World Premiere of Joshua Silverstein's TELL ME I'M PRETTY Begins Performances Today

Beyond the Usual and Bootleg Theater proudly present the World Premiere of Tell Me I'm Pretty, a hilarious and riveting new solo show - written and performed by Joshua Silverstein and directed by Diana Wyenn. Tackling race, gender, and poverty in America through storytelling, spoken word, vocal percussion, and hip hop, Tell Me I'm Pretty opens its five-week run at Bootleg Theater today, April 8, 2016. Performances run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm through Saturday, May 7, 2016. Bootleg Theater is located at 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057(213-389-3856). General admission tickets are $20 in advance online and $25 day-of online and at the box office. Student and senior admission tickets are $15 in advance online and $20 day-of online and at the box office. For more information please visit http://www.joshuasilverbat.com/tell-me-im-pretty.

With side-splitting humor and raw power, award-winning actor, comedic writer, spoken word artist, and beatboxer Joshua Silverstein delivers an explosive mix of storytelling, spoken word, vocal percussion, and hip hop. Backed live by a three-piece band, Silverstein layers playful and riveting narratives grounded in personal experience, and nuanced by the complexities and contradictions surrounding race, gender and, poverty in America. Plus, he reveals what it would have been like if Buster Keaton could beatbox!

Of a recent work-in-progress showing at REDCAT's Studio Series featuring fifteen minutes of the production's seventy minutes of material, Culture Spot LAproclaimed, "Silverstein set the bar high by opening the show with this high-octane one-man-show... He quickly builds upon the gimmick of entertainment by transfusing an emotionally charged narrative with captivating confessionals and spot-on cultural commentary." Read the full review here.

Tell Me I'm Pretty is written and performed by Joshua Silverstein, and directed by Diana Wyenn. Live music is performed by musicians Damian Curry (guitar),Gerry Doot (drums), and Erik Hallsey (bass). The production team includes: Diana Wyenn (scenic design), Matt Hill (video design), Joey Guthman (lighting design), Mark Holden (sound design), and Joshua Silverstein (costume design). Additional credits include: Aaron Saldaña (stage manager), Diana Wyenn (choreography and dramaturgy) and Jamais Vu (graphic design).

Black, Jewish and (slightly) Native American, Joshua Reuben Silverstein - a second generation Los Angels Native - is an award-winning actor, comedic writer, spoken word artist, beatboxer and educator. He's an original member of Norman Lear's Declare Yourself Roadtrip Show; a three-year spoken-word/music performance tour encouraging the American people to register and vote. His two-person show, So Fresh and So Clean, with actor/poet, Joe Hernandez-Kolski has been receiving rave reviews since its debut at the bang. Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles in 2008. It was additionally presented at the Comedy Central Stage and Ars Nova in New York City. Beatboxing since the age of 5, Silverstein has become the West Coast's most sought after beatboxer. His various collaborations with artists such as Slash from Guns and Roses and poetic icons Jerry Quickley and Ursula Rucker have earned him the title of "the hardest-working beatboxer in L.A." Silverstein was honored alongside Gina Loring and Brandon Coleman as the first American Hip Hop Artists to perform in Kuwait under the U.S Embassy. Silverstein has gone on to provide and facilitate uncountable Theater, Improvisation and Spoken Word workshops / in-school residencies, all designed to create a safe and open space where youth indulge in the freedom of creative expression. For 14 years, Silverstein produced, curated and hosted, numerous multifaceted, live art showcases within the greater Los Angeles area. Utilizing his multifaceted talents, his various performances throughout the country have received admiration from, Norman Lear, LeVar Burton, John Landgraf , Stan Lathan, Wayne Brady, Anjelica Huston, Craig Robinson, Queen Latifah and Prince. You can currently catch Silverstein during the school year as the co-host and co-producer of Emmy-winning, Downbeat 720; a high school open-mic that has been a staple of Santa Monica for the last 10 years. Silverstein also serves as Co-Host with Eliza Skinner for Turnt Up; a comedian emcee battle that takes place once a month at the famous Upright Citizens Brigade in LA.

Diana Wyenn challenges and inspires audiences to see beyond the usual. Her work as director and choreographer has been presented around the country at cutting edge venues, including REDCAT in Los Angeles and SummerStage in New York City's Central Park. Wyenn has collaborated on large spectaculars and intimate performances, including work for Disney, Radarworks, Unknown Theater, and electronic music artist RYAT. She has directed numerous solo performances, which continue to tour nationally and receive critical praise. Off the stage, Wyenn champions arts and cultural events as an integral part of American society through her work on the board of directors for the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Space, the Directors Lab West steering committee, and as co-founder of Circle Readings. In 2012, she transformed a two-day freeway closure into ARTmageddon, a city-wide celebration of the arts that encouraged thousands of L.A. residents to walk, bike and take public transit to art in their neighborhoods through expansive partnerships with Metro, the Mayor's Office, and the Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Beast, Fast Company, and on NPR. Recently, she rejoined the CEO Perspective Group, a New York-based consulting firm where she received a major break early in her career, to pay it forward by advising entrepreneurs, non-profit executives, and young achievers on presence and presentation. Wyenn graduated from New York University with Honors, BFA Drama ('04), and is a proud associate member of SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society).

LINKS:

• Joshua Silverstein - http://www.joshuasilverbat.com

• Tell Me I'm Pretty (TMIP) - http://www.joshuasilverbat.com/tell-me-im-pretty

• Joshua Silverstein Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/joshuasilversteinproductions

• TMIP Facebook Event Page - https://www.facebook.com/events/436202663252486

• Diana Wyenn - http://www.dianawyenn.com

• Bootleg Theater - http://www.bootlegtheater.org

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