Photo Flash: Joel Zwick Directs New Comedy, THE FURNITURE

Ventura County audiences will get the first look at a new comedy for grown ups by Disney Channel show runner Marc Warren (Even Stevens, Full House). Joel Zwick (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) directs four performances of The Furniture, a dark comedy about the ways we hurt the ones we love, April 21 - April 23 at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks.

Sex, lies and upholstery! Old rivalries come to the fore and secrets are revealed when three sisters gather to divvy up the family furniture.

Actress and stand-up comedian Rakefet Abergel (Superbad), Ashley Dulaney (Days of Our Lives, Justified) and newcomer Giuliana Carullo star as the three sisters. Mark L. Taylor (How to Get Away with Murder, Saving Grace) is their recently widowed dad, while Teresa Ganzel (The Tonight Show, Married With Children) plays Dad's new fiancée and J. René Peña (Scandal, Private Practice) takes on the role of Marta, their longtime family housekeeper.

"The play contains themes, language and subject matter not found in the family TV fare I usually write," explains Warren. "I hope audiences enjoy seeing it half as much as I did writing it. These four performances are a chance to see the play on its feet so we can gear up for a longer, commercial run."

The creative team includes Emmy and Art Director's Guild-nominated production designer Jerry Dunn and casting director and co-producer Joey Paul Jensen. Victoria Sayeg produces for Dandyandy Productions.

Marc Warren has been a writer/executive producer and director for shows including Fast Times, Full House, The Parent'hood, Even Stevens, That's So Raven, Cory in the House, Kickin' It and Bizaardvark. His shows have been nominated for five Emmy awards and have won the NAACP Image Award and a BAFTA award in Great Britain. Marc has taught TV writing at the Warner Bros. Workshop, UCLA extension and conducted writing workshops in conjunction with Emerson College.

Joel Zwick's directing credits include film: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Fat Albert, Elvis Has Left the Building; TV: over 600 episodes, including 19 pilots that have gone on to become regular series; and stage: Dance With Me on Broadway (Tony nomination), Shenandoah (Broadway national tour), Oklahoma (national tour), Cold Storage (American Place Theater); Merry-Go-Round(Chicago and Las Vegas), Last Chance Saloon and Woycek (West End, London), just to name a few. He has taught drama at YaleUniversity, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Wheaton College and USC. He is currently directing for the Disney Channel where he has been at the helm of Suite Life on Deck, Dog With a Blog, Jessie, Shake it Up, Girl Meets World, I Didn't Do It and K.C. Undercover.

Performances of The Furniture take place on Friday, April 21 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 22 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The Hillcrest Center for Arts is located at 403 W. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks CA 91360. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 805-381-1246 or visit online at hillcrestarts.com.

Photo by Brett Bollier.

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