ANITA BRYANT DIED FOR YOUR SINS Is Extending At El Centro Theatre Through 11/1

West Coast Ensemble is thrilled to announce that the third show of their 2009 season, the critically-acclaimed, West Coast Premiere of Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins, written by Brian Christopher Williams and directed by Richard Israel (Big, Floyd Collins) is extending through Sunday, November 1 at The El Centro Theatre, 800 N. El Centro Ave. in Hollywood.

Global recession, double digit unemployment and the fight for equal rights for gay Americans.  Sound familiar?  It's 1977, and 15 year-old Horace Poore is trying to make sense of the tumultuous events surrounding him -- and the tumultuous events within him, as his sexual awakening is hastened by images of Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz and former Miss America/orange juice promoter/anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant.  Nudging him along his journey to self-awareness are his idiosyncratic parents, his draft dodging brother, and his dreamy gym teacher.  This lyric comedy is an unconventional look at a young man's coming-of-age set against the cultural flashpoint of the 1970s.     

Brian Christopher Williams (Playwright) His first play, In Stitches, received the “Back Stage West” Garland Award for its premiere Los Angeles production. His play Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins received its world premiere at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota.  One of his favorite experiences as the playwright of Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins was when it led him to be asked to be the keynote speaker at a conference hosted by the University of North Texas titled “Decadence, Deviance and Debauchery: A Celebration of Cultural Difference.” His play Deception was a finalist for the Julie Harris Playwriting Award.

His other plays have been performed throughout the United States, including Ensemble Studio Theatre, 78th Street Playhouse and Nat Horne Theatre in New York City; Actors Theatre of Louisville; Performance Network (Ann Arbor); Dayton Playhouse; Close Call Theatre (Chicago); and even at a lime quarry in Lexington, VA.

Los Angeles theatres performing his plays include L.A. Theatre Center, Colony Theatre, West Coast Ensemble, Matrix Theatre, Vox Humana, NoHo Theatre, Sacred Fools Theatre, Blank Theatre Company, Hudson Theatre and Long Beach Playhouse.  He is a member of The Drilling Company in New York City, and Vox Humana in Los Angeles. His work has been published by Samuel French, Inc., and in many Best of… acting anthologies published by Smith & Kraus.

Richard Israel (Director) Richard’s most recent directing credits include Violet for the Musical Theatre Guild and the Los Angeles premiere of Big - The Musical for West Coast Ensemble.  As the Associate Artistic Director for WCE, he has directed critically acclaimed productions of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins (L.A. Weekly Award Nomination for Direction and Outstanding Musical, LADCC Award for Musical Ensemble), Adam Guettel’s Floyd Collins (BackstageWest Garland Award for Direction), Douglas Carter Beane’s Music From A Sparkling Planet, David Lindsay Abaire’s Wonder of the World, the west coast premiere of David Crane’s Epic Proportions, The Diary of Anne Frank and the west coast premiere of the Jonathan Larson Award-winning musical Vanishing Point. Richard has directed most recently directed the L.A. Times Critics Choice production of 1776.  Other directing highlights include 1776 for the Actor’s Co-op (L.A. Weekly Award Nomination for Direction and Outstanding Musical) Rudolph The Red-Hosed Reindeer for TheSpyAnts, Lee Blessing’s Two Rooms, My Fair Lady for Galveston Island Musicals, musicalizations of Aladdin, Peter Pan, The Velveteen Rabbit and Jack and the Giant for The Nine O’Clock Players of the Assistance League of Southern California, Peter Parnell’s The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket for Idyllwild Arts Academy, and the world premiere of the new musical Hereafter at Chicago’s Porchlight Theatre.

The cast of Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins features Nick Ballard, Madelynn Fattibene, Wyatt Fenner, Nick Niven, Sean Owens, Tony Pandolfo, Jan Sheldrick, Sara J. Stuckey.
                                                                                                                                                                                             
Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins has assembled an award-winning design team. The Set design is by Stephen Gifford. The Lighting Design is by Lisa D. Katz. The Costume Design is by Susanne Klein. The Sound Design is by Fionnegan Justus Murphy.  The production is Stage Managed by Brook Carlson and Produced for WCE by Julie Smith.

Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins is extending through Sunday, November 1 at The El Centro Theater, 800 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood, CA 90038.  Ticket prices are$20 general, $18 student/senior/union.  Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm.  For tickets, please visit www.tix.com or www.wcensemble.org or call the West Coast Ensemble Box Office at 323-460-4443.     
                                                                                                          
Founded in 1981 by Les Hanson, West Coast Ensemble Theatre has been a part of the Los Angeles theatre community for 27 years.  A membership theatre ensemble, WCE is dedicated to presenting high quality theatrical productions which address the social, cultural and artistic needs of the Los Angeles community while providing an artistic home for its membership. Recent award-winning productions include Stephen Sondheim's Assassins, Tim Acito's Zanna, Don't!, Jim Geoghan's Two Gentlemen of Corona, and Adam Guettel and Tina NA, and Adam Guettel and Tina Landau's Floyd Collins.