The Los Angeles Theater Festival Presents
The World Premiere of
Hooked
By Actress/Playwright Jillian Leigh
At The Ruby Theatre at The Complex in Hollywood
Wednesday, September 16 to Friday, September 25, 2015

A Daring New Play That Explores Issues of Power,
Child Abuse, and Modern Day Prostitution

LOS ANGELES, CA – September 8, 2015 – Indie film darling Jillian Leigh’s daring new play, Hooked, will have its World Premiere at this year’s inaugural Los Angeles Theater Festival in Hollywood at The Ruby Theatre, opening on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 for eight performances through Friday, September 25, 2015. Set in a turbulent New York City (1988 & now), against a backdrop of police misconduct and political corruption, the complex play is about the patterns that we cannot break. It explores issues related to power, child abuse, and modern day prostitution. Evening performances start at 7:30pm (with one Sunday matinee on9/20 at 2:30pm). For more information please visit https://www.facebook.com/ThePlayHooked and http://hookedplay.brownpapertickets.com. (See bottom of press release for more details regarding experiencing the play.)

Hooked stars highly regarded actor Rodney Eastman and is directed by veteran Broadway actress, television writer, and director Terri Treas. Young newcomer Seth Lee stars in the first act of the play as Eastman’s younger self. Playwright Leigh and award-winning actress and writer Sasha Higgins also star in the production. Actor, director, and film and television writer/producer Michael Zand is the producer and dramaturge. Producer and actor Blue Brooks is also a producer. Set design is by Paul Howle and lighting design is by Christie Conochalla. Post Haste Sound is also on board, as is Marvel Comics costumer Wendy Craig. The play is dedicated to Clayton Patterson.

“Leigh’s story and characters have depth and are coming from an authentic place,” says Producer Michael Zand. “The script and language drew me to the project – Jillian Leigh has a unique voice and point of view.”

Hooked by Actress/Playwright Jillian Leigh –
New York, Lower Manhattan 1988. A war zone populated by homeless, drunks, and addicts. Drug dealers own the streets. As the Tompkins Square Riots rage outside, inside a shabby tenement, 14-year-old Joe declares his love to Kim, a young hooker, barely out of her teens herself. He’s about to learn a hard lesson. Kim is Joe’s junkie mother’s girlfriend. Flash-forward to present day New York City. Joe is grown up, married, and about to start a family. Yet, he’s in a troubled relationship with a young prostitute claiming to be in law school. Coming full circle, the abused has become the abuser. Who’s the real hooker now?

Jillian Leigh – Photo credit: Dana Patrick

Jillian Leigh, Playwright & “Alex” –
Jillian Leigh, an award-winning actress and writer, cut her teeth at theaters all over the world including in Cambridge, England; Florence, Italy; and at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Leigh has established her name in both the New York and Los Angeles indie film circuits. She is known for her celebrated performances in the award-winning indie films A Big Love Story, City Baby, and The Badger Game. She also stars in the upcoming Friends Effing Friends Effing Friends.

Indiewire writes, “Leigh seems to acknowledge her patterns and flaws and knows how to use them to her advantage. Leigh does terrific work that suggests a major shift in her perspective.” Former director Tom Zambeck says of Leigh, “Jillian possesses a rare blend of physical courage and emotional frailty that allows her to slip seamlessly into any role. Whether she’s playing the girl next door, the comic foil, or the fierce seductress, Jillian will wield her charms and quickly pull sympathy from even the most cynical audience.” Leigh’s breakout as playwright and director was with her first play, PIE, which aimed to open a dialogue about unhealthy relationships, abuse of power, and lack of self esteem amongst young women. It had a sold out run at The Robert Moss Theater in New York City.

Terri Treas, Director –
Terri Treas is an actress, writer, and director who has starred in numerous films and on television. She is best perhaps known for her role as Newcomer “Cathy Frankel” on the science fiction series Alien Nation, as well as in the subsequent films that continued the storyline. Additional television roles included Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, DEA, and Santa Barbara. Film roles included All That Jazz, The Fabulous Baker Boys, So Fine, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and House IV. She appeared in her first Broadway show at eighteen years of age. Broadway roles included parts in Pippin, Working, and My Fair Lady. Treas directed her first movie in 1992, Play Nice. She has also written episodes for television series and made guest appearances on many shows including Knight Rider, Crazy Like a Fox, The A-Team, Murphy Brown, and Roseanne. She also wrote and produced episodes for the television series Felicity, Pacific Blue, and Silk Stalkings.

Michael Zand, Producer & Dramaturge –
Michael Zand is a writer, actor, producer and director, perhaps best known as a writer for Play Nice, Silk Stalkings, Felicity, Pacific Blue, Nash Bridges, Dangerous Curves, and The Pretender. He has also been featured in acting roles in Alien Nation (television series as well as movie), Play Nice, B.L. Stryker, Falcon Crest, To Live and Die in LA, The Fall Guy, Cagney & Lacey, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Twilight Zone. Zand also served as co-producer on the popular television series Felicity. He has directed a number of short films and has his own YouTube comedy channel. He is married to Terri Treas and they have one child.

Rodney Eastman, “Joe” –
Rodney Eastman is a Canadian American actor who has starred in several films and his best-known role was in the 1987 hit horror flick A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors as “Joey.” In 1988, he reprised his role in the sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. His numerous other films include I Spit on Your Grave, Rule of 3, Mobsters, and The Opposite of Sex. Eastman has also made many guest appearances on television shows, including Melrose Place, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, Longmire, Bones, Millennium, The Protector, ER, and The Mentalist.

Sasha Higgins, “Kim” –
Sasha Higgins’ Los Angeles theatre work includes The Night Alive and Yes, Prime Minister at the Geffen Playhouse, The White Marriage (The Odyssey), Cages (The Matrix), The Christmas Present (Sacred Fools), and Kowalski (Two Roads Theater). Her New York Off-Broadway credits include Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros’ Mean Time (workshopped at the Vineyard Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop) and London Cries (Old Vic/Irondale Ensemble Project). In London, on the West End, she appeared as “Miranda” in The Tempest (at the Barbican), and off West End in The Dresser (Watford Palace). Film and TV credits include Dark Fields (Showtime), The Badger Game, and an upcoming feature she has co-written called Blood Wolf. For radio, she voiced the role of “Miranda” in The Tempest for the BBC.

Seth Lee, “Young Joe” –
Born in Austin Texas, Seth Lee moved to Los Angeles at age 11 to pursue his acting career. He recently finished shooting The Accountant, which stars Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick. Lee plays the role of young “Chris.” He is also known for roles in A Few Tales of Hard Times: Chapter 4 – The Name, Incident at Public School 23, and Underdog Kids. The young actor has also played roles on series television including More Than Human and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The Los Angeles Theater Festival –
The Los Angeles Theater Festival provides a unique opportunity and environment for playwrights, directors, producers, actors, and other theatrical professionals to stage their own productions on a black-box stage on Hollywood’s celebrated Theatre Row. Brought to you by the producers of the New York Off-Broadway theatre festivals Urban Fairytales and Urban Pop Theater, the inaugural Los Angeles Theater Festival will be a month-long series of plays, staged readings, workshops, and other theatrical events – including original content from the featured artists of the Festival as well as accepted public submissions.

“Hooked is an important new work which explores complex issues that aren’t normally dealt with on the stage or on the screen,” says Director Terri Treas. “It also has incredibly rich subtext – this makes for fascinating and exciting theatre.”

The play runs from Wednesday, September 16 through Friday, September 25, 2015. All evening performances start at 7:30pm. The first weekend performances run Wednesday the 16th through Saturday the 19th, with a matinee performance on Sunday, September 20th at 2:30pm. The last three performances run Wednesday the 23rd through Friday the 25th. General admission tickets are $20. See schedule and purchase tickets at Brown Paper Tickets. Tickets will also be available the night of the show at the box office for cash. Minimum audience age is 12. The production will be staged at The Ruby Theatre at The Complex in the heart of Hollywood’s Theatre Row (6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038; 323-465-0383). Valet parking is available on Friday and Saturday nights for $7. Visit the venue’s website here.

Links –
• Hooked Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ThePlayHooked
• Hooked Tickets – http://hookedplay.brownpapertickets.com
• Facebook Event Page – https://www.facebook.com/events/1471918803136316
• Los Angeles Theater Festival – http://latheaterfestival.com
• The Ruby Theatre – http://www.complexhollywood.com/space_ruby_theatre.php
• Hooked Indiegogo – https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hooked–6#/story

#                    #                    #

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

#                    #                    #

HOOK/ED/ER

Hook [NOUN] – a curved or angular piece of metal or other hard substance, for catching or hanging things on; anything that snares or traps.

Hooked [ADJECTIVE] – bent like a hook; addicted to narcotic drugs; obsessed.

Hooker [NOUN] – a person who hooks; a concealed problem, flaw, or drawback; a prostitute.

#                    #                    #

CALENDAR LISTING DETAILS