SeaGlass Theatre to Present Steven Berkoff’s KVETCH, Closes 10/16

LA's SeaGlass Theatre will present Steven Berkoff's KVETCH, a dark and decidedly adult comedy, September 17 - October 16, 2011 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA.

An absurdist look at the secret, true thoughts that brew within us all, KVETCH not only exposes the deepest fears, desires, and prejudices of one Jewish family with hilarious results, but is a savage study of anxieties often caused by those who share our lives.

Directed by Ian Vogt, the production stars Matt Kirkwood (as Frank), Kimberly Van Luin (as Donna), Paul Stroili (as Hal), Annie Abbott (as the Mother-in-law), and Dale Morris (as George).

Matt Kirkwood (Frank) was born and raised in Rhode Island and has a Bachelor's Degree in Theater Arts/Acting/Directing from Emerson College in Boston. Matt has served on the Artistic Board at Theatre NEO and Theatre East. He is also a member of The Road Theater Company. Acting credits include: The Unseen, Lady (LA Weekly Award, Best Supporting Actor), Moonlight & Magnolias, Hitler's Head, White People, The Threepenny Opera, With a Bullit, Metropolitan Prairie and The Chicago Conspiracy Trial. TV and Film: Quantum Leap, Boy Meets World, What's Love Got To Do With It, Strong Medicine. His directing credits include: the short film, Happy Birthday Little Grace, The Family of Mann, Mall America, The White House Murder Case (LA Weekly Award Nomination, Best Comedy Direction), Coming Attractions at Theatre NEO, The Lady's Not For Burning, Blue and The Hit at the Road Theatre Company, Snowangel, Clandestine at the Crystal and Crosswords at Friends and Artists Theater Ensemble.

Kimberly Van Luin (Donna) has been actively involved in theatre for over 20 years. A theatre graduate from the University of Evansville, she has performed in New York, Chicago, LA and towns in between. While in Chicago she founded the Griffin Theatre Company, producing and acting in over 30 shows. She received a Joseph Jeff Citation for Lee Blessing's, Independence. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has performed in shows throughout the city, including at The Odyssey Theatre, The Zeitgeist Theatre and The Eclectic Theatre. Some of her most recent shows include Gail Can See for Three Days by Josh Faigen , Of Grapes and Nuts, where she played the role of Curly and Wonder of the World, for which she was the recipient of Best Featured Performance Recognition by Don Grigware in his Best of Southern California Theatre Citations for 2009. Kimberly has appeared on "Family Law", "All That", "Twentysixmiles" and several short and independent films.

Paul Stroili (Hal). Television credits include the soon-to-be-released Bulletproof Bride, along with Malcolm in the Middle, Brother's Keeper, Getting Personal, Chance of a Lifetime, Help Me and The Untouchables, as well as the films Gratitude, Introducing Dave Cook, Cold Justice and The Real Whatever. Paul was nominated for an Ovation Award for Best Solo Performance and an LA Weekly Award for Paul Stroili's Straight Up with a Twist, which has enjoyed over 1000 performances nationwide, including a twice extended Off Broadway run. A native of Connecticut, Paul attended the State University of New York at New Paltz, then headed westward; first to Chicago then on to Los Angeles. He has appeared in over 50 plays, and recently directed the SeaGlass production Of Grapes and Nuts, for which he received a Garland Award nomination. His stage credits include A Flea in her Ear, Wonder of the World, Confessions of a Catholic Child, Under Milkwood, Oedipus; A Requiem, and the original Chicago production of Tony ‘n Tina's Wedding. He has written for Los Angeles Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, NY Blade Magazine and the LA Stage Alliance. More information at www.paulstroili.com.

Dale Morris (George) Dale's play A Hundred Birds was named Outstanding New Play in 2007. As an actor: San Diego Rep: In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play. Starlight Theatre: The Pajama Game; Arthur Wagner Theatre: An Arrow to the Heart; Cygnet Theatre: Our Town, The Receptionist; Backyard Prods: Hysterical Blindness; Compass Theatre: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Glengarry Glenn Ross, Middle-Aged White Guys, The Sum of Us, Young Lady from Rwanda, Antigone, Children of Heracles, A Prayer for My Daughter, Lyceum Theatre: Raisins in the Sun, Quentin Crisp Theatre: Fit To Be Tied; North Coast Rep: The Elephant Man, An American Daughter; The Fritz: Escape from Happiness, Unmerciful Good Fortune; Sledgehammer: My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine; Diversionary: Execution of Justice. Film: The Streetsweeper, American Daughter, Point Blank, Not Once But Twice and 'Til Death Do Us Part. TV: The Lonely Detective, Fashion House, Silk Stalkings, the O. J. Trial Re-Enactment and Angel Street.

Annie Abbott (Mother-in-Law) is the proud recipient of an ADA Award Best Actress as Mama in Interact Theater Co's. production ‘night, Mother directed by Lisa Pelikan. Other award-winning productions: Urinetown; Death of A Salesman; Counsellor-At-Law; A Little Night Music, State of the Union. Broadway/ Off Broadway: Tony-nominated Dance with Me, director Joel Zwick; Knockout; To Bury a Cousin; Emma Instigated Me, also directed by Joel Zwick. Recent film roles: Antwone Fisher's My Secret Friend, Winner: Best of 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival; Hallmark's Citizen Jane, starring Ally Sheedy; The Boilermaker with John Savage; Fat Albert; The Work and the Glory Parts I and II; The Gin Game starring Mary Tyler Moore/Dick Van Dyke; Emmy-nominated MOW "The Beach Boys". NPR productions: Prisoner of Second Avenue with Richard Dreyfus; Middle of the Night with Elliot Gould. Television apperaances include Boston Legal; Ghost Whisperer; Secret Life of the American Teenager; October Road; and her 10-year role of irreverent Judge Neiman on LA Law. Annie will be seen this fall as the iconic Ruth Gordon opposite David Duchovny in the popular Showtime television series Californication.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

Ian Vogt is a New Orleans native and graduate of Tulane University. He has worked in theatres from England to Chicago to Los Angeles. His directing credits include Kvetch, Dirty Laundry, Americansaint, and the world premiere productions of A Yankee Trader and Gray Area. Chicago and LA stage credits include Of Grapes and Nuts, Wonder of the World, Gail Can See for Three Days, Confessions of a Catholic Child, Rope, The Flight of the Phoenix, The Glass Menagerie, Long Day's Journey into Night - for which he was awarded a Chicago Joseph Jefferson Citation, and numerous works by Shakespeare. His TV credits include The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Everwood, Scrubs, Early Edition, Cupid, and the independent films Too Much Flesh, The Parlor, Bounce, A Bump in the Night (which he also directed) and several national commercials.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:

Steven Berkoff was born in Stepney, London. After studying drama and mime in London and Paris, he entered a series of repertory companies and in 1968 formed the London Theatre Group. His plays and adaptations have been performed in many countries and in many languages. Among the many adaptations Berkoff has created for the stage, directed and toured, are Kafka's Metamorphosis and The Trial, Agamemnon after Aeschylus, and Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. He has directed and toured productions of Shakespeare's Coriolanus also playing the title role, Richard II, Hamlet and Macbeth, as well as Oscar Wilde's Salome. Berkoff's original stage plays include East, West, Messiah: Scenes from a Crucifixion, The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, Decadence, Harry's Christmas, Massage, Acapulco and Brighton Beach Scumbags. He has performed his trilogy of solo shows, One Man, Shakespeare's Villains and Requiem for Ground Zero, in venues all over the world. As an actor, he has appeared in several major motion pictures. He has also published a variety of books for the theatre.

ABOUT SEAGLASS THEATRE

SeaGlass Theatre of Los Angeles first emerged in October, 2008 with a co-production of Susan
Johnston's How Cissy Grew starring SeaGlass Board Member James Denton of Desperate
Housewives at North Hollywood's El Portal Theatre. David Lindsay-Abaire's roller coaster comedy
Wonder of the World at Burbank's Victory Theatre Center followed in 2009, with the company
returning to the Victory in 2010 for Of Grapes and Nuts... a spoof of two John Steinbeck classics:
The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. Kimberly Van Luin serves as Artistic Director for
SeaGlass with Paul Stroili as Managing Director. For further information about SeaGlass Theatre,
please contact the company directly at (818) 745-5537.

PERFORMANCE DATES, TIMES, TICKETS, AND LOCATION:

Performances of Kvetch will be presented Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm; and Sundays
at 3:00 pm September 17 through October 16, 2011 at the Whitefire Theatre. The opening of Kvetch will be preceded by one preview performance September 16 at 8:00pm.

Tickets are available at www.seaglasstheatre.org. The Whitefire Theatre is located at 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Street parking and Valet Parking (at $5.00 per auto) are available. 

 

 

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