Rogue Machine Opens West Coast Premiere of A BRIGHT NEW BOISE Tonight, 10/20

Seen for the first time on the West Coast, OBIE Award winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter's A BRIGHT NEW BOISE (Drama Desk Award nomination) will be presented at Rogue Machine as the final offering for their main stage 2012 season. It will include an award-winning cast.

In the corporate break room of a craft store in Idaho, someone is summoning The Rapture. Will, who has fled his rural hometown after a scandal at his Evangelical church, comes to the Hobby Lobby for employment and to rekindle a relationship with his brooding teenage son whom he gave up for adoption. These comedic misfits assemble and confront an unyielding world through the beige-tinted impossibility of modern faith.

Samuel D. Hunter (Playwright) was awarded the 2011 OBIE Award for Playwriting, and his work A Bright New Boise was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play. His works include The Whale (Denver Center 2012, Victory Gardens-2013, and South Coast Rep-2013), Norway (Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis; Boise Contemporary Theater), Jack's Precious Moment (Page 73 Productions at 59E59), Five Genocides (Clubbed Thumb at the Ohio Theater), I Am Montana (Arcola Theatre, London; Mortar Theater, Chicago). Samuel's newest play, When You're Here, was recently workshopped at the Williamstown Theater Festival. He was a contributing writer to Headlong Theater's Decade, which was produced by London's National Theatre in 2011 and he has active commissions from MTC/Sloan, Seattle Rep, South Coast Rep, and Boise Contemporary Theater. Internationally, his work has been presented in Mexico City, Monterrey, and in the West Bank with Ashtar Theatre of Ramallah and Ayyam al-Masrah of Hebron. At Ashtar, he co-wrote The Era of Whales, which was performed in Ramallah and Istanbul. Additional awards include the 2011 Sky Cooper Prize, 2008-2009 PONY Fellowship from the Lark, and two Lincoln Center Le Compte du Nuoy Awards.

A BRIGHT NEW BOISE opens tonight, October 20th and runs 5pm Saturdays, 7pm Sundays, and 8pm Mondays through December 9, 2012. ROGUE MACHINE is located at 5041 Pico Blvd., LA, CA 90019. Tickets are $30. Reservations: 855-585-5185 or at www.roguemachinetheatre.com

John PerriN FLYNN (Director) is responsible for launching the WORLD PREMIERE production of John Pollono's hit play Small Engine Repair (BEST PRODUCTION-Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, Ovation, and Garland Awards) and the Los Angeles premiere of David Harrower's Blackbird. Both productions garnered numerous awards. He is Rogue Machine's founding Artistic Director and has been the Executive Producer of all four successful seasons, garnering the LA Weekly Career Achievement Award in 2012. John recently directed the critically acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of THE SUNSET LIMITED, (CRITIC'S CHOICE-LA Times; GO – LA Weekly, CRITIC'S PICK-Backstage, Ovation RECOMMENDED) which ran for six months. He directed the award winning World Premiere of Henry Murray's Treefall (now with 4 productions regionally, published by the Dramatist Play Service in 2010), Monkey Adored, and the critically acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of Rogue Machine's inaugural production, Compleat Female Stage Beauty, by Jeffrey Hatcher. He helmed the Craig Lucas' hit Small Tragedies at The Odyssey Theatre and the world premiere of John Pollono's Lost and Found at The Lounge Theatre. John was the Executive Producer and director of Lifetime's long running award winning series Strong Medicine, has produced two other series and 14 television movies or miniseries including the Emmy nominated Burden of Proof.

ROGUE MACHINE presents plays that are new to Los Angeles. The company has garnered recognition for their work in upwards of 45 awards and nominations, including the Polly Warfield Award for Excellent Season in Small to MidSize Theater, funded by the Nederland Organization, and the BEST PRODUCTION Award (two consecutive years) from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Ovation, and Garland). The company just picked up seven LA Weekly Awards including one for BEST PRODUCTION for Small Engine Repair by John Pollono. Last year Rogue Machine worked extensively with multi-award winner Steven Sater (SPRING AWAKENING) in developing his play NEW YORK ANIMALS. The company draws upon the diverse and extensive experience of its collective while creating high-quality productions by contemporary playwrights who specifically address our culture and time.

Edward Tournier (Producer/Producing Director) is a Rogue Machine founding company member. For the company he has produced Three Views of the Same Object, Blackbird, Monkey Adored, The New Electric Ballroom, and Where The Great Ones Run. He is the recipient of Ovation, LADCC, LA Weekly, Garland, and GLAAD awards, and was featured in the 2011 Backstage article "Actors to Watch."

ENSEMBLE:

Ron Bottitta (Male Voice) was seen in the season opener at Rogue Machine, Where The Great Ones Run (LA Times-Critics Choice), the LA premiere of Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts at the Geffen Playhouse, and The Arsonists at Odyssey Theatre. This followed a six-month critically acclaimed (LA Weekly Award nominated and Ovation Recommended) run of Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset Limited, directed by John Perrin Flynn at Rogue Machine. Selected credits include Fragile Life at the PRT Co-op, Razorback and Half of Plenty, at Rogue Machine, where he is a company member. Film credits include Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin, The Social Network, Hereafter, Going the Distance, The Prestige, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and In Good Company. In the television world, Ron has portrayed a Foreign Legion of heroic losers on such shows as Law and Order: LA, NCIS, The Shield, Cold Case, ER, and Alias, but is most recognized by geeks in the street for portraying Crazy Lennie, the man who introduced "the numbers" to Lost.

ROB DODD (Male Voice) is a founding member of Rogue Machine and has appeared in Shorts & Sweets as well as their ongoing Rant & Rave series. LA credits include John Patrick Shanley's Welcome to the Moon, John Pollono's Lost & Found, and Grace. NYC credits include Day (Vital Theatre Co), and Barking Sharks Israel Horovitz Premier). Films include Blackberries, Beyond the Pale, No Providence, and The Cure.

Matthew Elkins (Will) appeared in the inaugural award winning production of Compleat Female Stage Beauty at Rogue Machine and on the stages of the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Asolo Rep and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Selected credits include A Chorus of Disapproval (Odyssey Theatre), Happy End, The Turn of the Screw, Fata Morgana (Pacific Resident Theatre), and NBC's ER.

ERIK ODOM (Alex) was seen is the short Transposition, which was nominated for a Student Academy Award in 2009. His television credits include The Bureau, Wicked Attraction, and It's Supernatural. He will soon be seen in the films The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

TREVOR PETERSON (Leroy) appeared in The Interlopers (Bootleg Theatre), Wildboy '74 (Bootleg Theatre & NY Fringe Festival), Dead End (Ahmanson Theatre). Selected credits include TV: The Vampire Diaries, CSI:Miami, 10 Dates From Hell (TBS). Film: Prom, and Grizzly Park.

HEATHER L. TYLER (Anna) appeared in The Threepenny Opera w/the hypocrites @ Steppenwolf and critically acclaimed Dirty Diamonds @ The Factory Theater (ensemble emeritus.) In Los Angeles, she developed the character of 'Dying Eva' in Meditations: Eva Hesse, a world premiere at Highways Performance Space. Heather has played with Rogue Machine once before as the understudy in Wish I had a Sylvia Plath.

BETSY ZAJKO (Pauline) played Ada in Rogue Machine's critically acclaimed production of The New Electric Ballroom (LA Times-Ctritics Choice). She earned the Jefferson Award and Screen Magazine citations for Best Actress in Chicago for her film and movement based theater work. American Theatre Magazine featured her work at the Natural History Museum as a full suit animatronic performer as she brings to life a full size saber toothed cat created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop. Selected credits include110 Stories at the Geffen, Half of Plenty at Rogue Machine, and numerous productions on regional stages such as Steppenwolf, and Cleveland Playhouse. Film and Television credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Striking Distance, Money for Nothing, Mothman Prophecies, and Mike and Molly.

DESIGNERS:

Leigh Allen (Lighting Design) is a recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Award for Career Achievement in Lighting Design. Accolades include: the Garland Award for Cousin Bette, the LA Weekly Award for Treefall, Ovation/ Production of the Year for Killer Joe, GLAAD Award for Like A Dog On Linoleum, Macy Award for The Secret Garden, and the LADCC and LA Weekly Awards for Johnny Got His Gun. She has also designed for Princess Cruises, Regent Cruises, Opera Santa Barbara, Musical Theater West, South Bay Civic Light Opera, Deaf West, Anteaus Theater Co., South Coast Repertory, The California Youth Theatre program in LA, and many more.

Corwin Evans (Video Designer) has worked with Theatre Unleashed, the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble, Absolute Theatre, Celebration Theatre, Watts Village Theatre Company, Theatre Planners, The Bootleg, needTheater, Rogue Machine, South Coast Rep and Center Theatre Group.

LAUREN TYLER (Costume Designer) is a founding member of Rogue Machine. Credits with the company include the Sunset Limited, Treefall, and the Ovation-nominated Compleat Female Stage Beauty with Stephanie Kerly-Schwartz. Other selected credits include The Temperamentals for The Blank, USC's MFA production of Our Lady of 121st St., the Fierce Backbone workshop production of Cleo's Girls; Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the PRT Co-op, the Chicago Conspiracy Trial, and Small Tragedy at the Odyssey.

JOSEPH "Sloe" SLAWINSKI (Sound Designer) has designed over 200 plays. His designs include TreefFall for Rogue Machine (LA Weekly Award – Best Sound Design 2009), Eternal Thou at Atwater Village, 1969 at Theatre/Theater, Love Sick for Elephant Theater Company, California Dreamin, and Roadkill Confidential for Son of Semele Ensemble. He is the sound designer for The American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

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