Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz Presents
The Los Angeles Premiere of
Le Moche (The Ugly One)
A Play Written by Marius von Mayenburg
Directed by Pierre Leloup
Performed by La Troupe du Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz
In Los Angeles
Thursday, May 28 & Friday May 29, 2015

Social Satire Exploring Society’s Fixation on Physical Beauty
In French Without Subtitles

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 16, 2015 – Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz (TRK) presents the Los Angeles premiere of Le Moche (The Ugly One), a satirical comedy that explores society’s fixation on physical beauty, on Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29, 2015. Written by Marius von Mayenburg and performed by members of La Troupe du Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, the exhilarating Le Moche follows talented engineer Lette who struggles for recognition, thwarted by an ugly face. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students, and tickets are available here. The play runs for 75 minutes with no intermission. Performances start at 7:30pm and are in French without subtitles. A no host bar will be available. Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz at Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles is located at 10361 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 (310-286-0553). To learn more about Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, please visit http://www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com.

“When I read the script, I immediately loved the play,” says Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz Director Pierre Leloup, who also directs the play. “It makes you laugh as well as think, a rare combination on stage.”

Le Moche (The Ugly One) Synopsis –
Cynically humorous Le Moche is a black comedy that follows the story of Lette, a talented engineer who specializes in electrical security systems. One day, his superior decides to send an assistant to an important conference to present Lette’s latest achievement, arguing that Lette is not presentable. Lette, realizing that his face is hideous, decides to pursue plastic surgery.

The satirical comedy explores society’s fixation on external beauty. Author von Mayenburg questions the very notion of identity in a culture where physical beauty is a condition for recognition and social success. His social satire investigates the widespread phenomenon of our estrangement from our bodies, holding up a mirror to vanity. Le Moche challenges audience members to assess their own relative beauty, to question how the gaze of others might change if one’s appearance is altered, as well as consider the implications of making such a change. Engaging these notions, Leloup’s direction plays with the magic trick of theatre, toying with illusion to adjust our perceptions of the characters.

“What I like most about the play is that it is provocative yet never didactic,” says Leloup. “The author does not judge his characters, but he holds up a mirror to society, posing questions for us to answer.”

Marius von Mayenburg, Playwright –
German playwright Marius von Mayenburg was born in Munich in 1972. He studied Old German at university in Munich, before moving to Berlin in 1992, where he did a course in playwriting at the Hochschule der Künste from 1994 to 1998. In 1998, he became a member of the artistic direction team at the Baracke, the studio theatre of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. In 1999, he went with Thomas Ostermeier to work as artistic director and playwright-in-residence at the Berliner Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz.

His first play, Haarmann, was initially performed at Baracke (Deutsches Theater in Berlin) in 1996. Fireface, written in 1997, was his breakthrough as a dramatist. The play was performed at Munich Kammerspiele the following year. His play Perplex saw its English-language premiere in April 2014 at the Sydney Theatre Company (Australia). For Fireface, von Mayenburg was awarded the Kleistförderpreis für junge Dramatiker and Preis der Frankfurter Autorenstiftung.

Pierre Leloup, TRK Director & Le Moche Director –
Pierre Leloup has worn many hats in his professional career as an arts administrator and cultural creative. For the past 15 years, he has served as Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz’s executive and artistic director, with responsibility for managing theater operations, curating events, marketing, and providing creative direction. He has also worked professionally as a music teacher, drama teacher, and choir director. As an actor and/or director, his credits include more than 40 plays including La Cantatrice Chauve, Une Aspirine Pour Deux, Quisaitout et Grobéta, Le Marriage de Figaro, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Pride and Prejudice. In 2012, he was honored as a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of significant contribution to the arts by the French Ministry of Culture.  He has earned numerous diplomas in theatre and music from institutions of higher education in both France and the United States. Born in Drancy, France (a Paris suburb), he has lived in California for the past 27 years.

La Troupe du Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz –
In 1992, Mr. Raymond Kabbaz decided to put on plays in French with a troupe that took its first steps at the Stage Theater in Hollywood, resulting in four sold out performances. That success was the genesis of the troupe, which has since presented plays in French by Marcel Aymé, Coline Serreau, as well as an operetta by Jacques Offenbach, plus plays by Pierre Beaumarchais, Anton Chekhov, and Jean-Luc Lagarce.

La Troupe du Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz is composed of Pierre Leloup (director, Lette), Jean-François Herry (Lette), Céline Petauton (Fanny), Estelle Renouard (Scheffler), Cassandre Garnier (Karlman), Sergio Parreira (Karlman), Angela Fauconnier I (Scheffler), Fatima Harmi (Fanny), and Marlène Boucat (The Nurse). Most of the cast have been acting under Leloup’s direction for 10 to 15 years and are drawn from the Lycée community, all sharing a passion for the theatre.

Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz –
Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz is a non-profit institution dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in the West Los Angeles area. This 220-seat theater welcomes multidisciplinary and multicultural shows. TRK’s mission is to be an open window on French and international cultures, as well as to inspire and sustain a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

The theater opened in June 2000. It is a tribute to the passion and ambition of Mr. Raymond Kabbaz, President and Founder of Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, who dedicated the last three years of his life to the creation of the theater. As part of Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, TRK features international artists’ performances year round, and is also a place of expression and fulfillment for Le Lycée’s students and professors who often perform on stage. The venue, directed by Pierre Leloup, is the only theater in Los Angeles to dedicate a significant part of its programming to French language and culture.

Links –
• Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz – http://www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com
• Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz Event Page – http://www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com/2014/07/31/le-moche-de-marius-von-mayenburg
• Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Theatre-Raymond-Kabbaz/43864706321
• Facebook Event Page – https://www.facebook.com/events/1618947864986480

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For more information, a spot on the media guest list, photos, or to schedule an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at lynn@greengalactic.com or 213-840-1201.