Powerhouse Theater Presents THE GOOD PRISONER 10/14

Coming straight off of their recent success with The War Cycle, the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble continues its string of original work with The Good Prisoner, writtenby award-winning playwright Kit Steinkellner. Steinkellner's critically acclaimed work at The Powerhouse includes the world premiere of House Full of Letters, Quixotic, and last year's Adeline's Play, which earned a feature article in the LA Weekly written by Steven Leigh Morris.

"[Adeline's Play] sneaks up on you and won't let go." The Good Prisoner is the story of awoman trying desperately to escape the monster she has become in a world that has stripped her of her humanity. It opens at The Powerhouse Theatre October 14th at 8PM and runs thruNovember 6th.The Good Prisoner takes place in an unnamed time and place eerily similar to present-day United States, in the blood-soaked wake of a nightmarish political regime. The story centers around Anna, a young woman, employed as a prison guard during the regime, who finds that shehas been violently changed by the brutal times she has lived through and has developedfrightening compulsions that lead her to commit unspeakable acts throughout her small community.

The story plays through two timelines, we follow the past and see how Anna becamethe monster she is in the present and we follow her in the present as she struggles desperately tobecome a human being again.Presented by the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble, Adeline's Play is written by Kit Steinkellner,directed by Louise Hung, with scenic design by Alex Pletcher, sound design and original music by Efrain Schunior, lighting design by Jenna Pletcher, costume design by Regine Linhares, featuringTrevor Algatt, Eric Anderson, Kyle Cadman, Robert George, Sara Kaye, Emmalinda MacLean,Joy Nash, Dee Amerio Sudik, Sarah Watson, and Paige White. The Good Prisoner is producedby Tom Burmester, Eric Sims, Danika Sudik, and Corwin Evans.

This is Steinkellner's third production with the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble and her fifth withthe Powerhouse Theatre. As a playwright, Steinkellner has been produced nationally, withproductions Off Broadway (at Playwright's Horizons), the Kennedy Center, the San Diego OldGlobe, as well as at several theaters in Los Angeles. Her writing has received rave reviews from the New York Times, LA Times (‘Critic's Choice') LA Weekly (‘Critic's Pick!') and Stage Scene LA (‘World Premiere Play of the Year!'). Additionally, her writing for theater and film has beenhonored with awards from Stephen Sondheim, Edward Albee, Tim Robbins, Jack Nicholson, theKennedy Center and The Sundance Institute. She holds a BA in Theatre and an MFA inScreenwriting/Television Showrunning, both from UCLA. Kit recently developed a project for TeenNickelodeon and has written material for the Disney Channel.

You can read her webcomic "Aces",about a high school newspaper, at www.acescomic.com. 

Louise Hung involves herself in education, theatre and puppetry in the Los Angeles community.Louise's recent credits include: MUKASHI MUKASHI ASIAN TALES FROM LONG AGO (GeffenPlayhouse/UCLA), 7 SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF CONFORMITY: BODY, POLITICS, SEX ANDLIFE IN HIGH SCHOOL (UCLA Performance Institute), I AM: SYLVIA PLATH (St. Louis, BestNight of Theatre Nobody Saw), OOOOOGY GREEN AND OTHER FABLES (Celebration Theatre/Geffen Playhouse, Critic's Pick BackStage West, main theatrical event at 2010 Autism Speaks celebration in San Antonio, Texas this fall), A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY (UCLA),BILLBOARD (by Mike Vukadinovich, UCLA), REHEARSING THE PERSIAN STAIN (by BrianShoaf, UCLA), DEAR HARVEY (Education/Outreach coordinator). Louise is the GeffenPlayhouse's Teaching Artist/Education Associate. In the 2010/2011 season she will be creatingand directing an original touring shadow puppet production based on Native American tales,HOW RAVEN STOLE FIRE: AND OTHER STORIES with the Geffen Playhouse and UCLA.Louise teaches movement, Nia, and Full Fat Flexibility (coming soon) in the Los Angeles areaand is a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry. She holds a BA in English and Theatrefrom Saint Louis University and an MFA in Directing from UCLA. Thank you to Alex and Brandy for keeping me in line! You are a-meowzing!The Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble is dedicated to staging theater works of high artistic integrity while endeavoring to remain broadly accessible and genuinely entertaining. The ensemble holds fast in its commitment to strike a balance between providing a venue for emerging artists andveteran artists; between the works of new playwrights, and revisiting timely and importantclassics.The Powerhouse Theatre is housed, appropriately enough, in the Powerhouse, a historicalbuilding originally erected in 1910 for the Southern California Edison Electrical Plant for the city ofSanta Monica. Committed to nurturing innovative new work, the Powerhouse has introduced Los Angeles audiences to critically-acclaimed world premieres such as the multiple award-winningThe Shaggs: Philosophy of the World; the scathingly funny The Family Room by Aron Coleite;Golden Prospects: A Los Angeles Melodrama by Colin Campbell; and A Series of Comedic Lectures with John Lehr.Tom Burmester, founder and Producing Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Theatre Ensembleand Managing Artistic Director of the Powerhouse Theatre, has produced over 20 productions for the stage including Wounded and Survived by Tom Burmester, Kindred by Daniel Keleher, IGelosi and The Heretic Mysteries by David Bridel, Monkey Madness by Daisuke Tsuji, Quixotic by Kit Steinkellner and The Water Engine by David Mamet. Tom earned his MFA in Directing from the University of California, Los Angeles, and moonlights as the Performance Manger of the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Tickets start at just $7. See www.latensemble.com for details.

The Powerhouse Theatre is located at 3116 2nd Street in south Santa Monica, just off MainStreet between Rose and Marine. Guests in wheelchairs should call in advance to make arrangements. For information, the public should visit www.latensemble.com.