Celebration Theatre to Stage L.A. Premiere of DREAM BOY

Celebration Theatre at the Lex presents its second play in its new home, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the Los Angeles premiere of DREAM BOY by Eric Rosen, based on the novel by Jim Grimsley and directed by Ovation Award-winner Michael Matthews (The Color Purple, Failure: A Love Story). Comments Celebration Theatre's Executive Director Michael C. Kricfalusi, "Continuing our 33rd season and first in our new home, we're very excited to present this L.A. Premiere of Eric Rosen's play DREAM BOY. This play is genuinely affecting and will give our audience a gut-wrenching feeling that will have them talking about the play for days after they've seen it." DREAM BOY will begin previews on Friday, January 22 at 8pm; will open on Friday, January 29 at 8pm and perform through Sunday, March 20 at the Celebration Theatre's new home, the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Poetic and erotic, DREAM BOY tells the story of Nathan and Roy's unlikely high school romance against the backdrop of repression and religion in 1970s North Carolina. At times haunting and harrowing, Rosen and Grimsley weave the sweet, raw passion and adventure of youth with the stark danger of an abusive and intolerant society to create a transcendent Southern gothic tale of love and redemption.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

MICHAEL MATTHEWS (Director) Los Angeles: Bootycandy (LA Premiere), Failure; a Love Story (Ovation Award Best Director (LA Premiere), Sons of the Prophet (LA Premiere), Psyche; a Modern Rock Opera (World Premiere), Rabbit Hole (La Mirada), Funny Girl (3D Theatricals, Ovation Nomination Best Director), Peter Pan; The Boy Who Hated Mothers (LA Weekly Nominations Best Director and Best Production, Play; LA Premiere), Very Still and Hard To See (LA Weekly Nominations Best Director and Best Production, Play; World Premiere), The Color Purple, The Musical (Ovation and LA Weekly Awards Best Director and Best Production, Musical), What's Wrong With Angry?(Ovation Nominations Best Director and Best Production,Play), Take Me Out! (Ovation Nomination Best Director, NAACP Award Best Director) The Women of Brewster Place, the Musical (Ovation Nomination Best Director, NAACP Award Best Director, Ovation Award Best Production, Musical; West Coast Premiere), Stupid Kids (LA Premiere), Beautiful Thing (Ovation Nominations, Best Director and Best Production,Play), The Bacchae (Ovation Nominations, Best Director and Best Production,Play), Broadway: Butley (Assistant Director). Chicago: What's Wrong With Angry? (Jeff Nominations, Best Director and Best Production), In The Blood (Jeff Nominations, Best Director and Best Production), Porcelain (Jeff Nomination, Best Director), The Judas Kiss (Chicago Premiere), Being 11 (World Premiere), and...for colored girls who have considered suicide.... International: The Bacchae (Edinburgh Theatre Festival, 2010).

ERIC ROSEN (Playwright) was the founding Artistic Director of Chicago's About Face Theatre (AFT) from 1995 to 2008, and is a writer, director and producer. Original projects include Venice(KC Rep, Center Theatre Group-LA, Public Theater-NYC, "Best Musical of 2010"-TIME Magazine, original cast recording-Ghost Light); Wedding Play (Steppenwolf/AFT, Jefferson nomination);Winesburg, Ohio (Steppenwolf/AFT-Jeff Award, Philadelphia's Arden Theatre Company-Barrymore Award, KC Rep);Clay (AFT, Lookingglass Theatre-Chicago, Center Theatre Group, KC Rep, Lincoln Center/CT3-Drama Desk Nomination, Jeff Award); and Undone, Whitman and Dream Boy (Jeff Award, several productions across the country).

In addition to Venice, other KC Rep directing credits include: Clay; Winesburg, Ohio; world premiere ofA Christmas Story, The Musical! (a hit musical on Broadway-three Tony nominations, including Best Musical);Cabaret; August: Osage County; The Whipping Man; Pippin; Death of a Salesman; Romeo and Juliet; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a critically-acclaimed production of Ayad Akhtar'sThe Who & The What, Hair: Retrospection,Stillwater, a new workshop musical and, most recently Sunday in the Park with George. Additional directing credits include productions at Lincoln Center, Center Theatre Group, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Centerstage, Alliance, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Hartford Stage, 5th Avenue, Prince, Cincinnati, Melbourne (Australia) and workshops at Sundance, O'Neill, Playwrights Horizons, and the Public Theater. He has developed and produced over 40 world premieres, including Doug Wright's Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning I Am My Own Wife and work by Mary Zimmerman, Frank Galati, Stephen Flaherty, Moisés Kaufman, David Cale and The Civilians, among others. He holds a doctorate in performance studies from Northwestern University and serves on the Board of Directors of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization of non-profit theatres.

The Cast of DREAM BOY will feature: Matthew Boehm, Randall Ray Clute, Craig Jorczak, Billy Evans, Elizabeth Dement, Jim Hanna, Erin McIntosh, Kate Connor and Christopher Maikish.

DREAM BOY has assembled an award-winning design team. Set Design is by Stephen Gifford. Lighting Design is by Tim Swiss. Sound Design is by Rebecca Kessin. Costume Design is by Allison Dillard. Property Design is by Michael O'Hara. The Stage Manager is Victoria Chediak . DREAM BOY is produced by Rebecca Eisenberg.

SCHEDULE AND PRICING

DREAM BOY will begin previews on Friday, January 22 at 8pm; will open on Friday, January 29 at 8pm and perform through Sunday, March 20 at the Celebration Theatre's new home, the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Performances are Thursdays, Friday & Saturday evenings at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm.

All tickets are $40.00 (Reserved); $35.00 (General Seating). For tickets, please call (323) 957-1884 or visit www.celebrationtheatre.com to purchase tickets online or to view a complete schedule or for further details.