U-N-M-A-R-K-E-D & Highways Performance Space Present
The World Premiere Of
PATTY!
A PoP! Music Religious Revival
Created, Produced & Directed by Patrick Kennelly
With Performances & Album Release in Santa Monica
May 18-20 & 23-26, 2012
Inspired by the Mythic Histories of Patties Duke & Hearst

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 18, 2012 – U-N-M-A-R-K-E-D and Highways Performance Space present the world premiere of PATTY!, a PoP! Music Religious Revival inspired by the mythic histories of Patty Duke and Patty Hearst, with seven performances running May 18 to 20 and May 23 to 26, 2012.  In conjunction with a full album release, the project includes a two-week run of live, 360-degree, outerdisciplinary performances (equal parts dance-pop concert, fashion show and new media installation), created, produced and directed by Patrick Kennelly.  PATTY! features 15 female performers and choreography by Marina Magalhães (of Contra-Tiempo) with additional choreography by Jmy James Kidd (of MGM) and Kennelly.  Opening music acts for the run include Actually Huizenga, IE, Bai Ling, Kristin “Kevin Blechdom” Erickson and the M.T. Brain, Wet Mango, Maxi Wild, and more.

Nightly shows start at 8:30pm.  General admission tickets are $15 (standing only) and VIP admission is $30 for assigned seats.  Tickets are available online via https://www.elbowspace.com/servlets/cfd?xr4=&formts=2006-05-23%2012:16:21.515002.  Highways Performance Space at the 18th Street Arts Center is located at 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 (310-315-1459, http://highwaysperformance.org/). For more information on PATTY!, please visit www.facebook.com/pattytherevival and  http://www.pattytherevival.com, which was designed by Adam Bech Harms as an interactive immersion into the world of PATTY!

The darkly comedic messianic fable is inspired by the redemptive, sorted (sic), exploited and mythic histories of Patty Duke and Patty Hearst.  In the process of building the cult of PATTY!, the project critiques the nature of commodification as it charts a modern woman’s bifurcated journey through a labyrinth of social, political and cultural bondage, exploring the way America’s male-centric media culture dominates and confuses female/feminine identities by generating representations of women as perpetually replaceable.

PATTY! is an enigma, an icon, diva, and saint.  She is all of these things, some say she is everything. However, the real PATTY! is a mystery.  Is she a liar, fraud, puppet, and cult leader?  All shall be revealed in her final live performance as her congregation joins her in a fight, once and for all, to destroy the system in order to free themselves from the ideals which enslave them!

The PATTY! album, with intense PoP! Music verve, features a 13-track score by Jonathan Snipes (of Captain Ahab) with Kristin “Kevin Blechdom” Erickson and Daveed Diggs with additional music by John Snyder. It features lyrics by Snipes, Diggs, Erickson, Sigrid Gilmer, and Patrick Kennelly.  Hear excerpts here:  http://patty.bandcamp.com.  Tracks will be available for streaming and eventually the whole album for purchase as a download.

Two behind-the-scenes videos for PATTY!
– trailer [1:55] – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOv26DmA53c&feature=youtu.be
– interview [3:29] – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYP_LM3kK4c

Opening Music Acts –
Opening music acts over the seven day run include:
– Fri. 5/18 – Actually Huizenga – http://actuallyhuizenga.tumblr.com
– Sat. 5/19 – IE – https://www.facebook.com/#!/IEMusic
– Sun. 5/20 – Bai Ling – http://www.officialbailing.com
– Wed. 5/23 – TBD
– Thu. 5/24 – Kevin Blechdom and the M.T. Brain (Kristin Erickson’s project)
– Fri. 5/25 – Wet Mango – https://www.facebook.com/#!/WetMangoMusic
– Sat. 5/26 – Maxi Wild – https://www.facebook.com/#!/maxiwildmusic

Credits –
Created, Produced & Directed by – Patrick Kennelly
Music by – Jonathan Snipes with Kristin “Kevin Blechdom” Erickson & Daveed Diggs
Book – Sigrid Gilmer & Patrick Kennelly
Lyrics – Jonathan Snipes, Kristin “Kevin Blechdom” Erickson, Sigrid Gilmer, Patrick Kennelly & Daveed Diggs
Choreography – Marina Magalhães (of Contra-Tiempo)
Additional Choreography – Jmy James Kidd (of MGM) & Patrick Kennelly
Scenic Design – Lianne Arnold
Sound Design – Jonathan Snipes
Costumes – Pilar Macchione
Hair/Makeup – Jen Kolhagen & Genevieve Garner
Technical Director/Production Manager – Ed Cha
Lighting Design – R. Christopher Stokes
Video Design – Lianne Arnold & Patrick Kennelly
Additional Video – Rodney Ascher & Cristina Bercovitz
Cinematographer/Additional Photography – Trevor Baker
Production Sound Mixer – David Crawford
Pre-Recorded Music Mixer – Steve Kaplan
Pre-Recorded Guitars – Justin Asher
Additional Music – Wes Medina, Nero’s Day at Disneyland & John W. Snyder
Additional Vocals – Rachel Hirshee & Megan Otteni
Graphic Design – Marie Fromont
Video Design – Lianne Arnold & Patrick Kennelly
Additional Video – Rodney Ascher, Cristina Bercovitz & Masha Tatarintseva
Cinematographer/Additional Photography – Trevor Baker
Website – Adam Bech Harms
Graphic Design – Marie Fromont

Performers –


Verity Branco,  Nikki Bohm, Heather Cadarette, Blythe Evans, Maya Gingery, Gemma Grey, Elizabeth Hahurst, Emma Hawley, Elaine Hammel, Chelsey Holland, Amber Morse, Jasmine Orpilla, Stephanie Tucker & Justine Woodford.



Patrick Kennelly, Creator/Producer/Director –


Patrick Kennelly’s direction, design, performance, and curation in the realms of theater, film, installation, performance and visual art has been presented in Los Angeles at a variety of venues, including Highways Performance Space and Gallery, the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), Track 16, CrazySpace, UCLA’s Freud Playhouse, Sophia Louisa Projects, Human Resources, and New Wight Gallery at the Broad Arts Center. His theatrical work has included original plays, large-scale performance installation, and image-based physical theater. He was a recipient of the 2008 Princess Grace Award for Theater, and has received fellowships and grants from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Santa Monica, and the Center for Cultural Innovation. He is Co-Artistic Director at Highways, as well as serving on their board of directors.  He is also the Artistic Director of U-N-M-A-R-K-E-D.  Kennelly received his BFA in Film/Video from CalArts and an MFA in Theater Direction from UCLA.   http://www.patrickkennellyunmarked.com



Jonathan Snipes, Composer –
Jonathan Snipes is a composer and sound designer, specializing in electro-acoustic music and musique concrète; bridging the gap between music and sound design.  Equally at home in academic and commercial settings, his work has been heard in theater, film, television, and video games.  On screen, his music has been heard in Mask of the Ninja (Spike TV, 2008), Reversion (Sundance Festival, 2008), Snakes on a Plane (New Line Cinema, 2006), Room 237 (Sundance Festival, 2012), Step Up 3D (Touchstone, 2010), The Office (NBC, 2005-present), The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, 2007-present), Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 2004-2009), and Meteor:  Path to Destruction (NBC, 2009).  On the stage, his work has been featured in Meditations on Virginity (National Theater in Warsaw, Poland, 2004), Belfast Blues (Off-Broadway, 2004), Sock & Shoe (Actors Gang, 2009) and many more.  He has performed at some of the premier venues and festivals for music in the world including the Dour and Dissonant Festivals in Belgium, Bangface in London, Club Transmedial in Berlin, La Gaité Lyrique in Paris, Camp A Low Hum in New Zealand, and The Golden Pudel in Hamburg.  From 2008 to 2010, he taught theater sound design at UCLA and Culver City High School’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.  He has given lectures at the Cal State L.A., Pinnacle College, and the Rhodopi International Theater Laboratory in Smolyan, Bulgaria.  He holds an MFA in theater sound design from UCLA.  http://www.jonat8han.com/



Kristin “Kevin Blechdom” Erickson, Composer –


Under the pseudonym Kevin Blechdom, Kristin Erickson has released 10 full-length albums and toured throughout six continents integrating computer music, live video, piano, and banjo into songs laced with deformed pop conventions and earnest autobiographical content. The albums are a mishmash of styles and production techniques. From Broadway musical to General MIDI rock opera to electro-smudge to aleatoric blatherings, her albums put a bizarre spin on what pop music can be for an era of attention span deficit. For the past ten years, Blechdom has been touring around the world playing live shows and collaborating. She has worked with artists such as Eugene Chadbourne, Fred Frith, Jad Fair, Kramer, Jamie Lidell, Kid606, Dat Politics, Mocky, John Bischoff, Chris Brown, Zeena Parkins, Cristian Vogel, Safety Scissors, Heidi Mortenson, the Organ Lady, Lumberob, Ching Chong Song, Irene Moon, Myrobotfriend, Charlie Engstrom, Christopher Fleeger, Chicks on Speed, Kim Hiorthoy, Andre Vida, Max Tundra, and Planningtorock. She has played shows in Brazil, Australia, Israel, Moscow, and across Europe and the United States.  http://www.kevyb.com/



“Colors” from PATTY! [5:08] – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfMmwwKFylc&sns=fb

Marina Magalhães, Choreographer –


Marina Magalhães is a Brazilian-born choreographer, dancer and teaching artist based in Los Angeles. Magalhães’ work draws from her unique background in traditional Samba and Postmodern techniques to create Dance Theater that is both playful and powerful, contemporary and deeply rooted in tradition. An emerging artist who graduated from UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures, she is also a performer, teaching artist, resident choreographer and the rehearsal director of Contra-Tiempo, the LA-based dance activist company nationally and internationally recognized for its unique Urban Latin Dance Theater work. Marina is a co-founder and co-artistic director of Soul Lab Dance Project. http://www.contra-tiempo.org/



Jmy James Kidd, Additional Choreography –
Jmy James Kidd has danced for Stanley Love Performance Group, luciana achugar, Nancy Meehan, Sarah Michelson, Neil Greenberg, Walter Dundervill, The Mel Wong Dance Company and apprenticed with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. She has made work with Elizabeth Ward, Amy Granat, Eleanor Hullihan and is part of the trio MGM Grand, which has been presented by Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Creative Time at Miami Art Basel, The Kitchen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Theater Department, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Highways and PaceWildenstien as well as many private homes, galleries, gardens and garages.  She is a 2012 CHIME Southern California recipient and mentee to Julie Tolentino. She makes dancer-wear and dance costumes under the label James Kidd and designed for John Jasperse, Melanie Rios, Rebecca Bruno, Dawn Kasper, Sarah Michelson, Neil Greenberg, Anna Sperber and Ben Asriel.

U-N-M-A-R-K-E-D –
Led by Artistic Director Patrick Kennelly,  U-N-M-A-R-K-E-D is an arts collective dedicated to live and remote outerdisciplinary spectacle, horror, glamour, and social justice.  The organization is committed to ultra-violence through “art.” www.unmarkedcreations.com



Highway’s Performance Space –


Highways Performance Space is Southern California’s boldest center for new performance. Now in its 23rd year, Highways continues to be an important alternative cultural center in Los Angeles that encourages fierce new artists from diverse communities to develop and present innovative works. Recently described by the Los Angeles Times as “a hub of experimental theater, dance, solo drama, and other multimedia performance,” Highways promotes the development of contemporary socially involved artists and art forms.  http://highwaysperformance.org

For more information, press passes, photos, or to set up an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

photo credit: Trevor Baker