Cornerstone Theater to Present BLISS POINT, 5/29-6/22

Nationally-renowned Cornerstone Theater Company, the Los Angeles ensemble dedicated to community-engaged theater, is proud to premiere Bliss Point. Bliss Point takes us into the sometimes frightening realm of the hunger of addiction, where the need for emotional fulfillment, love, respect, connection, and spirituality is fed through substance abuse. Written by Shishir Kurup and directed by Juliette Carrillo, Bliss Point is a guest production at the Odyssey Theatre. It runs Wednesdays through Sundays, May 29 to June 22, 2014.

The play is part of The Hunger Cycle, a nine-play series about hunger, justice and food equity issues and involving hundreds of residents from across the city and state. In Bliss Point, the fifth play in the cycle, a community of Angelenos grapple with a seemingly uncontrollable whirlwind of substance abuse and the aftermath of loss, hope and reconciliation. Presented in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, Bliss Point features a multicultural cast which includes 14 community actors, many of whom are first time performers, alongside 3 professionals.

This play is inspired by Cornerstone's collaboration with addiction and recovery communities throughout Los Angeles. Cornerstone has spent the last 18 months working with the communities at Beit T'Shuvah, The Hills Treatment Center, and Phoenix House Academy - as well as conducting numerous one-on-one interviews with Cornerstone ensemble member and playwright, Shishir Kurup.

"It felt vitally important to us at Cornerstone to explore the ravenous hunger of addiction, something that has personally affected the lives of virtually each person at our company, either through personal struggles or those of loved ones," said Artistic Director Michael John Garces, "It is certainly the case in my life, having lost family members to addiction and also experiencing loved ones successfully engage in the life long recovery process."

Bliss Point begins previews May 29, opens June 5 and runs through June 22, 2014. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00pm with Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 South Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025. Parking is available at the theater for $3 as well as ample street parking.

Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can, with a suggested donation of $20. Tickets are available by phone at the Odyssey Theater Box Office at310.477.2055 x. 2 or online at www.cornerstonetheater.org.

This is Cornerstone's 27th year of producing community-engaged theater. The company has engaged with hundreds of communities, commissioned more than 60 playwrights, and produced over 90 new works, both original plays and American adaptations of classic texts. For more information, visit www.cornerstonetheater.org
or http://cornerstonetheater.org/blisspoint.

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