THE GREAT DIVIDE Opens Tonight at Lillian Theatre

Elephant Theatre Company is delighted to present the World Premier of The Great Divide by Lyle Kessler, directed by David Fofi. Opening night is tonight, July 11th at the Lillian Theatre (1036 N. Lillian Way, Hollywood, CA 90038). The production runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 5 PM through August 29th, 2015.Tickets are $25 and available at Plays411.net/divide or by calling 323.960.4429.

The Great Divide is a dark comedy of brawls and baseball. Colman is called home by his brother Dale to mourn their father's untimely death. But miracles abound in Fishtown, PA as the old man is resurrected just in time for Uninvited Company. The arrival of two unlikely visitors from Colman's past, will challenge not only Colman's beliefs, but could tip the balance between a family torn apart or bound together.

Written by Lyle Kessler (Orphans, Collision), Directed by David Fofi (One World, Farm Boy), Produced by Bren Coombs (Pulp Shakespeare, Haunted Play's Delusion) and Shannon McManus (HGTV, Random House). Set, Sound, and Lighting Design by Elephant Stageworks.

Starring Kimberly Alexander (NCIS, The Romantics), Brandon Bales (Little Man, American Friends), Richard Chaves (Tracers, Predator), Kate Huffman (Fresh Off the Boat, reasons to be pretty), Adam Hunter (The Whipping Man, The Importance of Being Earnest), Forrest Lancaster (The 7th Annual One Man Show Championships, Last Life), and Mark McClain Wilson (Stupid F***ing Bird, Fat Pig).

Lyle Kessler's Orphans premiered at L.A.'s Matrix Theater, with Gary Sinise directing the Steppenwolf Theater's production in Chicago, New York City, and London's West End where lead actor Albert Finney won the Olivier Award. Orphans has since been produced in almost every country in the world, receiving two Tony nominations for the Broadway revival, starring Alec Baldwin. Al Pacino and Jesse Eisenberg are among other actors who have also appeared in the play. Kessler's other plays include Collision at N.Y.'s Rattlestick Theater, The Watering Place at Music Box Theater, Possession, Holy Land, Robbers, and Unlisted. His plays have been published by Grove Press, Random House, Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service. Mr. Kessler's films include Orphans, Gladiator, Touched, and The Saint of Fort Washington.

Mr. Kessler co-moderated The Actors Studio West's Playwright/Director's Unit for eleven years with Mark Rydell and since his move back to N.Y. he is now directing N.Y.'s Actors Studio PD Unit. He also served as Artistic Director of the the Sundance Screenwriter's Lab. He was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation Playwriting Grant and N.Y. State Council on the Arts Playwriting Award.

David Fofi has enjoyed working in many aspects of the theatre as a director, producer, and designer. His directing credits include: The world premiere of Collision by Lyle Kessler at the Rattlestick Theater in New York (Critic's Pick Timeout NY); The world premiere of Farm Boy by Michael Morpugo, stage adaptation by Daniel Buckroyd (Los Angeles Times' Critics Choice, Backstage Critic's pick) at The Matrix Theatre; the West Coast premiere of The Late Henry Moss by Sam Shepard (Backstage Critic's Pick, GO LA Weekly); the West Coast Premiere of The Little Flower of East Orange by Stephen Adly Guirgis (Ovation Recommended); In Arabia We'd All Be Kings by Stephen Adly Guirgis (4 LADCC Awards including Best Production, Critic's Pick, LA Times and Backstage); the World Premiere of Parasite Drag by Mark Roberts (Ovation Recommended, Critic's Pick Backstage and LA Weekly); 365 Days/Plays by Suzan Lori Parks; the world-premiere Los Muertos by Tim McNeil (Critic's Pick, LA Times; Pick of the Week, ReviewPlays.com); The Sand Storm (Critic's Pick, Backstage, featured in the LA Times Calendar and LA Weekly); the World Premiere Sensitive Skin by Shem Bitterman; (feature in LA Weekly); Hellcab by Will Kern (Critic's Pick, Backstage); the World Premiere of Robert J. Litz's One World (recommended, LA Times and LA Weekly; Critic's Pick, two NAACP award nominations); and 4-H Club by Sam Shepard (Critic's Pick, Backstage).

After serving with the US Navy, Mr. Fofi went on to study theatre at California State University Long Beach, where he met a core group of artists who would become the Elephant Theatre Company. Along with Don Cesario, he created Elephant Stages and the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood, where the Elephant Theatre Company now makes its home, and where he serves as Artistic Director.

The Elephant Theatre Company was created in downtown Los Angeles in 1995. Artistic Director, David Fofi, along with other graduates from the California State University, Long Beach Theatre Arts program moved into a space at the Angel City Brewery artist complex, later renovating the space to create a small theatre and living quarters. In the summer of 1997, the small 45-seat theater could no longer accommodate the advancing production needs or the increasing audience attendance. The Company then moved to Hollywood and continued to produce Elephant productions in various Hollywood venues before breaking ground on their eventual home, The Elephant/Lillian Theaters, creating four working stages.

The Elephant Theatre Company has presented many world and Los Angeles premieres including, Block Nine, The Idea Man, Asleep on a Bicycle, Tooth and Nail, In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, Los Muertos, 7 Redneck Cheerleaders, One Fell Swoop, Never Tell, The Sandstorm (with Operation Truth and Mark Seabrooks), Dearboys War, King of Clubs, The Puppet & Muppet Maiden, Love Bites, Holding Cell and Princess and the Peon in addition to published works and restagings that include, Search and Destroy, Serenading Louie and Sam Shepard's 4-H Club & Red Cross.

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