Skylight Theatre Company Presents WEST ADAMS by Penelope Lowder

A new, dark, comedy about race and class. With a hostile takeover of a neighborhood block party and bouncy houses, Penelope Lowder's newest play set in historic West Adams takes an uncomfortable look at altruistic gentrification gone wrong. Perhaps reshaping a newly adopted neighborhood in your image isn't as lofty as one might think. Opening February 1, 2020.

"My goal with this play is for audiences to be unsettled by the myopic vision of the new colonials," explains playwright Penelope Lowder. "They seed the divide and fuel racism, ultimately destroying so many black and brown people."

"I knew right away that West Adams was gonna be something special," says director Michael A. Shepperd. "Gary doesn't send scripts that he doesn't truly believe in. It took me all of an hour to read it twice, realizing that I needed to do this play to attach the social mores of where we are today and how so many 'micro-aggressions' infiltrate our lives daily as people of color."

The cast includes Andrés M. Bagg (Selected stage: Midsummer Night's Dream - Principe a??Gran Via, Madrid, in Buenos Aires: Shrek The Musical - Teatro Maipo, Rent - Teatro Konex, The Three Musketeers - Teatro Armenia. Wojtyla - Latín American tour. Film: Stolen Tango, The Rati Horror Show, Left for Dead) as Edward, Allison Blaize (Spanish Prayer Book, Stupid Kid, The Play About the Baby, A Delicate Ship - Road Theatre, A Splintered Soul, Cardboard Piano - ICT) as Sarah, Clayton Farris (Rob; world premiere of She's Not There - the Zephyr Theatre; reprising his role as Neil Simon in The Art Couple at the 2020 CTG Block Party at the Kirk Douglas; TV: The Morning Show - Apple+, Seal Team, Ratched) as Michael, Jenny Soo (2019 Stage Raw Award - Best Female/Comedy. Selected stage: Dry Land, Hot Cat, D Deb Debbie Deborah, and Gloria; TV: Parks & Rec, LA to Vegas, Reverie, and award-winning feature, "For Izzy," now finishing its festival run) as Julie.

The creative team includes Stephen Gifford (Scenic Design), Mylette Nora (Costume Design), Donny Jackson (Lighting Design), Jesse Mandapat (Sound Design), David Murakami (Projection Design), Michael Teoli (Original Music), Michael O'Hara (Properties), Gary Grossman, Michael Kearns (Producers).

Skylight continues their popular 'Beyond Conversation' series for audiences that want more from their theater experience. Following select performances, invited guests chat with the audience offering insights into the contemporary issues and themes of the play. Schedule will be posted on Skylight's website: www.skylighttheatre.org. Guests and discussion topics may be subject to change.

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