Circle Circle dot dot Named La Jolla Playhouse's 2014-15 Resident Theatre Company

La Jolla Playhouse has announced Circle Circle dot dot (CCdd) as its 2014/2015 resident theatre company. Spearheaded by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley, the Resident Theatre Program aims to encourage the artistic development of performing arts organizations, while advancing and contributing to the San Diego theatre scene as a whole. The program provides a temporary home each year to one of the many local companies without a permanent venue.

"In just a few short years, Circle Circle dot dot has displayed a startling sense of ambition, adventure and creativity, devising plays alongside local communities and branching out into site-based shows," said Ashley. "That commitment to new work and new forms resonates with the Playhouse's own mission, and makes CCdd a natural choice for our next Resident Theatre Company."

As part of their 2014/2015 "Season of Science," Circle Circle dot dot will be presenting two productions during their Playhouse residency. In the fall, they will present the San Diego premiere of Red Planet Respite, written and developed by CCdd Artistic Director Katherine Harroff, in collaboration with Soroya Rowley, Patrick Young, Karen Knierman, the Arizona State University School of Theatre, Film and Dance, the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the Mars Space Flight Facility. In the year 2044, GlobalCom Venture Capitals, an American corporation, has developed the first interactive resort experience on Mars with the Marsimerica space research institution. Red Planet Respite is the story of the premiere crew sent to test out the luxurious resort intended for the socially elite. An unexpected phenomenon that takes place in the universe during their voyage forces the crew to face consequences and psychological extremities they could never prepare for.

In the spring, the company will be developing a world-premiere earth-sciences production based on the exceptional lives of California native animal life with the help of San Diego-based Environmental Preservation specialist Michael Nieto. The currently untitled piece will feature puppetry, clowning, dance, music and more.

"We are elated to have the incredible opportunity to produce our unique community-inspired productions within the esteemed residency with La Jolla Playhouse. We recognize the fabulous young companies that have stepped into this position throughout the years, and we are humbled to follow in their footsteps," remarked Harroff. "We look forward to utilizing this as a chance to grow into a more sustainable organization, and advance the impact of our work in San Diego."

Circle Circle dot dot engages audiences by creating original theatre devised from the stories of our community. They aim to bring theatre back to the root of what has always made it important: the ability to allow the world to see and understand itself through stimulating, informative, and highly entertaining art. The company is made up of a group of performance artists, writers, directors, puppeteers, designers and musicians who have come together to function as a Collaborative Community-Based Theatre. Established in 2010, CCdd is both collaborative within the company and with outside artists who are willing to give additional perspective to a theatrical experience. Each performance is created completely from scratch by collecting stories and interviews with members of our community and then creating a script that is fleshed out in workshop rehearsals before ever hitting a stage. They take stories that are informative and insane, as well as thought-provoking and delusional, in order to bridge gaps in communication and understanding of our fellow man.

The Resident Theatre Program is an annual appointment at La Jolla Playhouse. In addition to performance space, the Playhouse provides lighting and sound support and is available to offer marketing and development advice. Previous resident theatre appointees include Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company, Moxie Theatre, San Diego Asian American Repertory Theater, Eveoke Dance Theatre and Teatro Máscara Mágica. The Resident Theatre Program is part of La Jolla Playhouse's overall commitment to fostering artistic relationships and the development of new work. The Playhouse seeks to nurture both established and up-and-coming playwrights, directors, designers and performers who are impacted by - and who, in turn, impact - our culture.

By offering these artists resources and opportunities, such as the recently-established Artist-in-Residence program, commissions, readings, workshops, as well as our signature Page To Stage Play Development Program, we can ensure the Playhouse will be the place to look for what's next in American theatre.

The nationally-acclaimed, Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse is known for its tradition of creating some of the most exciting and adventurous new work in regional theatre. The Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, and is considered one of the most well-respected not-for-profit theatres in the country. Numerous Playhouse productions have moved to Broadway, including the currently running hits Jersey Boys, Chaplin and Peter and the Starcatcher, as well as Big River, The Who's Tommy, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Walk in the Woods, Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays, the Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Farnsworth Invention, 33 Variations, Bonnie & Clyde, Chaplin and Hands on a Hardbody. Located on the UC San Diego campus, La Jolla Playhouse is made up of three primary performance spaces: the Mandell Weiss Theatre, the Mandell Weiss Forum Theatre and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for La Jolla Playhouse, a state-of-the-art theatre complex which features the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. La Jolla Playhouse is led by Artistic Director Christopher Ashley and Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg.

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