Katselas Theatre Company Presents FOCUS GROUP PLAY World Premiere, 9/1-10/7

Now in the forefront of play development, with local writers, KTC presents their 11th World Premiere in only two years, Focus Group Play. Chosen from seven new works, this stand-out production is being directed by Eric Hunicutt.

Six strangers in a room for 90 minutes, encouraged to share their opinions. What could be more unpredictable? Chaos quickly turns this control group into an out-of control dark comedy, bringing out the worst…even in the best of us.

From a generation of new writers, on the verge of national prominence.

“This is such a gratifying example of the success that has come from our play development commitment in Los Angeles. These equally committed playwright’s, who seek us out, are aware of our history for seeing projects through to production. It’s clear that there is a new guard of local writers that are going to have a powerful voice in today’s theatre scene, and we are proud to give them a home,” says Gary Grossman (Artistic Director-KTC)

CARRIE BARRETT (Playwright) has developed works at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center (National Playwrights Conference), Gotham Stage Company (NYC), Northwestern University, Chicago Dramatists, American Theatre Company (Chicago) and through Remmy Bummpo Theatre Company (Chicago). She is 2009 graduate of Northwestern’s MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage program where she studied under playwright Rebecca Gilman.

ERIC HUNICUTT (Director) helmed Adam Bock's The Thugs, Neil LaBute's Reasons To Be Pretty (both as guest faculty, UC San Diego), Upright Citizens' Brigade (NY & LA), Second City (LA & Chicago), Comedy Central Stage, Lost Studio, iO West Theater, & Spoleto Fringe. Eric teaches at Steppenwolf Classes West, Warner Loughlin Studios, iO West, and Cal State's Summer Arts.

FOCUS GROUP PLAY runs Saturday, September 1st – Sunday, October 7, 2012. Dates and times available at ktcla.com. The Skylight Theatre Complex is located at 1816 1/2 N. Vermont, LA, 90027. Tickets are ($17.50 and up). Reservations: 702 KTC-TKTS (702-582-8587) or online at http://www.katselastheatre.com.

THE KATSELAS THEATRE COMPANY is widely respected for its history of developing artists (actors, musicians, writers, designers, and directors) while helping to create the next generation of theatre goers - thus its passion for new original plays that speak to today's audiences. In just the last two years, KTC has produced ten World Premiere productions including INFLUENCE (2010 Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle nomination for Best Actor and two LA Weekly nominations for Best Play and Best Production), HERMETICALLY SEALED (2011 Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle nomination for Best Actress, an LA Weekly nomination for Best Ensemble and the LA Times List of top ten productions for 2011) and MAD WOMAN (2011Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle nomination and an LA Weekly nomination for Best Solo Performance). KTC believes in the importance of the artist in our community. Its programs, (INKubator, SoloMojo, KTC Playwrights Lab, KTCKids, KTC Underground and NewVoices), its educational workshops - even its main stage productions are designed to help the artist find their unique voice and achieve their vision....and audiences love it! All by itself, in just two small theatres, KTC's monthly INKubator series (launched Jan 2011) has premiered new works-in-progress by more than forty Los Angeles writers ages 17 to 80 for over 1200 audience members. Adding audience "chats" and quarterly follow-ups with the artists to monitor their progress; the entire venture has been an unqualified success.

GARY GROSSMAN (Producer/Artistic Director) started his career in New York at The Public Theatre, Café La Mama, and Sheraton Square Playhouse. He has produced over 300 stage plays, including more than 50 world premieres. Among his celebrated productions are Romeo and Juliet directed by Milton Katselas (3 LADCC Awards), Dylan (3 LADCC Awards), Dream Man, Lone Star, Balm In Gilead, Four, The Tenth Man, Visions and Lovers, Rabbit Hole, La Ronde De Lunch, Influence, and Mad Women. In addition to his work for KTC, Gary has produced for the prestigious Matrix Theatre Company, where he was associated with the celebrated productions The Homecoming, Endgame, and The Seagull. For television he co-produced Sadie and Son (CBS) and the sitcom pilot Man In The Kitchen (ABC). He is the Executive Producer for award-winning director Chuck Workman's documentary, The Actor’s Life.

Jen Drohan (Moderator) has worked with EST, Manhattan Class Company, and Young Playwright’s Organization. She has guest starred on Big Bang Theory, Numb3rs, and has had leading roles in several pilots. This fall, she can be seen in the 917 Films political thriller Body Politic.

Celia Finkelstein (Mandy) has performed Off-Broadway in numerous productions. Her film/TV work includes guest-starring roles on House, The Middle, NCIS: LA, and American Horror Story, supporting roles in Horrible Bosses and the upcoming film Contracted. She is a graduate of The Shakespeare Lab at The Public Theatre.

ALISSA FORD (Pamela) has performed and developed new plays with Playwrights Horizons, Sundance Theatre Lab, 13P and Soho Rep- just to name a few. She is currently appearing as Prisoner Kate on HBO’s True Blood.

Brian HammILL (Jim) is an actor and a writer who provides cartoons for Disney and jokes for David Letterman. He has been seen in numerous independent films, on network TV, and on stage in Chicago and Los Angeles.

DARCY SHEAN (Debbie) has recently appeared on Glee, Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, and a few years earlier on The West Wing. Film credits include Accepted, Van Wilder, and Revenge of the Bimbot Zombie Killers, with memorable appearances on the Webisodes: Paul The Male Matchmaker, and Ylse.

CARO ZELLER (Marta) was part of the Inaugural MFA in Acting class at the University of Southern California. Since graduating she has worked on numerous new plays, including Scar Tissue (which gained recognition and publication as one of the Best Short Plays of 2011). Carolyn has toured nationally with a one woman show called The New Faces of America, as well as starring in various short films, Fishbones, Kiss Me, and Black.