Cal State L.A. takes the stage
to mid-20th century New York
statewide Saroyan centennial
Celebrating the centennial of William Saroyan’s birth, the Theatre Arts and Dance Department at Cal State L.A. presents “The Cave Dwellers,” a fairy-tale play about a defeated boxer, two former actors, a lonely young girl, and a poor family—along with a trained bear—seeking refuge in an abandoned theater in New York sometime during the mid-20th century.
Directed by Stephen Rothman, Cal State L.A.’s production will be presented Jan. 17-19 and Jan. 24-26 at the State Playhouse on campus. The show times are Thursday-Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
According to Rothman, “Even though this play debuted in New York in 1957, it is still relevant today in regards to homelessness. And, as the play transcends time we are placing it in 2008 New York City.” He adds, “This will be the first production in the state celebrating the 100th anniversary of playwright William Saroyan.”
Saroyan was an internationally renowned Armenian-American novelist and playwright, whose published writings topped over 4,000 literary works, including short stories, plays, and novels. He received an Academy Award for writing; and his play, “The Time of Your Life,” earned him The Pulitzer Prize in 1939. He died in 1981. For more about Saroyan, go to http://saroyancentennial.org/
The Cal State L.A. performers include Preeyasuda Akkarasrisawad, Oliver Mack Calhoun, Eric Charles, Tony Christopher, Sophie Goldstein, Danny Hammer, Joe Metzger, Sergio D. Nevels, Ashley Vaughn, Concetta Verna, Meggie Welch, and Wade Wilson. Joining the student cast will be set designer Evan Bartoletti, lighting designer Jim Moody and costume designer Laura Frecon.
A professor of theatre arts at Cal State L.A., Rothman has been a professional stage director for 30 years and has also directed television sit-coms. He was the founder and artistic leader of the revitalized Pasadena Playhouse and served as the artistic director of the Sacramento Theatre Company. His honors include the 2000 Carbonell Award for Best Director for his work on “God's Man in Texas” at Florida Stage in West Palm Beach and the Hollywood's Dramalogue Award for Best Director of the play, “Orphans,” done in American Sign Language at Deaf/West Theatre in Los Angeles. He will be directing Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” for the Florence International Theatre Company in Italy this coming spring.
Tickets for “The Cave Dwellers” are $15 general admission and $8 for students, seniors and group. For tickets, call the Cal State L.A. Box Office at (323) 343-4118.
CALENDAR LISTING
What:
Cal State L.A. presents “The Cave Dwellers,” a fairy-tale play about a defeated boxer, two former actors, a lonely young girl, and a poor family—along with a trained bear—seeking refuge in an abandoned theater in New York sometime during the mid-20th century.
When:
January 17-19 and 24-26.
Showtimes: Thu.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.
Where:
Cal State L.A. State Playhouse (For campus map and directions, go to www.calstatela.edu). Public (permit dispenser) parking is available at Lots 5 and 7 or Parking Structure C.
Details:
Tickets are $15 general admission, $8 for students, seniors and group. For tickets, call the Cal State L.A. Box Office at (323) 343-4118.
Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 200,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to a unique university center for gifted students as young as 12. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH- and Rockefeller-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu
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