Activist Theater Company, Thursday Night Theater Club, Launches Inaugural Season In Support Of Los Angeles Justice Fund

Activist theater group Thursday Night Theater Club (TNTheaterClub) opens its inaugural season with Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" on August 23rd, at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. The LA Justice Fund will receive a percentage of each ticket sold during the 10-week run.

"A View from the Bridge" tells the story of Italian-American dock workers in New York as they navigate the ethics of undocumented immigration and its repercussions while dealing with their sexuality in a new country where their lives were under scrutiny. Thursday Night Theater Club gives this play a new relevance in today's context of the global attitudes toward immigration policies (I.C.E.) and the conflicts over marriage equality.

The season will continue with back-to-back plays by Mark Schultz, Aaron Sorkin, and more, while bringing new life to the classic morality play format. Artistic directors Alice L. Walker and Tom Vitorino founded Thursday Night Theater Club with the intention of bringing timely and timeless works to the Los Angeles area.

"We want to showcase plays that get into that moldable part of you, that maybe make you question your assumptions--how you think about ethics and policy," says Walker.

The company will donate a portion of each ticket sold to a relevant charitable organization based on the themes of each play performed. The Los Angeles Justice Fund, which provides legal support and counsel for immigrant families, will be the first recipient.

Walker continues, "There is fabulous theater in LA, but it isn't always accessible," noting that ticket prices for live theater in the area can be a barrier. "We're performing every Thursday. When you leave, we want you to think 'Yeah, this is something I can do', and then we'll see you again 10 weeks later."

Tickets are now on sale starting at $20 at www.thursdaynighttheaterclub.com. The production opens August 23rd, and plays on Thursday nights through October 25th at El Portal Theatre: 5269 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood. Robyn Cohen ("The Life Aquatic", James Franco's Studio 4) is directing "A View from the Bridge". Tom Vitorino, Alice L. Walker, and Samantha Jo star. They are joined by Mark Morante, Jack Menzies, Robin Roth, Julisa Gonzalez, and Jeremy Falla, Guy Nardulli, and Zack Sayenko. (More info on the cast can be found here: https://www.thursdaynighttheaterclub.com/hero)

Established in 2018 as an artistic response to social injustice, Thursday Night Theater Club's mission is to ferociously explore morality plays that toy with ethics, law, and social constructs, while taking an active role in the local community. Co-artistic directors, Alice L. Walker and Tom Vitorino, helm the endeavor with a passion for exploring the human experience, no matter the medium. The company performs Thursdays at the intimate El Portal Theater, one of Los Angeles's most beautiful historic spaces.

For more information & tickets: www.thursdaynighttheaterclub.com

Launched in 2017, the L.A. Justice Fund has granted $7.4 million to increase access to legal representation and counsel to individuals and families dealing with deportation and removal proceedings in Los Angeles County. The Fund seeks to reinforce a safety net that is pro-family, pro-economic growth, and pro-civil and human rights. The L.A. Justice Fund is a partnership with Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, the Weingart Foundation and the California Community Foundation (CCF). Cities across the country have duplicated this innovative cross-sector approach. For more information: https://www.calfund.org/lajusticefund/

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