Rogue Artists Ensemble's D is for Dog Moves From Studio To Studio

Mashing the 1950s with science fiction in their signature Hyper-theatrical style, Rogue Artists Ensemble creates a uniquely theatrical event using puppetry, live actors, original music and video. D is for Dog premieres with four performances at South Coast Repertory as part of the Studio Series, June 17-19, followed by a six-week run at Studio/Stage in Los Angeles beginning July 1.

D is for Dog explores themes of family loyalty and compassion using iconic imagery from early television and blending them with startling elements of horror and sci-fi. In the seemingly innocent home of the Rogers family, life is like a 1950s sitcom-or is it? All is not as perfect as it seems. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and their two darling children, Dick and Jane, must face their history and identity before it's too late, with only mysterious phone calls and a forbidden book as clues. (Subject matter may not be suitable for younger audiences.)

"D is for Dog begins as a kitschy comedy complete with B-movie references," says director Sean Cawelti. "Soon, though, audiences are caught off guard as they are immersed in a world that is not what they expected, with undertones of a post-apocalyptic nuclear war. The subject matter of caring for our resources and each other resonates more powerfully than we even intended because of the recent events in Japan and fear of the future that we all feel. The intimate venues at South Coast Repertory and Studio/Stage will allow audiences to get really close to the action and horror in a way that won't soon be forgotten."

An earlier version of D is for Dog was presented at the Garden Grove Playhouse in 2004

- the first Rogue Artists Ensemble collaboration produced outside of the University of California, Irvine where the "founding fathers" of the company first met. This new reincarnation brings a completely rewritten script, new effects and visual elements, and additional music by composers Ben Phelps and John Nobori.

D is for Dog is written and developed by Katie Polebaum, Sean T. Cawelti and Rogue Artists Ensemble, based on an original concept by Sean T. Cawelti. Scenic design is by Katie Polebaum; lighting design is by Haylee Freeman; sound design is by John Nobori; video design is by Matt Hill and Sean T. Cawelti; costume design is by Kerry Hennessy; puppet design is by Miles Taber; choreography is by Shaun Klaseus; properties design is by Leslie Grey; and technical direction is by Tyler Stamets. D is for Dog is funded in part by grants from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Designer and director Sean Cawelti graduated from the University of California Irvine, where he received his BA in Drama with honors in Stage Direction, and studied puppetry at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. He was awarded a 2006 Technical Achievement Honor for Puppet Oriented Theater Design by the OC Weekly and a Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle award for his adaptation of Mr. Punch, a graphic novel written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated Dave McKean, which he also directed. He serves as artistic director for the performance group Rogue Artists Ensemble, which creates Hyper-theatrical productions, incorporating puppetry, masked acting, original music scores and theatrical effects. Mr. Cawelti has designed puppets and masks for Cornerstone Theatre Company, International City Theater, Rude Guerrilla Theater, Opera Pacific, NYU and many others. One of the Rogues' latest works, Gogol Project, which Mr. Cawelti directed, was nominated for twelve Drama Critics Circle Awards and LA Weekly Awards including best direction and was honored with a UNIMA Citation of Excellence.

Rogue Artists Ensemble differs from other theater companies in that it's run by a collective of multi-disciplinary artists and designers rather than by actors, writers or directors. By combining ancient storytelling techniques (music, dance, masks, puppetry) with modern technology (digital media, special effects and theatrical illusions), the Rogues cultivate a unique style of live performance unlike any other. They define The Combined use of these and other underrepresented art forms as Hyper-theater.

Last season, Rogue Artists Ensemble was selected to premiere their original HYPERBOLE: origins, which combined music and a heightened barrage of images to tell stories of creation and origin at [Inside] the Ford. HYPERBOLE: origins was nominated for four LA Weekly awards including Best Production, Video Design, Production Design and Sound Design. In 2009 the Rogues worked with playwright Kitty Felde to Hyper-theatrically adapt three short stories by Nikolai Gogol; Gogol Project was a Critic's Choice in the Los Angeles Times, winning four Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle awards for Adaptation and Design and an LA Weekly award for Design. Prior to that, The Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch delivered on its promise to "make audience members feel as though they had opened up the graphic novel and wound up trapped deep inside," earning rave reviews and garnering three Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle awards; that production was also given an entire chapter in the book "Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman." Other Rogue Artist Ensemble productions include The Victorian Hotel by Angus Oblong, The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone, adapted from the book by Timothy Basil, and four prior HYPERBOLE productions including HYPERBOLE: epiphany and HYPERBOLE: changes.

South Coast Repertory's Studio Series is a pilot program designed to create stronger ties between arts organizations and expose audiences to the rich diversity of the local arts scene. It features an eclectic array that includes dance, spoken word, burlesque, puppetry and more, all in SCR's 94-seat Nicholas Studio.

Four performances of D is for Dog take place at South Coast Repertory on Friday, June 17 @ 8 pm; Saturday, June 18 @ 2 pm and 8 pm; and Sunday, June 19 @ 2 pm. South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, just off the 405 Freeway across from Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Tickets are $30; students with valid ID get in for $25. Parking available in adjacent structure for a fee. For reservations and information, call 714-708-5555 or go to www.scr.org.

D is for Dog opens at Studio/Stage in Los Angeles on July 1, where it will continue through August 7 on Fridays and Saturdays @ 8 pm and Sundays @ 4 pm and 8 pm. General admission is $20; full-time students $15; all Sunday 4 pm matinee performances are Pay-What-You-Can. Studio/Stage is located at 520 N. Western Ave, Los Angeles 90004 (corner Western and Maple). There is ample street parking. For reservations and information, call 213.596.9468 or go to www.rogueartists.org.

 

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