Hal Ackerman takes a frank look at his own mortality in his play Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me. The playwright also takes center stage in his autobiographical work, joined by supporting cast members Dennis Lee Kelly and Lisa Robins. Michael Arabian directs a four-week run at The Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica April 18 through May 10.
Co-chair of the screenwriting program at the U.C.L.A. School of Theater, Film and Television where he has been on the faculty for the past 22 years, Ackerman completed his treatment for prostrate cancer in 2001.
Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me was originally written as a long prose piece that was published in AARP magazine. After adapting it into a play, Ackerman has presented it in part and in whole at numerous prostate cancer conventions around the country including, most recently, the IMPAcT convention sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Michael Milken Foundation.
As co-chair of the screenwriting program at U.C.L.A., Hal Ackerman has mentored the work of many hugely successful screenwriters whose films include
A Walk on the Moon,
Matchstick Men,
Terminal,
Soul Food and many others. His book "Write Screenplays That Sell - The Ackerman Way" is going into its third printing and is becoming the text of choice in a growing number of screenwriting programs around the country. Mr. Ackerman's playwriting career began in New York in the late 1960s, when many of his plays were performed on the Off-Off Broadway circuit. He has had numerous short stories published in literary journals, several of them winning awards in annual fiction contests. "Alfalfa" was included in the 2006 anthology "I Wanna Be Sedated - 30 Writers on Parenting Teenagers"; among the 29 other writers included were Louise Erdrich, Dave Barry, Anna Quindlen, Roz Chast and Barbara Kingsolver. His short story "Sweet Day" is read by Academy Award nominee
Robert Forster on HarperCollins Publishers Digital Media Café, and his story "A Walk in the Park" will be read by Tess Harper when WordTheatre celebrates Small Press Month at Canal Club in Venice on March 30.
Michael Arabian has directed numerous world, West Coast, and Los Angeles premieres, winning over 50 awards. A producer, director, writer, actor and teacher, Michael founded Theatre InSite in 1993 with Suzanne Battaglia, producing environmental-site specific theater on the backlot and in sound stages at CBS Studios in Studio City for six years until 1999. One production was an updated version of Shakespeare's
Romeo & Juliet, conceived by Michael and set in present day Los Angeles. The audience walked from location to location to follow the action of the play, which included cars and motorcycles racing through a suburban neighborhood. Another was Michael's 1995 update of Euripides'
The Trojan Women to the Gulf War. Starring Mariette Hartley, it was staged at the Gilligan's Island Lagoon site in 400,000 gallons of water, with an amphibious Humvee from the Marine Corps transporting troops through the water. Other directing highlights include the feature film, King Of The Ants. Michael sits on the board of WordTheatre, a nonprofit company dedicated to oral storytelling. Most recently, Michael's production of
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by
John Patrick Shanley received twelve Critic's Picks and two LA Weekly Award nominations for "Best Production of a Two-Character Play" and "Best Production Design."
Dennis Lee Kelly is a 20-plus year veteran of stage, screen, and television. He has appeared in plays including
Ithaca,
Glengarry Glen Ross,
The Prince of Tides,
Party of 13,
The Last Supper (as St. James) and
Peep Show. Numerous film credits include
Material Girls with Hilary and
Haylie Duff;
Harlem Nights with
Eddie Murphy and
El Padrino with Damian Chapa.TV:
Shasta McNasty,
Homefront,
Christine Cromwell,
The New Dragnet,
Knots Landing,
Dynasty and numerous daytime dramas including
Days of Our Lives,
Capitol,
The Young and the Restless,
Passions and
Santa Barbara.
Lisa Robins recently starred in
The Blessing of a Broken Heart at San Diego Rep, received rave reviews for her portrayal of Annie Rosen in
The Catskill Sonata directed by
Paul Mazursky, and starred in
Fallujah at Theatre East (Ovation nomination for Best New Play). Lisa's work with the acclaimed Cornerstone Theatre Company includes
Long Bridge Over Deep Waters directed by Bill Rausch at the Ford Amphitheatre and
Center of the Star by Yehuda Hyman at the Greenway. Lisa is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio where she recently appeared in the world premiere comedy
Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex, Sex & Sex by Tony award winner
George Furth, directed by
John Rubinstein. Film and TV appearances include Mildred Dean in
James Dean directed by Mark Rydell and many other films, guest stars, and commercials.
Producer Isabel Storey is vice chair of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights. She founded and runs New Works Lab, a play development workshop which holds bi-monthly readings of new plays at theaters throughout L.A. A member and former managing director of Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA, her production credits with them include
The Shore,
Marathon One-Acts,
Winterfest and several First-Look Full-Lengths including
Massacre (Sing to Your Children) by internationally renowned playwright Jose Rivera. For Storey Productions, she produced the world premiere of A
Lesson in Proper Bow-Fluffing Technique, written and performed by Trey Nichols, at Praxis Studios. The show was nominated for the 2005 Ovation Award for Best Solo Performance. In 2007, she produced a benefit performance of the show at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Most recently, Ms. Storey produced the world premiere of
The Monkey Jar by Ovation-nominated playwright Richard Martin Hirsch at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills.
The Powerhouse Theatre Company, which makes its home at the Powerhouse, a historical building originally erected in 1910 to house the Southern California Edison Electrical Plant for the city of Santa Monica, is committed to nurturing innovative new work, and has introduced Los Angeles audiences to critically-acclaimed world premieres such as the war docudrama
Wounded; the multiple award-winning
The Shaggs:
Philosophy of the World;
The Family Room by Aron Coleite;
Golden Prospects:
A Los Angeles Melodrama by
Colin Campbell;
A Series of Comedic Lectures with John Lehr; and, most recently,
Robots vs Fake Robots by David Largman Murray.
Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me is presented by Lollywood Productions in association with The Powerhouse Theatre Company; Set Design is by John Iacovelli; Lighting Design is by Frank McKown; Sound Design is by Bob Blackburn; and Isabel Storey, Storey Productions produces.
Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me runs Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, April 18 through May 10. General admission is $20.00. Tickets for students, seniors and cancer survivors are $15. The Powerhouse Theatre is located at 3116 2nd Street in south Santa Monica, just off Main Street between Rose and Marine. The theater can be reached via public transportation using MTA buses 33 & 333- Main St, Santa Monica; Big Blue Bus-various lines; or the Tide shuttle. Guests in wheelchairs should call in advance to make arrangements. To purchase tickets and for information, call (310) 396-3680 or go to www.powerhousetheatre.com.
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