Photo Flash: Malibu Playhouse Presents World Premiere of LIFE EXPECTANCY

THE MALIBU PLAYHOUSE is thrilled to present a world premiere play, LIFE EXPECTANCY: A COMEDY IN THREE TRIMESTERS, written by Catherine Butterfield and directed by Ron West. LIFE EXPECTANCY: A COMEDY IN THREE TRIMESTERS will preview on Thursday, October 6 & Friday, October 7 and will open on Saturday, October 8 and run through Sunday, October 23 at the Malibu Playhouse, 29243 Pacific Coast Highway, in Malibu.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: A COMEDY IN THREE TRIMESTERS is about a 40-something couple who finally get pregnant. Narrated by the slightly smug authors of a "What to Expect" book, the couple is led on a nine month journey through their fears and fantasies, nightmares and secrets. The play's extra layer is the screenwriting project the mother-to-be has (perhaps unwisely) taken on, which plays in the background as counterpoint and commentary in this hilarious and moving new play by acclaimed writer Catherine Butterfield.

Catherine Butterfield (Playwright) Her other plays include It Has To Be You, Brownstone, The Sleeper, Joined at the Head, Where the Truth Lies, Snowing at Delphi, and Life in the Trees. It Has To Be You, in which she also performed, played to sold out houses Off Broadway in 2014 at the Abingdon Theatre. She was a recipient of the George E. Oppenheimer/New York Newsday Award for Best First Play in the New York area (Joined at the Head), the Kennedy Center-American Express award for Outstanding Promise as a Playwright, the Kaufman & Hart Award for Best New American Comedy (The Sleeper), and the Davie Award for Best New Play in Regional Theatre (Life in the Trees). Joined at the Head, in which she also acted at the Manhattan Theatre Club, was nominated for a Drama Desk award and an Obie, is included in "Best Plays of 1992", and has been extensively in the U.S. and abroad. In 2008 she received a commission from the Laguna Playhouse to both write and direct her play Brownstone. She and Ron West have recently completed an adaptation of Anthony Trollope's satirical novel The Way We Live Now. TV writing/producing credits include "Grimm," "Ghost Whisperer," "Party of Five" and "Fame LA."

Ron West (Director) has directed many shows for the Second City, including Second City This Week, the award winning Curious George Goes To War, and the musical Sex And The Second City. He directed Twist Your Dickens last year for the Portland Center stage and will direct and star in that play again at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago this fall. He also helmed The 39 Steps at the Malibu Playhouse, deLEARious at the Open Fist theatre in LA, and his own musical The People Vs. Friar Laurence at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: A COMEDY IN THREE TRIMESTERS will feature (in alphabetical order): Josh Banday, Catherine Butterfield, Tisha Terrasini- Banker, Derek Manson, Annie Rives and Kiff VandenHeuvel.

The Design Team for LIFE EXPECTANCY: A COMEDY IN THREE TRIMESTERS is as follows: Set Design by So Jin Han; Costume coordination by Sarah Lindsley. LIFE EXPECTANCY: A COMEDY IN THREE TRIMESTERS is produced by Paula Mae Schwartz, Julia Holland and Ron West.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: A COMEDY IN THREE TRIMESTERS will preview on Thursday, October 6 & Friday, October 7 at 8pm and will open on Saturday, October 8 at 8pm and run through Sunday, October 23 at the Malibu Playhouse, 29243 Pacific Coast Highway, in Malibu.

Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm (with an added performance on Saturday, October 22 at 3pm). Ticket prices are $25; $15.00 for Previews. For tickets, please visit www.malibuplayhouse.org to purchase tickets online or to view complete schedule.

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