NEWS GRoW @ The Wallis Presents The Wallis Studio Ensemble In THE HITCH-HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

The Wallis Studio Ensemble's The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams' much loved, absurdist and subversive satire, is back at the Wallis by popular demand from Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9, 2019, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the Lovelace Studio Theater. First presented in 2018, this hilarious, vibrant, fast-paced, gender-bending romp, directed by Madeleine Dahm, was a Los Angeles Times "Pick of the Week" and described by ArtsNowLA as "unmitigated lunacy with Ferrari-like pacing, a deep dive into hallucinogenic territory." Lighting design is by Ovation Award-winning Bosco Flanagan, and puppets and masks are by Alexander Sheldon.

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.

Each night, audience members are invited to come in "Science Fiction Costumes," take photos at the designated "selfie spot" and tag #ZaphodsCloset. A winner will be chosen after every performance to receive two tickets to a performance of their choice in The Wallis' 2019/2020 Season.

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.

Cast members Trecey Dory, Schuyler Girion, Ella M. Joseph, Kelvin Morales, Sina Pooresmaeil, Jo Rodriguez, Helya Salarvand, Alexander Sheldon, Lucia Towers, Viva Kanani Obiajulu Wittman and Siera Williams 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 is to cross boundaries with an ethos of collaboration and create thoughtful and provocative work that is rooted in examining humanity.

About The Wallis Studio Ensemble:

2018-19 marks the third season of this groundbreaking physical theater company for early-career actors, creating innovative and visceral theatre as a galvanizing force for social change. Described by the San Diego Tribune as "hauntingly beautiful" and by ArtNowLA as "mesmerizing, harrowing and provocative, this is avant-garde theater that sticks with you long after the curtain comes down." The Ensemble received Los Angeles Times' theatre pick of the week and was featured on NPR. Since its inception, The Ensemble has acquired a reputation for creating socially conscious, cutting edge theatre, with a strong physical component. This year the company performed a devised piece, S.O.S at Circle X, soon to be seen at The LGBT Center as part of The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019. 2018 saw the original production of The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Disposable, a devised work that examined the intersection between environmental destruction and human displacement, also seen at The San Diego International Fringe Festival in June 2018. In 2016/17, The Ensemble premiered Thebes at The Wallis, a contemporary feminist adaptation of the Greek classic by Gareth Jandrell, and its first original devised play, Word of Mouth, an examination of post truth, that was also seen at Rise Up LA and at The Crisis Art Festival in Tuscany, Italy, where The Ensemble spent a week in residence in 2017.

Single tickets are $20. Visit TheWallis.org/HitchHiker, call 310.746.4000, or stop by in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Services Office located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

To post a comment, you must register and login.