Three-week only political pop-up in speakeasy setting: Open Fist’s

‘One Year Later’ gives voice to playwrights across the U.S.

WHAT:
One Year Later — This three-week “political pop-up” features 14 short plays by writers from across the country that explore our nation’s current social and political climate and how the past year has affected us. Finding it hard to get off the couch and get to the theater? Open Fist has brought the couches to Atwater Village Theatre, creating a cozy, speakeasy setting where patrons can arrive early or stay late to have a drink and a chat with the cast and fellow audience members.

THE PLAYS:
• Sunset in Chappaqua by Myra Slotnick, directed by Chris Cappiello — When Laine convinces her partner Constance to spend Thanksgiving hiking in the woods around Chappaqua, rare birds are not the only thing she is hoping to encounter.

• The Trouble with Cashews by David MacGregor, directed by Amanda Weier — A 4th of July gathering presents siblings with a unique opportunity to save the world.

• Elevator Repair by Steve Apostolina, directed by Judith Scarpone — A man and his brother-in-law try to hash out their differences during an elevator repair. Buttons will be pushed.

• The Contributor written and directed by Ron West — Politics divides a family. Art unites it. Sort of.

• Here to Serve You by Barbara Lindsay, directed by George Caleodis — Airport security runs amok when two weary travelers find a lone shoe on the terminal floor.

• I Saw What You Said by Steven Korbar, directed by Martha Demson — Two women who’ve had a fight on social media run into each other at their local grocery store.

• Dreaming by Diana Burbano, directed by Laura James — an intimate and poignant look at the lives of a mother, living in Mexico but hoping to return to the U.S., and her daughter, a DACA recipient living in the U.S. who is facing deportation.

• Boxes by Jen Huszcza, directed by Jan Munroe — Anthropomorphized boxes tell a timeless tale about bullying. Performed without words.

• Fake by Jen Huszcza, directed by Barbara Schofield — Somewhere in the not too distant future, in a world where the Real has been, somehow, lost–or thrown away–a lonely woman searches for the courage to go out and find it.

• Razing the Statue by Marilynn Barner Anselmi, directed by Amanda Weier — A confused Confederate statue finds himself in a scrap yard.

• Darlene’s Resistance Monologue by Jonathan Joy, directed by Martha Demson — A straightforward young woman from a small town in West Virginia discovers what it means to “Resist” and “Stay Woke.”

• Changing Hats by Abigail C.K. Lill, directed by Amanda Weier — Barney has just graduated from the college where he’s worked as a janitor for decades; who will change the toilet paper during the post-graduation reception?

• Empire Dreams, written and performed by Caroline Klidonas, directed by Barbara Schofield, with choreography by Tony Testa — A rousing anthem that bluntly calls out our current socio-political climate, urging audiences to continue waking up from the seductive delusion of the “American Dream” in order to continue building and fighting for a world that is inclusive of all.

• 1 in 5 by Lane Allison and Company, directed by Lane Allison — No matter their age, ethnicity, size, or occupation, women play Russian Roulette with their lives everyday.

WHO:
• The Acting Ensemble: Lane Allison, John Bozeman, Sandra Kate Burck, George Caleodis, Riley Chandler, Brooke Clendenen, Bruce Dickinson, Caroline Klidonas, Richard Knolla, Elizabeth Lande, Dylan Maddalena, Amy Moorman, Dustin Myklebust, Katie May Porter, Jill Remez, Laura Richardson, Beth Robbins, Scott Roberts, Kenia Romero, Rebecca Rosenak Phelps, Steven Royce, Mandy Schneider, Tisha Terrasini-Banker, Dionna Veremis, Amanda Weier
• Scenic Design: James Spencer
• Lighting Design: Ellen Monocroussos
• Sound Design: Tim Labor
• Stage Manager: Amy Rowell
• Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director

WHEN:
Performances Feb. 16 – March 3:
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 16. Feb. 23 and March 2.March 9
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Feb. 17, Feb. 24 and March 3, March 10
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: Feb. 18 and Feb. 25
(Doors open one hour prior to show time so you can enjoy our relaxed, speakeasy setting.)

WHERE:
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(FREE parking in the Atwater Xing lot one block south of the theater)

HOW:
(323) 882-6912 or www.openfist.org

TICKET PRICE:
$25

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