Please save the date …

WHEN:
Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, May 5, 2013

WHAT:
Los Angeles Premiere of Slipping, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater’s First LA Production

WHERE:
Rattlestick @ Elephant Stage’s Lillian Theatre
1076 Lillian Way
Los Angeles, CA 90038
http://rattlestick.org
• Venue – Elephant: 323-962-0046
• Production – Rattlestick: 212-627-2556

ABOUT:
Slipping –
Slipping follows the emotional trajectory of 17-year old Eli, after the violent suicide of his beloved father.  Alone, numb, and friendless after this tragedy, the jaded high-school senior moves with his English professor mom from San Francisco to a fresh start in Iowa.  A new relationship with a boy at school exposes Eli again to the possibility of closeness and the danger of being swallowed by it.

Written and directed by Daniel Talbott

Cast –
• Eli – Seth Numrich (Golden Boy, War Horse, The Merchant of Venice on Broadway; Iphigenia at Signature; the New York production of Slipping)
• Jake – MacLeod Andrews (Slipping in New York; Too Much Memory at piece by piece/Rising Phoenix Rep)
• Chris – Max Hamilton (professional stage debut; UCLA productions of RENT and Neon Boneyard)
• Jan – Wendy vanden Heuvel (Resurrection Blues by Arthur Miller at the Guthrie Theater; Counting The Ways/Talk To Me Like the Rain… at the Magic Theater; A Movie Star Has To Star in Black and White at Signature)

Slipping was originally workshopped and developed at The Royal Court Theatre and Rattlestick.   It was given its world premiere in Chicago by The Side Project, directed by Adam Webster.  In New York, the play premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater under the direction of Kirsten Kelly.

The New York production of Slipping was named one of the top ten plays of 2009 by The Advocate.

Performance Dates –
The limited Los Angeles engagement opens Saturday, April 13, 2013 and closes on Sunday, May 5, 2013 with performances running Thursdays through Sundays.
• Previews – Thursday, April 4 through Friday, April 12
• Opening Night – Saturday, April 13
• Closing Night – Sunday, May 5

Ticket prices will vary up to $34, with discounts available for theater artists, students and seniors.  Advance ticketing will be available online through http://rattlestick.org starting in February.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater –
Based in New York’s West Village, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater presents diverse, challenging, and often controversial plays that otherwise might not be produced, in order to foster the future of American theater. The multi-award-winning company is the recipient of the 2007 Ross Wetzsteon Memorial OBIE Award, which recognized the organization for its work and mission: developing and producing innovative new plays.

Well-known as one of the edgiest Off-Broadway venues, Rattlestick is a playwrights’ theater, which seeks out unique voices and excellence in the craft.  The organization’s focus is on getting bold new works up and out to the public.  Rattlestick is interested in stories that are edgy, human and honest.  While not everyone will always like the plays, at a minimum, audiences will be provoked to think.  Rattlestick seeks out writers who are working ambitiously and fearlessly for their art.  By guaranteeing a second production, Rattlestick gives its playwrights permission to take chances and, potentially, even to fail.  In creating an atmosphere that fosters risk-taking, Rattlestick encourages playwrights to challenge themselves to realize their full creative potential.

With a core operational focus of launching mainstage Off-Broadway productions, Rattlestick has produced over 60 world premieres in the past 17 seasons.  Now in its 18th season, Rattlestick continues to introduce new writers.  Playwright and artist mentors have included Edward Albee, Jon Robin Baitz, Zoe Caldwell, Arthur Kopit, Craig Lucas, Joe Mantello, Terrence McNally, Marsha Norman, and Adam Rapp.  Highly acclaimed past productions include: Volunteer Man (OBIE Award), Saved or Destroyed (OBIE Award), Faster, The Last Sunday in June (GLAAD Award nomination), The Pavilion (Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Play of 2005) God Hates The Irish: The Ballad of Armless Johnny (Drama Desk Award nomination), Lady (Drama Desk Award nomination), That Pretty Pretty; Or, The Rape Play, The Amish Project, Slipping, Killers and Other Family, Post No Bills, and The Aliens (OBIE Award).

Rattlestick’s 18th season features daring new works by Adam Rapp, Jon Fosse, Jesse Eisenberg, Jonathan Tolins, Mando Alvarado, Jessica Dickey, and Lyle Kessler.

David Van Asselt, Rattlestick Artistic Director & Co-Founder –
David Van Asselt, the artistic director and a co-founder of Rattlestick, has extensive experience in the theater.  He is a playwright (Dog Daze, Incident at Irving’s Pet Place [a radio play], A Trip to the Beach, Winning, and The Messenger).  He has also directed plays, led a playwrights’ group, and taught playwriting, as well as designed and built sets.  His plays have been produced in New York, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Arizona.  Van Asselt has a B.F.A. from NYU Film School as well as an M.A. in Philosophy from NYU.

Daniel Talbott, Writer & Director –
Daniel Talbot is an actor, director, playwright, producer, literary manager of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and artistic director of Rising Phoenix Rep (recipient of the 2007 NYIT Caffe Cino Fellowship Award).  His most recent play, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, America, Kuwait, was commissioned by Rattlestick and Encore Theatre Company, was presented at A.C.T.’s Costume Shop in San Francisco this past summer, and is being further developed by both companies.  His play Yosemite premiered last season at Rattlestick, and other plays include Sam and Gus, What Happened When, and Slipping (published by Dramatists Play Service, named one of the top ten plays of 2009 by The Advocate, and a 2011 Lambda Literary Award finalist for drama).  His most recent work as an actor includes the Theatre for One project in Times Square and around NYC, and a recurring role on The Big C for Showtime.  Recent directing work includes Follow (Balancin’ Productions), Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, America, Kuwait (Rattlestick/Encore), Much Ado About Nothing (Boomerang), Lake Water (Neighborhood Productions), Eightythree Down (Hard Sparks), Squealer (Lesser America at Theater for the New City), and The Umbrella Plays (the teacup company/FringeNYC, where it won the Overall Excellence Award for Outstanding Play; also presented at The Tank).  Recent producing credits include the Off-Broadway productions of Elective Affinities with Zoe Caldwell, Too Much Memory, and the Cino Nights series.  He received a 2011 Theater Hall of Fame Fellowship and was named one of the 15 People of the Year 2006 by nytheatre.com.  He is a graduate of Juilliard and of Solano College Theatre’s ATP, and teaches at Primary Stages/ESPA.

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For more information, to request images, or arrange interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

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Press for the New York Production of Slipping….

“Beautiful, deeply felt, and very moving… gorgeous and wise, balancing teenage angst with an adult perspective that gives Slipping both emotional heft and universality.” – NYTheatre.com

“Daniel Talbott has written a funny, dark, and gorgeous new play in Slipping.” – NY Press

“Well-observed and wise.… Compelling because of the specificity of character and emotional complexity of Talbott’s script.” – Backstage

“Raw energy.” – The Village Voice

“A complex and engaging love story…full of heartbreak and loss, but also of hope and love.” –  TheaterMania.com

“A taut, fast-moving and totally riveting piece of theatre…packs an intense emotional wallop.” –  MusicOMH.com

“Smart, smoldering drama.” – The Advocate