PASADENA'S LEADING INTIMATE THEATRE COMPANIES CO-PRODUCE THE WEST COAST PREMIERE OF BRUCE NORRIS' "THE PAIN AND THE ITCH"
PASADENA, Calif., June 30, 2009 – The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company present "The Pain and the Itch," a West Coast Premiere by Bruce Norris, directed by Dámaso Rodriguez, opening July 25 on the Main Stage at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue.
In this send-up of the perfect American family, an average Thanksgiving unravels into an exposŽ of disastrous choices and less-than-altruistic motives. A young daughter is in serious need of attention while her parents worry if the milk is organic and a ravenous creature may be prowling the upstairs bedrooms. "The Pain and the Itch" is a scathing comedy about the politics of class and race, a controversial examination of denial and its consequences.
"The Pain and the Itch" ensemble includes Olivia Aaron, Katie Davies, Ava Feldman, Scott Lowell, Vonessa Martin, Brad Price, Jennifer Rhodes, and Kevin Vavasseur. Lowell was a series regular playing Ted Schmidt on "Queer as Folk" and Rhodes did an eight-season run as the matriarchal witch Grams on "Charmed."
Production staff for "The Pain and the Itch" includes Rodriguez, Kurt Boetcher, scenic designer, Shannon Dedman, props designer, Leah Piehl, costume designer, Christie Wright, lighting designer, Doug Newell, sound designer, Dan Steele, assistant director, Raul Staggs, casting director, Rebecca Cohn, production stage manager, and Joel Goldes, dialect coach.
Norris, a new American playwright and established actor, has on ongoing collaboration with Steppenwolf where his plays "The Pain and the Itch," "We All Went Down to Amsterdam," "The Infidel" and "Purple Heart" (also in Galway, Ireland) were commissioned and produced. Additional plays include "The Actor Retires" and "The Vanishing Twin" produced at Remains Theatre and Lookingglass Theatre, respectively. His play "The Unmentionables" was part of Steppenwolf's 30th season of new work and his new play, "A Parallelogram," will be part of Steppenwolf's 2009-2010 season. Also an actor, Norris can be seen in the films "School of Rock," "The Sixth Sense," "Homecoming" and on TV in "Third Watch," "Queens Supreme," and "Law & Order."
Rodriguez is the Associate Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse and a co-founder and the resident director of Furious Theatre Company, artists in residence at the Pasadena Playhouse Carrie Hamilton Theatre. He directed Pasadena Playhouse's recent hit productions of "Orson's Shadow" by Austin Pendleton and the revival of "The Little Foxes" by Lillian Hellman. His award-winning directing credits for Furious Theatre include: "Hunter Gatherers" (Los Angeles Premiere), "Saturday Night at the Palace: Revisited," "Canned Peaches in Syrup" (World Premiere), "An Impending Rupture of the Belly" (World Premiere), "Grace" (Los Angeles Premiere), "Back of the Throat" (Los Angeles Premiere), "The Fair Maid of the West Parts I & II" (World Premiere Adaptation), "The God Botherers" (West Coast Premiere), "The Shape of Things" (Los Angeles Premiere), "Scenes from the Big Picture" (U.S. Premiere), "Chimps" (U.S. Premiere), "The Playboy of the Western World," and "Saturday Night at the Palace" (U.S. Premiere). As a co-founder of Furious Theatre, Rodriguez received the Pasadena Arts Council's Gold Crown Award and the Debut Award from Back Stage West.
Rodriguez said about the playwright, "Bruce Norris is one of the most exciting new playwrights to emerge in the past several years. The majority of his plays have premiered at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, and while he has received attention in New York and London, L.A. audiences have yet to experience his work. We believe this will be the first of many of Mr. Norris' plays to grace L.A. stages and we're thrilled to be a part of his introduction to Los Angeles audiences. The play itself is a brilliantly crafted, screamingly funny, ultimately moving theatrical puzzle. Mr. Norris has the rare ability to confront his audience while entertaining them at every moment."
"The Pain and the Itch" opened at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, had its NY premiere with Playwright's Horizons, London premiere with Royal Court, and Boston premiere with Company One.
"The Pain and the Itch" previews for six performances beginning July 16, opens July 25 and runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through August 23. Preview tickets are priced at $17 and regular performances at $32. Senior and student discounts are also available. Tickets can be purchased online at bostoncourt.org and furioustheatre.org or by calling (626) 683-6883. Boston Court Performing Arts Center is located one block north of Colorado at the corner of Mentor Ave. and Boston Ct.
"The Pain and the Itch" is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Founding Director Z. Clark Branson, and the generous contributions of The Theatre @ Boston Court and Furious Theatre Company patrons.
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For reservations to Press Night, Saturday, July 25, 8 pm, contact: sandy@aldrichpr.com