THE GRIFT Begins Tonight at La Jolla Playhouse

La Jolla Playhouse presents the latest presentation in its acclaimed Without Walls (WoW) series, THE GRIFT at the Lafayette Hotel, a world-premiere, immersive theatre piece, conceived, written and directed by Diabolical Muse's Tom Salamon, creator of the Playhouse's wildly-successful WoW production of Accomplice: San Diego. The show will run tonight, January 27 - February 22, 2015 at North Park's historic Lafayette Hotel.

THE GRIFT at the Lafayette Hotel takes audiences on a participatory journey through the extraordinary rooms and spaces of this expansive, 1940s-era landmark. They are introduced to Ben, who, under mysterious circumstances, lived his entire life at the hotel. Having found an unlikely mentor in a traveling con-man who was a frequent guest at the hotel, Ben's last wish is to enlist the audience's help to execute one final, giant swindle. Like the three-time-extended Accomplice: San Diego, this thrilling new show is part game, part drama as patrons learn the art of the con in a unique immersive theatrical experience.

"Our Without Walls presentations always take patrons to unexpected places for a theatrical experience unlike any other," said Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. "Tom Salamon follows up his inventive Accomplice with this interactive, noir-inspired piece that brings audiences to yet another new location - the celebrated Lafayette Hotel - where they become part of the action in an entertaining, clue-solving group adventure."

Performances run at the Lafayette Hotel at 2223 El Cajon Blvd on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00pm; Fridays at 6:00pm and 8:30pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00pm, 6:00pm and 8:30pm. The experience includes some walking with a few stairs. Patrons are advised to wear comfortable walking shoes. A beverage and light bites are included. Each performance accommodates 50 audience members. Group sales are available.

Tickets for THE GRIFT at the Lafayette Hotel range from $35 - $45 and will be available through the Playhouse Patron Services Department at (858) 550-1010 or online at LaJollaPlayhouse.org beginning Sunday, December 7.

Tom Salamon is the artistic director and president of Diabolical Muse, a production company that develops new concepts and produces work in forms of immersive, experiential entertainment including television, film, web, public live events and tailor-made private events. For the nine years prior, Salamon was the co-creator, writer and director of Accomplice productions in New York City, Hollywood, London and San Diego. The original production of this ground-breaking theatrical event, Accomplice: New York, began its run in April 2005 and quickly caught fire as an inventive and unique experience. It continues its long sold-out run to this day. In 2007, Salamon directed and produced an all-new NYC show, Accomplice: The Village. In 2009, he collaborated with co-producer Neil Patrick Harris on a west coast production, Accomplice: Hollywood, followed by Accomplice: London in 2011 (again co-produced by Neil Patrick Harris, with the addition of London's acclaimed, award-winning Menier Chocolate Factory). By 2013, Accomplice productions had surpassed 125,000 attendees and $6 million in sales. In 2011 Salamon was engaged by the Museum of Natural History in NYC to produce an immersive experience inside the museum. The first production of its kind inside the historic museum enjoyed a successful year-long run. In 2012, Salamon was contracted by The Walt Disney Company to write and develop treatments for immersive, participatory entertainment for use inside Disney Parks and cruise lines. In late 2013, Salamon founded Diabolical Muse, which aims to further progress the ever-growing world of immersive, participatory and experiential entertainment. In addition, Salamon has written, produced and directed tailor-made private events for Disney, Cirque Du Soleil, Universal Pictures, Hewlett Packard and many others.

Without Walls (WoW) is La Jolla Playhouse's signature site-based theatre program. Since 2010, the Playhouse has been commissioning and presenting a series of site-specific productions at locations throughout the San Diego community. Underscoring the theatre's mission of providing "unfettered creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow," coupled with the idea that the Playhouse is defined by the work it creates - not the space in which it is performed - WoW is designed to offer theatrical experiences that venture beyond the physical confines of the Playhouse's facilities. Building on the excitement and success of its past WoW productions - Susurrus, The Car Plays: San Diego, Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir, Accomplice: San Diego and El Henry, the Playhouse will be hosting its second WoW Festival, October 9-11, 2015, featuring several site-based pieces by artists and companies from around the world.

The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows is a California boutique hotel located in North Park, San Diego that offers 131 rooms in four categories, 15,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, a Junior Olympic sized swimming pool, fitness and business centers, two restaurants, and an improv comedy theatre. Relaxed and ready for anything, the newly redesigned property blends unique style and exceptional service with eco-friendly practices to become your ideal travel companion. Free spirits, international adventurers, hip parents, road warriors, artists, and lovers all find common ground in the laid-back medley of history, playfulness, and casual atmosphere first envisioned when the hotel opened in 1946.

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 and Side Show, as well as Memphis, 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: The Musical and Peter and the Starcatcher. 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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