Cast Announced For THE ART COUPLE At Kirk Douglas Theatre

Casting is set for Sacred Fools Theater Company's production of "The Art Couple," which will be performed at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of Center Theatre Group's fourth annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Brendan Hunt and directed by Lauren Van Kurin,

The cast includes Bryan Bellomo, Kristyn Evelyn, Clayton Farris, Marie-Françoise Theodore, Madeleine Heil, Brendan Hunt, Joel Scher and Ryan Patrick Welsh.

The design team includes scenic design by DeAnne Millais, costume design by Linda Muggeridge, lighting design by Andrew Schmedake, sound design by Ben Rock, projection design by Corwin Evans and Ashley Crow as prop consultant. The production stage manager is Rachel Manheimer.

"The Art Couple" is a dramedy about Neil Simon's struggle to break a terrible case of writer's block he is suffering after accepting a huge commission for his completely unwritten third play: "The Odd Couple." Encouraged by a mysterious busboy with a western twang (who also happens to be an aspiring playwright), Simon decides the play should be more than schtick, it should be about art. When he learns that Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin shared an ill- fated cohabitation, he endeavors to write about that real-life (but very odd) couple. Neil and the busboy battle for control of the play in parallel scenes and the odd couples begin to resemble something closer to "True West," building irrevocably to a suitably ridiculous conclusion.

Block Party 2020 will also include IAMA Theatre Company's production of "Canyon" from April 8 through April 19. These visiting companies will receive the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production.

Center Theatre Group received submissions for Block Party from intimate theatre companies throughout the greater Los Angeles area. With Block Party, Center Theatre Group will continue to strengthen its relationships within the Los Angeles theatre community by creating additional avenues for the organization to work with local playwrights, actors, directors and designers. Block Party also helps to foster relationships between Center Theatre Group staff and the staff of theatre companies throughout Los Angeles.

Previous Block Party productions have included "For the Love Of (or, the roller derby play)" (Theatre of NOTE), "Rotterdam" (Skylight Theatre Company), "Native Son" (Antaeus Theatre Company), "Bloodletting" (Playwrights' Arena), "Ameryka" (Critical Mass Performance Group), "Die, Mommie, Die!" (Celebration Theatre), "Failure: A Love Story" (Coeurage Theatre Company), "Citizen: An American Lyric" (The Fountain Theatre) and "Dry Land" (The Echo Theater Company).

Tickets for Block Party are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, at the Center Theatre Group Box Office at the Ahmanson Theatre or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre Box Office two hours prior to performance. "The Art Couple" will begin previews March 18, open March 20 and continue through March 29.