Book-It Repertory Theatre Presents An Honest Look At Addiction In Tom Hansen's AMERICAN JUNKIE

Book-It Repertory Theatre kicks off 2019 with an honest look at addiction during Seattle's grunge years with Seattle native Tom Hansen's American Junkie. Adapted by Jane Jones and Kevin McKeon and directed by Jones, Hansen deftly balances a raw story about the path that leads to self-destruction with wry humor and hope. A tight, 90-minute ride through Seattle's music scene during the grunge era, American Junkie looks at the man behind the addiction and takes a hard look at the power heroin and other opioids have on people's lives.

A story of recovery and accountability, this adaptation of American Junkie follows Hansen as he goes from rock bottom and then rises to the path of recovery. Hansen was a pioneer in the punk rock scene in Seattle until he became hooked on heroin and started selling it. On his death bed and weighing 100 pounds, he finally got clean in 1999 after six months in the hospital and in Bailey-Boushay House, a local hospice. He returned to school in 2000 and graduated with an MFA from the University of British Columbia in 2008. He is the author of two books, the memoir American Junkie and the novel This Is What We Do.

"When I saw the Book-It adaptation of Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son I dreamed of having one of my books produced for the stage. I'm beyond honored and thrilled to see what they do with American Junkie," says Hansen.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opioid overdoses increased 30 percent from July 2016 through September 2017 in 52 areas in 45 states, making it clear that addiction is still a prevalent problem in our society.

"I first read Tom Hansen's American Junkie in 2013 while directing Langford Wilson's Balm in Gilead. The memoir has stuck to me like glue all these years after. The opioid crisis continues to claim lives in our country, including 50 thousand people this year alone, and the numbers keep growing. Addiction is so stigmatized, and yet it exists in the closets, if not the living rooms, of countless American homes. Tom's memoir sheds an unapologetic treatise on how this can happen to anyone," says Jones.

The cast includes Ian Bond as Tom with Tim Gouran, Brian Gunter*, Bridget McKevitt, and Marco Adiak Voli as the ensemble.

The design team includes scenic design by Catherine Cornell, sound design by Kyle Thompson, costume design by Kelly McDonald, lighting design by Thorn Michaels, and properties design by Cedric Wright.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

American Junkie plays February 14-March 10, 2019 (Opening/Press Night on Saturday, February 16) at The Center Theatre at the Armory (305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109). Performance tickets range from $26 to $50 with group rates available. $20 tickets will be available to students during the entire run with valid school ID. Purchase at book-it.org or by calling the box office at 206.216.0833. The box office is open Tues through Fri, 12pm - 5pm (Tues - Sat during the production run), located in the outer lobby of The Center Theatre at the Armory, 305 Harrison St., Seattle.

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