO THE BLUE LAGOON, LIONHEART, and SWING SHIFT directed by Jonathan Demme. For the film, JENNIFER, Lisa received a Best Actress award from the International Science Fiction & Horror Film Festival. TV movies include PERFECT GENTLEMAN, with Lauren Bacall, Alfred Hitchcock PRESENTS, and INTO THE BADLANDS, with Bruce Dern; as well as the mini-series THE LAST CONVERTIBLE and STUDS LONIGAN. www.lisapelikan.com

Bill Hunt (Albert Montel) is a Resident Artist at A Noise Within where he has appeared in MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA, BUS STOP, HENRY IV Part 1, TRELAWNEY OF THE WELLS, OLIVER TWIST, DEAR BRUTUS, THE KING STAG and over thirty others. He is a company member of Theatricum Botanicum, appearing in LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, KING LEAR, OMNIUM GATHERUM and many others. Other Los Angeles venues include The Mark Taper, The Ahmanson, Pacific Resident Theatre, Theatre Banshee and the Colony. His work has been honored by the LA Drama Critics Circle, BackStage West, DramaLogue and the LA Weekly. FILM/TV credits include: COLD CASE, LA LAW, NYPD Blue, FRAISER, JUST SHOOT ME, JUDGING AMY, ALIAS, WEST WING, STAR TREK, MAJOR DAD, EVAN ALMIGHTY, DRAGONFLY, CHAPLIN, and BUGSY among many others.

Bradley Fisher (Henry Joubert) had two hundred dollars and a phone number of an actress at the Abbey when he ran off to Dublin Ireland at age 19. The Abbey never panned out but he made a living acting in Ireland. He has worked with some of Irelands finest including directors Jim Sheridan, Mavis Ascott, Alan Simpson, Diedre O'Connell and producers Noel Pearson and Bill Kenwright. Since returning to the States he has found success starring in numerous plays including San Diego Repertory's critically acclaimed New York City production of Romulus Linney's HOLY GHOST, LOS Angeles productions of Jon Bright and Asa Bordage's BROOKLYN U.S.A. and Anthony Schaffer's WHODUNNIT, for which he received several awards for his performances. He was seen as Elliott last year in The Production Company's world premiere production of Richard Martin Hirsch's THE CONCEPT OF REMAINDERS directed by Mark L. Taylor and then in the Los Angeles premiere of Brett Neveau's Garland Award winning AMERICAN DEAD directed by Dado at Rogue Machine.

Shannon Holt (Heather Coton-Smith) recently appeared in Michael Sargent's GRAND MOTEL at the Unknown Theater. Los Angeles credits include DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE (South Coast Rep), TONIGHT AT 8:30 ( Antaeus Company), SHE STOOPS TO COMEDY, HOMEWRECKER, ANDROMACHE and SWEET HOSTAGE (Evidence Room), SEX PARASITE, and GOOD THING (Taper), ORESTEIA, GOOD WOMAN OF SETZUAN, NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH, WOYZECK (Actors' Gang), 36 VIEWS (Laguna Playhouse), M BUTTERFLY (East West Players), and CITIZEN FAUST (LATC). Shannon has performed at Trinity Rep, The Public Theater, and Actors Theater of Louisville. FILM/TV credits include ER, THE UNIT, SEINFELD, and the THE MARC PEASE EXPERIENCE, among others.

William Christopher STEVENS (Michael Carver) is a native of Dayton, OH and a graduate of The American Musical & Dramatic Academy in NYC. He was last seen in The Met Theatre production of THE BONES OF LESSER MEN, which was nominated by LA Weekly and the NAACP for "Best Ensemble." William made his feature film debut in the award winning, UNINVITED GUEST, starring Mekhi Phifer, and has appeared on the television shows HOUSE, EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, and COLD CASE, to name a few.

Barry Del Sherman (Nicholas Caton-Smith) most recently worked at the Ojai Playwright's Conference. He played Sal in Michael Sargeant's, THE PROJECTIONIST at the Kirk Douglas. He appeared in MERTON OF THE MOVIES at The Geffen, WILFREDO and
THE INSIDE JOB for Padua Playwrights at 2100SF. Barry won an Obie for Marlane Meyer's MYSTERY OF ATTRACTION and has played off Broadway at Circle Rep, Second Stage, Naked Angels, and others. FILM credits include AMERICAN BEAUTY and THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

 

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