Rogue Machine Presents HALF OF PLENTY As Season Opener Of 2009 5/22-6/21

Award winning Steppenwolf playwright Lisa Dillman has chosen ROGUE MACHINE to present the West Coast premiere of her play HALF OF PLENTY, for their season opener of 2009. This hilarious and chilling take on lean times and family values in America uncovers some all too familiar anxieties in modern living.

Playwright LISA DILLMAN is well recognized by America's best regional theatre companies for her prolific contemporary themes and her solid body of work. Her plays have been produced in Chicago at Steppenwolf, American Theatre Company, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, and Collaboraction. In New York Lisa's work has been produced at the Hypothetical Theatre Company; in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at Theaterwork, and elsewhere around the country. Her play Six Postcards was featured in the Goodman Theatre's 2005 New Stages Festival. Dillman has received the Sprenger-Lang New History Play Prize, the Sarett National Playwriting Award, and the Julie Harris-Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Award, as well as commissions from Steppenwolf, Northlight Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, and Imagination Theatre; two Illinois Arts Council playwriting fellowships; and residencies at the Millay Colony, the Ragdale Foundation, Blue Mountain Center, the William Inge Center for the Arts, and the O'Neill Theater Center, where her play ROCK SHORE (published by Dramatic Publishing) was presented at the 2003 National Playwrights Conference. Her work has been anthologized in collections from Dramatic Publishing, Smith and Kraus, Heinemann, and New Issues Press.

BARBARA KALLIR (Director) is known by local audiences for her work at Pacific Resident Theatre and Son of Semele. Her production of Sarah Ruhl's MELANCHOLY PLAY at Son of Semele Ensemble was "Recommended" by the LA Times, and was a "Critic's Pick" in Back Stage West and City Beat. THE TOWER by Matthew Maguire (Son of Semele Ensemble) was nominated for 5 NAACP awards, including Best Director, and was "Recommended" by both the LA Weekly and the LA Times. Other theatre credits include Alan Bennett's play, KAFKA'S DICK and Murray Mednick's CHARLES' STORY at the Pacific Resident Theatre Co-Op, A THURBER CARNIVAL for Pasadena Shakespeare Company, NO EXIT for Space Theatre, and OUR FRIEND SAM at Theatre of NOTE. Barbara co-directed Son of Semele's 365 (Week 21), as well as pieces in SOSE's collaborative effort with the Rogue Artists' Ensemble, HYPERBOLE. FILM: Barbara was Second Unit Director on Charles Burnett's TO SLEEP WITH ANGER and Roger Corman's WIZARDS OF THE LOST KINGDOM. She is a graduate of The American Film Institute and is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab, West.

HALF OF PLENTY opens Friday, May 22nd and runs through June 21, 2009 at ROGUE MACHINE in Theatre Theater, 5041 Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019. Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00pm & Sundays at 7 pm. Tickets are $25 ($50 for May 10th GALA) and may be purchased by calling (323) 960-7774 or at www.roguemachinetheatre.com

John PerriN FLYNN (Producer/Artistic Director) directed the critically acclaimed Los Angeles premiere of Rogue Machine's inaugural production COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY. 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. Executive producer and director of Lifetime's long running award winning series STRONG MEDICINE, John has produced two other series and 14 television movies or miniseries including the Emmy nominated BURDEN OF PROOF. He attended The London School of Music and Dramatic Art and has an MA degree in Theatre from Illinois State University.

ROGUE MACHINE is a collective of award winning entertainment veterans bringing a new and distinctive voice to Los Angeles Theatre. This presentation of HALF OF PLENTY launches the company's 2nd season which takes place in their newly remodeled intimate home at Theatre Theater. ROGUE MACHINE 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. The ROGUE MACHINE mission includes building a theatre of ideas and nurturing the development of plays from contemporary writers while manifesting current culture, and consciousness. ROGUE MACHINE projects will exhibit a strong emphasis on presenting new plays or plays new to Los Angeles.

The Ensemble:

RON BOTTITTA (Hector) struck fear into the hearts of audiences (as Leftie) at ROGUE MACHINE's world premiere production of RAZORBACK last season. L.A. Theatre: Shel Silverstein's UNCENSORED, HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, CHEKHOV AND MARIA, THE GREAT ELECTION, O'Neill's GHOSTS, COMMUNICATING DOORS, THE ART OF SUCCESS (Odyssey), LOCKED UP DOWN SHORTY'S (Powerhouse), THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI (Strasberg), and BRIGHTON BEACH SCUMBAGS (Lillian). NY Off-Broadway: NYSF/ Public Theatre, Barrow Group, Irish Rep. Irish Arts Ctr. Film: ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2009), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009), NATIONAL TREASURE II: BOOK OF SECRETS, STEAM, PIRATES OF THE CARBBEAN: Dead Man's Chest, THE PRESTIGE, MR. AND MRS. SMITH, IN GOOD COMPANY, and STRANGE FRUIT. TV credits include ER, LOST, HEARTLAND, JERICHO, ALIAS, THE SHIELD, and BOSTON PUBLIC.

CAROLYN PALMER (Holly) recently appeared in the ROGUE MACHINE's inaugural production of COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY. Regional engagements include VINCENT IN BRIXTON at the Pasadena Playhouse, LOVERS AT VERSAILLES at the Laguna Playhouse, ALL IN THE TIMING with Ensemble Theatre Company in Santa Barbara and at the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura where she also appeared in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Locally, she has appeared at the 24th Street Theatre in MADBOY CHRONICLES, at the Odyssey Theatre in A SPLINTERED SOUL, ABBEY YARD, FRANKENSTEIN and MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT, at Pacific Resident Theatre in BIG LOVE, PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD and SHADOW OF A GUNMAN and at Theatre Banshee in RED NOSES, THE CLEARING and WHAT THE BUTLER SAW.

Robert Mandan (Jack) is probably best-known as the philandering Chester Tate in the now-classic television series Soap. On Broadway, he originated the role of "Howard Benedict" in Applause with Lauren Bacall, as well as the role of "Max Berkowitz" in the hit musical Mail, at the Pasadena Playhouse. Robert has starred in regional productions of Chicago; Same Time, Next Year; Born Yesterday, four productions of Sleuth; and Gary Goldstein's Just Men at the Stella Adler. He played in the revival of How To Succeed in Business at the La Jolla Playhouse and in Theatre Leagues' My Fair Lady, as well as Reprise's Finian's Rainbow. He directed Naomi Feldman's Entanglements at the Court and an acclaimed revival of The Curious Savage at the Adler (while playing in Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten at the Tiffany). Mandan starred with Bea Arthur in After-Play at the Pasadena Playhouse and its extended run at the Canon Theatre. In addition to Soap, Robert has been seen in the TV series Private Benjamin, Three's a Crowd, and Caribe, as well as hundreds of TV guest appearances

BETSEY ZAJKO (Mitzi) recently moved to Los Angeles from Chicago where she performed at Steppenwolf, Trap Door, Reverie theaters, and was named Chicago Screen Magazine finalist, Talent of the Year. Betsy studied at Second City, Chicago Improv and graduated from the Columbia College School of Theater and Dance. A former host for National Public Radio, Betsy is also a voice-over actress. Locally she has been seen performing in FIRE DANCER (Berman Gallery, Bergamot Station). Regional credits include FEARLESS (Cleveland Playhouse), COLLECTED STORIES (Halle Theater), HOMECOMING (Ensemble), MacBETH, OF MICE AND MEN (Magical Theater). FILM: STRIKING DISTANCE, MOTHMAN PROHECIES, MONEY FOR NOTHING. TELEVISION: CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and ASSASINATION FILES.

JOHN POLLONO (Marty) is an actor/playwright whose works have been produced at the Ivy Substation, The Lounge Theatre, Actor's Circle Theatre, and Theatre Unlimited. John wrote and performed in the critically acclaimed world premiere of RAZORBACK (for Rogue Machine) last season and the play Lost and Found which had its world premiere in 2006 and was directed by John Perrin Flynn. As an actor, John has appeared onstage at the Odyssey Theatre in The Chicago Conspiracy Trial (LA Weekly Award Nominee) and A Small Tragedy. He can be seen in the upcoming feature films Thunder Geniuses (2008) and Fort McCoy (2009). RAZORBACK was chosen by an overwhelming response through Rogue Machine's ‘Rogue's Gallery Play Reading Festival.'

Leigh Allen (Lighting Designer), a multi-award winner for lighting design is a recent recipient (2009) of the Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle. Leigh returns to Rogue Machine after her highly acclaimed design for RAZORBACK and AMERICAN DEAD. Other credits include: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Musical Theater West), CHAMPAGNE (Regent Cruise Lines), SHIMMY! (Princess Cruise Lines), SNOOPY ON ICE, THE RED ROAD (Native Voices), KILLER JOE (Ovation Award: Production of the Year), THE FAB FOUR (South Bay CLO), THE PRINCE OF LA (The Old Globe in San Diego), and VINCENT IN BRIXTON (Pasadena Playhouse). Leigh received the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle and LA Weekly Lighting Design Awards for JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN.

ANGELINE SUMMERS-MARVEL (Costume Designer) is a freelance designer. She has designed lighting and costumes around the country and was formerly a professor of design and production at Kent State University and the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. She holds an MFA in design from Northwestern University.

DESCRIPTION: A satire expressing some all too familiar anxieties of modern living and lean times. While a young woman tries to balance caretaking and a career at home, her husband becomes seduced by the local neighborhood watch folks.

 

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