NO HOMO to Receive First Full Run at Atwater Village Theatre, 7/30-8/23

The smash hit Fringe comedy NO HOMO by Brandon Baruch will receive its first full run with a new production at the Atwater Village Theatre, it was announced by Be Flat Productions and Praxis Limited. There will be two preview performances on Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, August 1 at 8pm and the strictly limited engagement will run through August 23.

NO HOMO had its world premiere in the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival, where it swept the Closing Night Awards with nine nominations and five wins including Best World Premiere, Best in Ensemble Theatre, Best Director, and the Encore! Producer's Award. The production then moved to the New York International Fringe Festival where it was met with similar acclaim and quickly became an audience favorite.

Directed by Jessica Hanna, the cast of this new production will feature (in alphabetical order) Elizabeth Ellson, Lauren Flans, AJ Jones, Michael Lutheran, Henry McMillan, and Jonny Rodgers. Scenic design is by David Offner, lighting design is by playwright Baruch, costume design is by Laura Wong, and the sound design is by Corwin Evans.

NO HOMO tells the tale of Luke and Ash, two 20-something Los Angeles urbanites who identify as heterosexual even though their friendship is totally gay. Their friends and families refuse to acknowledge the platonic nature of their relationship, and eventually the men themselves start to question their own sexual identities, leading to a drunken evening that their friendship might not survive.

Playwright Brandon Baruch is a writer, director, producer, and lighting designer. His plays have been seen on both coasts, and he has designed lighting for productions in Southern California, New York, and Chicago. Director Jessica Hanna is a Los Angeles- based theatre artist. She is Co-Founder, Producing & Managing Director of Bootleg Theater. She has directed at Abundant Sugar at the Brewery and at Occidental College, and since 2006 she has produced over 100 productions and events at Bootleg.

Preview performances of NO HOMO are on Thursday, July 30 at 8pm and Friday, July 31 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, August 1 at 8pm. The regular running schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through August 23 only. General admission tickets are $15 for previews and $20 for regular performances and may be obtained online at www.nohomo.brownpapertickets.com, www.nohomoplay.com, or by calling (800) 838-3006. The Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Avenue, in Los Angeles.

Pictured: Jonny Rodgers and Michael Lutheran in NO HOMO. Photo by Jase Lindgren.