ON EMOTION at Son of Semele Extends Thru 12/12

Award-winning theatre company Son of Semele Ensemble(SOSE) will now present the U.S. premiere of On Emotion by Mick Gordon and neuropsychologist PaulBroks at Son of Semele Theater in Silver Lake through December 12, 2010. On Emotion is one of several plays by Gordon who has written plays with Broks and otherspecialists in human behavior.In their work together, Gordon and Broks have explored the paths where science and art combine tocreate a deeper understanding of our motives, desires and actions.

When writing On EmotionGordon and Broks began with the question "Are we the puppet master or the puppet itself?" toanalytically and theatrically explore the ways human beings justify their own behaviors. OnEmotion explores a concept called "cognitive dissonance," the conflict that occurs in humans whenemotional impulses and rational thoughts are in opposition. In the play, puppets and puppet-metaphors aid in the exploration and examination of the cognitive dissonance of the play's fourcharacters.

The character of Stephen in On Emotion is a cognitive behavioral therapist who is developing alecture on human emotion. He's secretly attracted to Anna, his patient who is suffering from a deepsense of loss. As Stephen's daughter Lucy falls unexpectedly for an older man and Stephen struggleswith his shameful feelings for his patient, his autistic son Mark begins to demonstrate increasinglyconcerning behavior that becomes the catalyst for an unexpected event.Gordon was Trevor Nunn's Associate Director at the Royal National Theatre in London and is theformer Artistic Director of London's acclaimed Gate Theatre.

He is currently the Founding ArtisticDirector of On Theatre through which he has created nine plays, self-described as "theatre essays."He is also a Senior Researcher at the Theatre and Mind Unit at the University of Plymouth, England.For more information about Gordon and On Theatre, visit www.on-theatre.org.uk/.The U.S. premiere of On Emotion is directed by SOSE Artistic Director Matthew McCray (directorof The Designated Mourner and Iphigenia... A Rave Fable, which was recognized with four 2007L.A. Weekly Theater Awards).

The set design is by Sarah Krainin, with sound design by Joseph "Sloe"Slawinski (L.A. Weekly Award-winner), costumes by Laura Wong, video design by Adam Flemming, lighting by Ian Garrett and puppets by Moira Lael McDonald. The cast includes Melina Bielefelt (L.A.Weekly Award nominee), Sami Klein, Michael Nehring (L.A. Weekly Award-winner) and Alex Smith.SOSE was profiled as one of the "hippest, hottest, most innovative theatre troupes in the U.S." byAmerican Theatre, and featured on the magazine's cover. Over the past ten years the company'swork has received 17 regional awards and award nominations including the Ovation Award, the L.A.Weekly Theatre Award and the NAACP Theatre Award. For the past three years, SOSE has been
developing its own company-devised plays, one of which was created in collaboration with CenterTheatre Group and another in collaboration with L.A. playwright Oliver Mayer. SOSE also sponsorsthe work of like-minded theater artists by offering their venue and resources for co-productionsthrough SOSEhost, a year-round curated series of theatrical events. For additional information onSOSE and SOSEhost visit www.sonofsemele.org.

Performances of On Emotion are October 15 through November 15 on Friday and Saturday nightsat 8:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. There is no performance on October 31. AdditionalMonday night performances at 7:00 p.m. are scheduled on November 8 and 15. Admission rangesfrom $12-25. Unsold seats at the time of curtain will be sold to local residents of zip codes 90004 and90026 for $5.00 (I.D. required).

Tickets are available through the SOSE websiteat www.sonofsemele.org. The box office opens one half hour prior to curtain. Son of Semele Theateris located in Silver Lake at 3301 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004 (one mile west of Alvarado).For more information visit www.sonofsemele.org

 

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