Sixth Avenue Theater Presents NERVE

Sixth Avenue is set to present the Los Angeles Premiere of NERVE, written by Adam Szymkowicz, choreography by Laura Harrison and directed by Michael Matthews (Take Me Out, What's Wrong With Angry) and starring Anna Rubley and Adam Silver. NERVE will preview on Thursday, January 5 at 8pm and will open on Friday, January 6 and continue through Saturday, January 28 at The El Centro Theatre – Chaplin Stage, 804 N. El Centro Ave. in Hollywood.

First dates suck. Elliot has never had an online date before--at least not one that showed up. Susan has had far too many but would prefer not to discuss them. When they arrange to meet in a bar one night, all their flaws are revealed along with a surging desperation that may or may not be love.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

ADAM SZYMKOWICZ (Playwright) His plays have been produced throughout the U.S., and in Canada, England, The Netherlands, Germany and Lithuania. His work has been presented or developed at such places as MCC Theater, Ars Nova, South Coast Rep, Playwrights Horizons, LAByrinth Theater Company, Primary Stages, The New Group, Southern Rep, Rising Phoenix, The Lark, Kitchen Dog, Theatre of Note, Naked Stage, Azuka Theater and Studio Dante among others. Plays include Deflowering Waldo, Open Minds, Anne, The Art Machine, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Hearts Like Fists, My Base and Scurvy Heart, Herbie, Incendiary,Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, Bee Eater, Temporary Everything, Susan Gets Some Play, Clown Bar, Fat Cat Killers, The Why Overhead, Elsewhere, Where You Can't Follow, The Artist and Nerve. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service and Samuel French. Adam received a Playwright's Diploma from The Juilliard School's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University where he was the Dean's Fellow. Szymkowicz is a two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner, a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writer's Guild of America, Primary Stages' Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer's Group, the MCC Playwright's Coalition and was a founding member of the Ars Nova Play Group. He served as Playwright in Residence at the William Inge Center, received a grant from the CT Commission on Culture & Tourism, and was commissioned by South Coast Rep. He was the premiere Resident Playwright at The Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA and the first playwright to participate in Bloomington Playwrights Projects' Square One Series. For more, go to www.adamszymkowicz.com.

Michael Matthews (Director) Los Angeles: What's Wrong With Angry?, Take Me Out! (Ovation Nomination Best Director, NAACP Award Best Director) The Women of Brewster Place, the Musical (Ovation Nomination Best Director, NAACP Award Best Director, Ovation Award Best Musical; West Coast Premiere), The Temperamentals (West Coast Premiere), Haram! Iran! (West Coast Premiere), Three Tall Women, The Santa Land Diaries (2009, 2010, 2011), The Jazz Age (West Coast Premiere), The Prodigal Father (World Premiere), Porcelain, Stupid Kids (LA Premiere), Beautiful Thing (Ovation Nominations, Best Director and Best Play), The Bacchae (Ovation Nominations, Best Director and Best Play), Four (West Coast Premiere); Dead End (Assistant Director) Ahmanson Theatre and The Cherry Orchard (Assistant Director) Mark Taper Forum. Broadway: Butley (Assistant Director). Chicago: What's Wrong With Angry? (Jeff Nominations, Best Director and Best Production), In The Blood (Jeff Nominations, Best Director and Best Production), Porcelain (Jeff Nomination, Best Director), The Judas Kiss (Chicago Premiere), Being 11 (World Premiere), and ...for colored girls who have considered suicide.... International: The Bacchae (Edinburgh Theatre Festival, 2010). Michael served as the Artistic Director of Celebration Theatre from 2005-2008 and is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, National Shakespeare Conservatory, NY, and an alumnus of Director's Lab West 2008. For more, go to www.michaelmatthewsdirector.com.

Laura HarrisON (Choreographer) Chicago choreography credits include I Do! I Do! at American Theatre Company, It's a Wonderful Life at Porchlight, Gilbert and Sullivan's Princess Ida with The Savoyaires, and at Northwestern University: The Rocky Horror Show, A Perfect Relationship, 5 to 9, and the 2007 Waa-Mu Show. Recent acting credits include Jersey Shore Shark Attack for SyFy, Oblivion at Center Theater Group, and the world premiere of Jacob and Jack at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater. B.S. in Theatre and Certificate in Musical Theatre from Northwestern University. For more, go to www.thisislaura.com

NERVE has assembled an award-winning design team. The Set Design is by Stephen Gifford. The Lighting Design is by Sara Nishida. The Sound Design is by Cricket S. Myers. Puppet Design is by Lynn Bathke. The Stage Manager is Christopher Johnson.

ABOUT THE CAST
ANNA RUBLEY (Susan) received her BFA in Acting from the University of Southern California in 2010. She studied Shakespeare at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and currently studies with Diana Castle and at Upright Citizens Brigade. Anna plays the lead role in the independent feature Downtown 6, coming out in 2012.

ADAM SILVER (Elliot) previously appeared on stage for Sixth Avenue in the World Premiere of William Nedved's play Fact & Fiction, directed by Dámaso Rodriguez. Adam will reprise his role in Fact & Fiction at The Gift Theatre Company in Chicago in May 2012. Los Angeles Theatre: Ralph in Awake and Sing! at A Noise Within (Ovation and Drama Critics Circle nominations), Orpheus in Surf Orpheus at the Getty Villa, Oscar in Sweet Charity at the Knightsbridge Theatre. Film: Excision (coming out in 2012), The Kari Files, Marla, The Runaways. Television: Californication, Community, Torchwood, The Wedding Band. Viral: Butterfinger the 13th, Electric Spoofaloo. His Chicago theatre credits include over thirty productions with About Face Theatre, Bailiwick Repertory, Circle Theatre, Drury Lane, Live Bait Theater, The Mercury, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, New Tuners, Open Door Repertory, Organic Theater, Renegade Theatre Company, Second City, Stage Left Theatre, Stage Right Productions, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Uma Productions and WNEP Theatre, among others. Adam received his degree in Cultural Studies and Anthropology from Columbia College Chicago. For more, go to www.iamadamsilver.com.
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

NERVE will preview on Thursday, January 5 and will open on Friday, January 6 and run through Saturday, January 28 at The El Centro Theatre – Chaplin Stage, 804 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood. Ticket prices are $20. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm. For tickets, please visit www.6avenue.org.

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