Brian Crano's "12th Premise" Directed by BARE'S Kristin Hanggi Opens March 3 in LA

The 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival hit play 12TH PREMISE, by Los Angeles playwright Brian Crano, will have its U.S. Premiere at The Lillian Theatre (1076 Lillian Way in Hollywood). Kristin Hanggi, who won both the LA Weekly and the LADCC Awards for Best Direction for the Ovation Award-winning musical bare, is set to stage this dramatic play about twenty-something college students emerging into the real world. Presented by Chaotic Entertainment, the limited engagement begins performances on March 3, 2005 with an official press opening on March 10, 2005.

12tH PREMISE marks Brian Crano's Los Angeles debut as a playwright. The production, which had its world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2003, was the festival's highlight production. THE STAGE raved, "Worthy but deliciously profane, the play avoids all the self-important pitfalls of similar works, producing a moving and gently funny experience. Definitely one of the pleasant surprises of the Fringe." THE SCOTSMAN said, "If you like your theatre wordy, intricate, layered, multi-discursive, easily digestible and honestly acted, 12th PREMISE is for you."

The play explores the friendships, relationships and rites of passage of three disaffected young men who set out on a 'crash course in survival' but end up discovering a hope filled code for living. The play is an insider's rebellion against the profoundly nihilistic American youth of the twenty-something generation.

"I'm excited to be back in Los Angeles, especially to be working on this piece. I've known Brian since he was fifteen and I always thought he had unique and special voice. 12th PREMISE is a collection of memories from adolescence to young adult, and because I knew Brian when he was going through that period of his life, I feel that this project has a special par t of me in it, said director Kristin Hanggi. " Playing off the idea of snapshots of memory allows me to explore multi-media in a production as a director for the first time. It's been thrilling blending the kinetic energy of youth through still and life images with the immediacy of actors on stage. I hope that what will result is a very different type of theatre experience where the audience gets jolted right into the middle of these vivid memories." She added, "This being a piece about a generation raised on MTV, the audience should feel like they are channel surfing through time and space throughout the production."

Hanggi directs a cast of five including Crano (the Los Angeles premiere of Corpus Christi), Erik Eidem (Here On Earth), Danneel Harris (Joey, JAG, One Life To Live), Micah Hauptman (Seven Blowjobs) and Jake Sandvig (Cracking Up).

The 12th PREMISE creative team includes: projection design by Jason Thompson (Broadway's Dracula The Musical), sound designer – Steven Cahill (Party Of Five, All My Sons at the Rubicon Theatre), set designer Rob Fritz (The Illusion), lighting designer Jay Bolton (award-winner for the world premiere of bare), and costume designer Brenda Mercure (resident costume designer for Shakespeare Orange County).

12th PREMISE is presented by Chaotic Entertainment headed by Danny Feldman (producer of bare and Corpus Christi), Kristin Hanggi and Micah Hauptman).

BIOGRAPHIES:

BRIAN CRANO (Playwright / Aidan). 12th PREMISE, Brian Crano's third play, was written at the age of 19. Brian has just completed his postgraduate degree in classical acting and text at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Brian also earned a B.A. in Theatre from UCLA with an emphasis in acting and playwriting at the age of 18. 12th PREMISE had an incredibly successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival during the summer of 2003, garnering five star reviews. His next full-length drama, A Rational Fear of Water, is about homosexual adoption. Brian is a member of The Royal Court Theatre Young Writers Program. Brian's stage career began at the age of eight. Since then, Brian has been working consistently, notably as the youngest full member of the acting company of the Utah Shakespearean Festival during its 2000 Tony Award winning season. Since then, Brian has played a variety of roles in productions from the west coast premiere of Corpus Christi to the lead in Macbeth at LAMDA.

Kristin Hanggi (Director) As a stage director, Ms. Hanggi's productions include the New York premiere of the acclaimed pop opera BARE, produced by Dodger Stage Holding who produced the Tony Award winning Urinetown and 42nd Street. BARE was rated the #1 production in New York by Zagat audiences over any Broadway or Off-Broadway show in the Spring of 2004 and named by ELLE magazine as one of the top 25 things not to miss in 2004. Ms. Hanggi also served in the development of the Pussycat Dolls and directed the dolls in Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy with Christina Applegate, Carmen Electra and special guests Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Murphy, Nikka Costa and Charlize Theron. Other stage productions include the Los Angeles production of BARE (2001 Ovation Award Best Musical, LA Weekly Award Best Musical, 2000 Robby Award Best Director, over 28 theater award nominations); the Los Angeles Premiere of Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi (2001 Ticketholder Award, Best Production, 2001 Ticketholder Award Best Director, 2001 Robby Award Best Director of a Play); Crane, Mississippi (LA Times Critic's Choice, Backstage West Critic's Pick); Greystone (Los Angeles Theater History Project at LATC); Wayside (LA Weekly Pick of the Week) and Glen Mary Glen Rose: Women Do Men, a benefit for "Step-Up" and the Revlon/UCLA Breast Cancer Center at UCLA's Royce Hall starring Amy Brenneman, Jean Smart, Teri Garr, Vicki Lawrence, and Susan Egan, among others. Kristin is proud to be one of the founding members of God Help! Productions. Upcoming new musicals include: a rock opera by Damon Intrabartolo (composer of BARE) on the times of Harvey Milk; a musical adaptation of the film Revenge of the Nerds also penned by Intrabartolo. In the fall, Kristin is proud to be directing actor Mark Ruffalo (You Can Count on Me) in the World Premiere of Tim McNeil's new play, Anything. Ms. Hanggi graduated with her Masters from USC after receiving her Bachelors from UCLA in Theater. As a film director, Kristin's screenplay Less Than Kind, has Hayden Christensen (Star Wars Trilogy) attached to star and Tove Christensen (Shattered Glass) to produce. In addition, she is in development with Walt Disney Films on a teenage musical movie. Recently, Kristin presented a reading of Tony Award winner Michael Arden's new musical Easter Rising at the famous Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York.

CHAOTIC ENTERTAINMENT (Producer) was formed in 2002 by creative partners Kristin Hanggi and Micah Hauptman to generate compelling and evocative projects for film, television, and the stage. Ms. Hanggi (a theater, film director, writer and producer) and Mr. Hauptman (a film and theater actor, writer and producer) formed Chaotic Entertainment as an incubator for their creative endeavor to produce current projects as well as foster and nurture new voices. In 2004, Danny Feldman joined the company to serve as the Chief Financial Officer bringing his extensive background in development and producing. Current film projects on the production slate include: Less Than Kind with Hayden Christensen attached to star and Kristin attached to direct; and North Hills with renowned music video and commercial director, Sylvain White, attached to direct and Micah attached as the lead. Additionally, Kristin is engaged in a development deal with Walt Disney Films for a live action musical film entitled, Operation Prom Dress. Upcoming theater projects include: 12th Premise by playwright Brian Crano which was developed through workshops in London and New York and will now receive its West Coast Premier in March, and the one-man show by National Slam Poetry Champion Steve Connell entitled 40 Days which will début in LA this season.

CALENDAR LISTINGS FOR MARCH 3 – APRIL 10, 2005

PRODUCTION:
"12th PREMISE"
Written by Brian Crano
Directed by Kristin Hanggi
Presented by Chaotic Entertainment
Produced by Danny Feldman

CAST: Brian Crano as Aidan
Erik Eidem as Keaton
Danneel Harris as Caitlin
Micah Hauptman as Christian
Jake Sandvig as Con

THEATRE: The Lillian Theatre
1076 Lillian Way
(1 block West of Vine)
Hollywood, CA 90038

SCHEDULE: MARCH 3, 2005 – APRIL 10, 2005
Thursday, March 3, 2005 – Previews Begin
Thursday, March 10, 2005 – Opening Night

Thursday – Saturday at 8:00 PM
Sunday at 7:00 PM

TICKETS: 800-595-4TIX (800-595-4849) or www.12premise.tix.com

PRICES: All tickets are $25.00.

PARKING: Ample street parking

WEBSITE: www.12premise.com