Coeurage Theatre Company Announces 2017 Season

Coeurage Theatre Company in Los Angeles (Jeremy Lelliott, Artistic Director; Nicole Monet, Executive Director), now beginning its eighth season, has announced its upcoming slate of three plays including Nicky, a world premiere by acclaimed LA playwright Boni B. Alavarez, Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight by Lauren Gunderson, and The Secret in the Wings by Mary Zimmerman.

Inspired by Anton Chekhov's Ivanov, Nicky transforms the world of 1800s Russia into present day Palm Springs. Under the piercing desert sun, characters plod through the unforgiving heat clinging to their self-described identities while chasing after and running away from their true desires. This world premiere play was developed in the Coeurage CoLAB. Directed by Beth Lopes, Nicky will run June 3-July 1.

In Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight, the vibrant 18th century French physicist and mathematician returns for one night to defend her legacy and finish the groundbreaking work for which she was denounced until after her death. This witty, sexy, and passionate exploration harkens back to history - recounting her intellectual and romantic entanglements, including an affair with Voltaire. Emilie will be directed by Coeurage company member Julianne Donelle and is scheduled to run August 12-September 9.

The Secret in the Wings is a witty, magical, and darkly mysterious collage of lesser-known fairy tales. Written by celebrated playwright Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses), the play explores simple parables in the context of a surreal, tempestuous dream. Brought to imaginative life by Joseph V. Calarco, Coeurage Associate Artistic Director and Ovation Award-nominated director of The Sparrow and The Yellow Boat, The Secret in the Wings will run November 11-December 16.

Coeurage's acclaimed production of Failure: A Love Story by Philip Dawkins, first produced in July and August of 2015, was recently honored by being the inaugural show in Center Theatre Group's new 'CTG Block Party' program. The production, directed by Michael Matthews, received the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage, and market the show. Failure played 11 performances at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.

Coeurage Theatre Company exists to make impassioned theatre accessible for all audiences through Pay What You Want admission and fresh, challenging productions. The company's name is inspired by a re-imagining of the word courage - coeur is French for heart, and rage, meaning fervor; on fire. Together, Coeurage is a heart enflamed with passion, which the company strives to bring to every production.

For more information, visit www.coeurage.org.