Coeurage Theatre Company Presents West Coast Premiere Of SUCKER PUNCH

Coeurage Theatre Company, LA's Pay What You Want theatre company, has announced the second production of its 10th Anniversary season, the West Coast premiere of Sucker Punch by Roy Williams, directed by Michael A. Shepperd. There will be one preview performance of this site-specific production on Monday, June 3, at 8pm, and opening is set for Tuesday, June 4, at 8pm. Sucker Punch will play through June 23 only at the Tiger Boxing Gym in West Hollywood.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Anthony Cloyd, Rick K. Jackson, Mara Klein, Gregor Manns, Rob Nagle, Brandon Ruiter, and William Christopher Stephens. Lighting design is by Matt Richter and Adam Earle, costume design is by Georgette Arison, and sound design is by John Nobori. Boxing trainers are Charles and Emeka Nwokolo and the fight choreographer is Jen Albert. Abigail Marks serves as dialect coach, prop design is by Samantha Smith Lelliott, and the production stage manager is Lindsay Castillo-Dilyou.

In the red corner: Leon Davidson black British champ or Uncle Tom? In the blue corner: Troy Augustus international powerhouse or naive cash cow? Having spent their youth in the same London boxing gym vying for the favoritism of an inspirational, foul-mouthed trainer, two former friends step into the ring and face up to who they are. By turns tender, shocking and funny, Sucker Punch asks if the right battles have been fought, let alone won.

Michael A. Shepperd is the artistic director of Los Angeles' award-winning Celebration Theatre. Recent directing credits include The Boy from Oz, Rotterdam, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The View Upstairs, Too Heavy for Your Pocket, The Next Fairy Tale, [title of show], A Gay Christmas Carol, and Rent. Acting roles include Fences, Bootycandy, The Color Purple, Steel, Master Harold and the Boys, Intimate Apparel, Choir Boy, Shout Sister Shout, and The Seafarer.

Roy Williams began writing plays in 1990. In 2000 he was the joint winner of The George Devine Award and in 2001 he was awarded the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright. He was awarded the OBE for Services to Drama in the 2008 Birthday Honours List and was made a fellow of The Royal Society of Literature in 2018. He is currently working on new plays for Hampstead Theatre, Out of Joint, and the National Theatre in London.

The performance schedule is as follows Monday 6/3 at 8pm (preview); Tuesday 6/4 at 8pm (opening); Sunday 6/16 at 2pm and 7pm; Monday 6/17 at 8pm; Wednesday 6/19 at 8pm; Thursday 6/20 at 8pm; Friday 6/21 at 8pm; Saturday 6/22 at 2pm and 8pm; and Sunday 6/23 at 2pm and 7pm. All seats are available on a Pay What You Want basis and may be reserved online at www.coeurage.org/suckerpunchtickets or by calling (323) 944-2165. The Tiger Boxing Gym is located at 708 N. Gardner Street in West Hollywood, 90046.

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