Symmetry Theatre Stages THE OTHER PLACE at Live Oak in Berkeley

Imagine this. You're a brilliant scientist, a biophysicist studying the causes of dementia. And one day, mid-Power Point, you can't recall what you're supposed to say when the next slide comes up. Eventually you learn that the disease you're studying is now the disease you have.

Truth blurs with perception in Sharr White's timely play, The Other Place, a production of Symmetry Theatre Company. It is directed by Taylor Korobow and features Stacy Ross as Juliana Smithton, a successful neurologist whose life is coming unhinged, piece by piece. The Other Place runs July 27 - August 13 at Live Oak Theater 1301 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley 94709

CAST

Stacy Ross* (Juliana Smithton) is a member of PlayGround, an associate artist at California Shakespeare Theatre and has worked locally and regionally in works ranging from Shakespeare to Shaw to world premieres by Sarah Ruhl.

Robert Parsons* (Ian) is known in the Bay Area for his work at American Conservatory Theatre, Magic Theatre, SF Playhouse, Aurora Theatre, TheatreWorks, Word for Word, Cutting Ball, Shotgun Players and Berkeley Rep. Regional credits include work at Ford's Theatre, Ahmanson Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Sydney Festival and the Huntington, Alley and Arizona theatre Companies.

Lisa Morse* (The Woman) has appeared locally at Marin Theatre Co., Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Just Theatre, PlayGround, Playwrights Foundation. Regional credits include Missouri Rep, The Kennedy Center, Old Castle Theatre Co, and Boston Playwrights Theatre. Off Broadway work includes Lincoln Center, CSC, and P.S. 122. Recent favorite roles include Beverly Onion in Abominable, Mom in Down a Little Dirt Road, Miss Finknagle in the film "Miss Finknagle Succumbs to Chaos", and Lisa in Hella Love Oakland.

Michael Barrett Austin* (The Man) has most recently appeared in Baker Street (42nd Street Moon), Boeing Boeing (San Jose Stage), The Best of PlayGround 19 and Project Ahab (Central Works). Other credits include Red Hot Patriot with Kathleen Turner (Berkeley Repertory Theatre) and Manic Pixie Dream Girl at The New York International Fringe Festival, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (SF Playhouse), Dracula (Center Rep) and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Berkeley Rep), Michael toured Italy with Shakespeare at Stinson and the US with The National Theatre for Children.

*Actors Equity Association

DIRECTOR

Taylor Korobow is a director, producer, educator and media coach. She has produced and directed numerous theatre productions, commercials, and corporate videos. Taylor is co-founder and Artistic Director of her own theatre Production Company in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she resides part-time. She has appeared on several television reality shows and has taken part in many panels and think-tanks regarding the art and profession of acting.

Sharr White (Playwright)

White's schooling and productions are rooted in the Bay Area. He was raised in Orange County, CA and attended high school in Colorado. He then attended San Francisco State and The American Conservatory Theatre, studying acting.

The Other Place had its world premiere Off-Broadway in an MCC Theater production at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2011. It had its West Coast premiere at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco in 2012. Directed by Loretta Greco, the cast starred Henny Russell and Donald Sage Mackay, with Carrie Paff, and Patrick Russell. The play had its Broadway premiere in the 2013 Manhattan Theatre Club production. The Other Place received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play.

White's Annapurna premiered at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco in November 2011, with direction by Loretta Greco. It opened Off-Broadway in 2014, featuring Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. His Sunlightpremiered at the Marin Theatre Company in 2010 and later that year in Seattle at ArtsWest. Sunlight (a National New Play Network selection) received an Edgerton Foundation New American Play Awards, 2009.

The Other Place and Alzheimer's Disease

Of The Other Place, White says, "The research [for the play] was really intense for me. I do a lot of research for plays. The research around dementia is very fascinating, especially around protein disorders such as Alzheimer's and early onset Alzheimer's."

Symmetry Theatre will dedicate the first page of the program to the names of Alzheimer's sufferers known personally by those associated with the production.

Director Taylor Korobow writes, "We have decided to devote the first page of the program to the people in your lives -- those still with you and those who are no longer with you -- who are fighting or have fought the good fight against dementia and/or Alzheimer's Disease. We want to honor these brave souls and what they mean to you by devoting this production of The Other Place at Live Oak Theater to them and/or their memory."

TIMES AND TICKETS

WHAT: The Other Place by Sharr White

WHEN: July 27 to August 13. Thurs-Fri-Sat at 8:00 pm. Sundays at 2:00 pm.

WHERE: Live Oak Theater 1301 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley 94709

TICKETS: $20 - $30 at 415-377-0457 http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3010889

A Word on Symmetry Theatre Company

The mission of Symmetry Theatre is to "set the standard for gender parity in professional theatre." Founded in 2010, Symmetry one of the first companies to focus on gender parity, particularly in the representation of actors onstage. Symmetry strives to produce plays that have an equal or greater ratio of female/male roles and requires the hiring of an equal or greater ratio of female/male Equity actors.

For Calendar Editors:

The Other Place. Shar White's drama about a brilliant woman battling the onset of Alzheimer's. Directed by Taylor Korobow Produced by Symmetry Theatre Company at Live Oak Theater 1301 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. July 27 to August 13. Thurs-Fri-Sat at 8:00 pm. Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets $20-$30 at 415-377-0457 http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3010889

Pictured above: Robert Parsons (Ian) and Stacy Ross (Juliana). Photo credit Cheshire Isaacs.

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