Photo Flash: Mutineer Theatre Company Presents LIE WITH ME

A lifetime of discretion and collusion are exposed as the family matriarch falls ill. This oddly comic story of the turmoil that is unleashed among these characters provides a psychologically sexual account of complicity on a scale that leaves no one untouched. This is a frank and startling tale about people who can't seem to help the damage that they inflict upon one another.

Mutineer Theatre Company is comprised of actors, visual artists, composers, writers, dancers, photographers, sculptors, filmmakers, directors, and designers working collaboratively to conceive unique and inspired work. The company is committed to creating intelligent, challenging, and thought-provoking theatre that observes, explores, and reflects upon the human condition. It is their goal to establish themselves as a resource for the development of new works.

As a nomadic theatre company Mutineer will perform in and around the Los Angeles area. Venue selection will be based on the material chosen for production.

The Mission of Mutineer Theatre Company is to create, develop, and produce diverse original material through an explorative and experimental collaborative effort. We are committed to working in a manner that places reverence on the voice of the artist, in whatever medium, to celebrate the work in a unified vision, discipline, and regard.

LIE WITH ME opens Saturday, March 7, 2009 (with Gala reception to follow performance @ $25) and runs through April 5, 2009 at Art/Works Theatre located at 6569 Santa Monica Blvd. LA, CA 90038. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 7 pm. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased by calling (323) 960-7787 or visit http://www.mutineertheatre.com/lie_with_me.shtml

Keith Bridges (Playwright) is the founder and Artistic Director of Charter Theatre in Washington DC. His plays include WATCHING LEFT (Helen Hayes Award nomination), OUR LADY OF SANDWICH for NCDA-ART (co-authored with Mario Baldessari), the comedy hit F.U. (FORGIVE US...what'd you think we meant?), MONKEYBOY, and FINDING TONY (for NCDA-ART), which was co-authored with Chris Stezin and Richard Washer. Keith has directed a wealth of new plays, including Peter Coy's A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY (winner of two Helen Hayes awards), Chris Stezin's WHAT DOGS DO, Allyson Currin's CHURCH OF THE OPEN MIND (both Helen Hayes award nominees); Paul Donnelly's THE TASTE OF FIRE (Helen Hayes Award for best actor); the critically acclaimed production of John Walch's CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE SQUIRREL; as well as the Dropping the Cow shows: FEAR ITSELF, SACRED COWS and THE RULE OF THREE, by Mario Baldessari.

Director Joe Banno was the long time Artistic Director of Source Theatre Company (1997 - 2006). He has directed over 50 theatrical productions at theaters such as Folger Elizabethan Theatre, Washington Shakespeare Company, Shenandoah Shakespeare, Theatre J, and several other companies around the U.S. Joe's directing work in opera and musical theatre has been seen in over 30 productions, most recently at Wolf Trap Opera Company, Summer Opera Theatre, Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia and the Alba Music Festival in Northern Italy. For his directing work, Banno has been a recipient of the Helen Hayes Award, Mary Goldwater Award, and Bud Yorkin Award. He has project-directed a new-works funding initiative through Opera America and has headed numerous workshops to develop new plays - including seven years of producing Source's Washington Theatre Festival, the DC-area's premiere showcase for new scripts. Joe is currently in pre-production on an independent-film project, and has two other films in development. He has served as a classical music reviewer for The Washington Post (since 1993), as opera critic for Washington City Paper (since 1989), and as a contributing freelance writer for other publications.

 

THE ENSEMBLE

Jon Cohn (Ian) is a founding company member of Project Y, an artistic associate of Charter Theatre, and a veteran of two classical touring Shakespeare companies. He is a proud recipient of the Theatre Lobby's Mary Goldwater Award for Excellence in Acting as well as a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Play. Jon serves as the founding Artistic Director of Mutineer Theatre Company. Offstage, Jon is honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the Proteus Syndrome Foundation and to work for Southern California Public Radio, the entity that operates 89.3 KPCC-FM.

Christian Lebano (Stan) has performed at the Oregon, Utah, and Montana Shakespeare Festivals; Shakespeare Repertory and Court Theatre in Chicago; PCPA TheatreFest in Santa Maria; and Madison Repertory in Wisconsin, and others. Christian has played the role of Stephen in MAJOR BARBARA, Dromio of Ephesus in COMEDY OF ERRORS, Suffolk in HENRY VI pts. 1 & 2, Oberon/Theseus in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Malvolio in TWELFTH NIGHT, Lloyd in NOISES OFF, and the title character in CYMBELINE. Locally he played Lord Capulet in the long-running Los Angeles production of ROMEO & JULIET directed by Joe Regalbuto. He most recently appeared in RICHARD III with the Uprising Theater Company.

Taylor Coffman (Carla) has been continuously working in film, TV, and on stage since arriving in Los Angeles three years ago. Her stage credits include Thyona in BIG LOVE, Hilda in Ibsen's LADY FROM THE SEA, Gowdie in THE LOVE TALKER, and Juliet in ROMEO & JULIET. As an actor she has performed in her own plays at the Kennedy Center for their ‘Page to Stage Festival,' and she is currently developing a play entitled DITCH. Former Folger Shakespeare Library Fellow and Irene Ryan nominee, Taylor has worked in Los Angeles for Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Emily Morrison (Deanna Wilson) has numerous theatre credits which include the role of Queen Elizabeth in RICHARD III at The Colony Theatre (Shakespeare at Play), Ann Roth in THE GOD COMMITTEE at Cornerstone Theatre, Mother in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE for Actors Circle Theatre, Frankie in FRANKIE & JOHNNY IN THE CLAIRE DEL LUNE at the Elephant Theatre, Henrietta Siberling in BILL W. & DR. BOB at Theatre 68, and Tiffany in THE URN (world premiere) at Actors Circle Theatre. Emily is a former jazz singer who worked in New York and has appeared in several film and TV projects since arriving in Los Angeles.

Amber Hamilton (Susan) has played roles such as Kim in BYE BYE BIRDIE, Agatha Wylie in SMASH, and Alice in ALICE IN WONDERLAND Walt Disney World stage. Film credits include PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and Disney's PIXEL PERFECT.

Davis Campbell (Set Designer) has designed/built sets for numerous stage, film, and music video projects in and around Los Angeles. Highlights include EXISTENCE (Cannes Film Festival), Atreyu's music video "The Theft," and stage productions of HATFUL OF RAIN, TWENTIETH CENTURY, SONA TERRA ROMA HESS, A MULHOLLAND CHRISTMAS CAROL, and THE ELVIS TEST.

Matt Richter (Lighting Designer) has worked on more than 300 productions. Recent credits include IT'S THE HOUSEWIVES, A GRAND GUIGNOL CHILDREN'S SHOW, A MULHOLLAND CHRISTMAS CAROL, and SONA TERA ROMAN HESS. As half of the experimental ambient duo Lanfair Field, Matt was honored as a ‘runner-up' for original score and original sound design for ASLEEP ON A BICYCLE at the Lillian Theatre, for the 2008 Ticketholder Awards. Matt serves as designer in residence for numerous theatre companies, and as technical director for both the Lounge and the Art/Works theaters.

Amy Schloerb (Costume Designer) has worked on productions such as TWELTH NIGHT, SKIN OF OUR TEETH, and AUNT DAN AND LEMON. Amy has just joined the Mutineer Theatre Company.

James Richter (Sound Designer) is a classically trained composer and a graduate of USC's Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program. He spent most of this decade recording and mixing content for National Public Radio's "Marketplace" and "Marketplace Money." He has served as producer for a series of classical and children's records, most recently A Musical Playground. His work can be heard on the online sitcom CAST THIS at castthis.net.

Photo by Natalie Young