Beaty's 'Emergency' Premieres at Geffen

Daniel Beaty is a Yale graduate, an activist, a classically trained musician, an award-winning actor and playwright, a slam poet champion … and most importantly, he's coming soon to a theater near you.  The West Coast premiere of Beaty's acclaimed one-man show Emergency, which won the 2007 Obie Award for Outstanding Writing and Performance, opens at the Geffen Playhouse on April 23 helmed by award-winning director Charles Randolph-Wright.

"Emergency artfully blends comedy, music, slam poetry and social consciousness as Beaty fluently transforms into more than 40 characters throughout the course of the show, each reacting to a single awe-inspiring event: a historic slave ship has risen out of the Hudson River in front of the Statue of Liberty.   The juxtaposition of these two politically charged symbols sends New Yorkers into a whirlwind of emotion, exploration and ultimately, inspiration, as Beaty embodies his characters – a Republican business executive, a park-dwelling transsexual, a distinguished college professor, a 'slavologist,' a precocious child – with authenticity, passion and humor," press notes state.

Emergency, originally entitled Emergence-SEE!, premiered at New York's Public Theatre in 2006 where it had a highly acclaimed sold-out extended run. It is directed By Charles Randolph Wright. Previews are from Tuesday, April 15 to Tuesday, April 22, 2008. Opening night is Wednesday, April 23, 2008. It closes on Sunday, May 25, 2008.

Tickets ($35 to $79) are on sale now at the Geffen Playhouse box office, online at GeffenPlayhouse.com, via credit card phone order at 310.208.5454, at all Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling Ticketmaster at 213.365.3500.

Student rush tickets are available one hour prior to curtain for $15.

About the Geffen Playhouse

Awarded the Preservation Award by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Award of Excellence from the Society of American Registered Architects, and the Architectural Award of Excellence by the Los Angeles Business Council for its acclaimed 2005, $19 million renovation, the Geffen Playhouse begins its 12th season in 2007/2008, enjoying its stature as a leading West Coast theater company and the crown jewel of Los Angeles theater. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its eclectic mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and musicals, the Geffen continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who donated one of the largest gifts ever made to an already-constructed theater, the company is headed by Producing Director and President of the Board Gilbert (Gil) Cates, Artistic Director Randall Arney and Managing Director Stephen Eich, and has produced eight world premieres, four Tony, four Pulitzer, and seven Obie-award winning shows in its 12 season history. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains an extensive education and outreach program, designed to engage young people and the community at large in the arts. For more information, please visit geffenplayhouse.com. 

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