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Echo Theater’s ‘What Happened When’
gets third and final run with new cast
LOS ANGELES (REVISED Sept. 26, 2018) — Brooding, compelling, funny and startling. Memories unravel and dark truths are revealed in a haunting ghost story by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater’s Daniel Talbott (Slipping) when The Echo Theater Company’s West Coast premiere returns in a third and final rendition (following productions in April and July) with a third set of ensemble members. This time round, Lovell Holder directs Ian Bamberg, Matthew Gallenstein and, at alternate performances, Kenzie Caplan and Mara Klein, for a Sept. 27 opening at Atwater Village Theatre.
On a snowy night in a rural farmhouse, three siblings huddle together in the dark with a flashlight, while the audience (unseen by them) gathers closely around.
“Expect to be fully immersed in Daniel’s beautiful, provocative and disturbing memory play,” says Echo artistic director Chris Fields.
The ensemble for What Happened When includes Ian Bamberg, Kenzie Caplan, Randall Clute, Matthew Gallenstein, Mara Klein, Ellen Neary, Chris Stack, Joey Stromberg and Libby Woodbridge. The production premiered in April with Clute, Neary and Stromberg starring as the three siblings, then re-opened in July with Bamberg, Stromberg and Woodbridge.
The creative team includes set designer Amanda Knehans, lighting designer Rose Malone, sound designer John Zalewski and costume desiger Elio Oliver.
What Happened When enjoyed a sold-out run when Rattlestick premiered it off-Broadway at HERE Arts Center in New York. It was later produced by The Side Project in Chicago and was published as part of the “Plays and Playwrights” anthology. TIME OUT Chicago called it “a work of spare and haunting power.”
Los Angeles critics were equally impressed: “Remarkable… utterly, intensely absorbing… [playwright] Daniel Talbott stands in line with the great traditions of tragedy from the Greeks through the Elizabethans to Twentieth Century masters, such as O’Neill, Williams and Albee,” wrote Theatre Notes. Stage Raw found it “tight and powerful… the theatrical equivalent of a triple espresso shot… for those willing to take the ride, it’s a moving, indelible experience.”
Founded in 1997 and dedicated to producing new work, the Echo Theater Company was received 13 Ovation Award nominations for its 2017 productions, including “Best Season.” The company was anointed “Best Bet for Ballsy Original Plays” by the LA Weekly in its 2014 Best of L.A. issue and was a recipient of a 2016 “Kilroy Cake Drop”– one of only 13 theaters in the country to be surprised by cakes to honor the efforts they are making to produce women and trans writers. Under the leadership of founding artistic director Chris Fields, the Echo has introduced Los Angeles to playwrights such as David Lindsay-Abaire, Adam Rapp, Sarah Ruhl, Adam Bock and Miki Johnson among others. The company is also recognized for its acting ensemble; in the Los Angeles Times, theater critic Charles McNulty wrote, “Echo Theater Company, which has cultivated a community of top flight actors, would be my go-to place in Los Angeles for symbiotic ensemble acting.” KCRW’s Anthony Byrnes stated, “It’s time to start paying attention to the Echo Theater Company… What’s made these choices pay off is the acting and casting has been superb. The company has made bold choices and backed them up.”
What Happened When opens on Thursday, Sept. 27 with performances thereafter on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. through Oct. 11. There will be one preview performance on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. Admission to all performances is Pay-What-You-Want. Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Ave in Los Angeles, CA 90039. On-site parking is free. For reservations and information, call (310) 307-3753 or go to www.EchoTheaterCompany.com. Recommended for mature audiences 18 and up.
Details for Calendar Listings
“What Happened When”
WHAT:
What Happened When — Echo Theater Company’s West Coast premiere of Daniel Talbott’s haunting ghost story returns in a third and final rendition (following productions in April and July) with a third set of ensemble members. On a snowy night in a rural farmhouse, three siblings (Ian Bamberg, Matthew Gallenstein and, at alternate performances, Kenzie Caplan and Mara Klein) huddle together in the dark with a flashlight, while the audience (unseen by them) gathers closely around. Expect to be fully immersed in this beautiful, provocative and disturbing memory play. (Previous runs featured Bamberg, Randall Clute, Ellen Neary, Chris Stack, Joey Stromberg and Libby Woodbridge.)
WHO:
• Written by Daniel Talbott
• Directed by Lovell Holder
• The Ensemble: Ian Bamberg, Kenzie Caplan, Randall Clute, Matthew Gallenstein, Mara Klein, Ellen Neary, Chris Stack, Joey Stromberg and Libby Woodbridge
• Presented by The Echo Theater Company, Chris Fields artistic director
WHEN:
Preview: Sept. 26
Performances: Sept. 27 – Oct. 11
• Tuesdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 2, Oct. 9
• Wednesdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 26 (preview), Oct. 3, Oct. 10
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: Sept. 27 (Opening Night), Oct. 4, Oct. 11
WHERE:
Echo Theater Company
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
HOW:
• Call 310-307-3753 or go to www.EchoTheaterCompany.com
• Visit us on facebook: www.facebook.com/echotheater
• Follow us on twitter: @echotheater
TICKET PRICES:
Pay-What-You-Want
PARKING:
FREE in the Atwater Xing lot one block south of the theater
OTHER:
Recommended for mature audiences ages 18 and up.
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