LAND LINE to Premiere at Atwater Village Theatre Speakeasy, Runs 6/14-7/21

Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA has announced the world premiere of Land Line, a new play by Stephen Dierkes, directed by William Charlton, and featuring Katherine Cortez, John Dennis Johnston, Gary Patent, and Peter James Smith. Land Line is set to open Saturday, June 14 at 8pm and the limited engagement will run through July 21.

When a health crisis forces Terry to move back into his parents' basement, his best friend John supports him with laughter, sympathy, bravado, and finally, honesty.

Playwright Stephen Dierkes is an associate member of Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles, a member of the EST/LA Playwrights Unit, and a member of the Dramatists Guild. He has had productions and readings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, St. Louis, Spokane, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Reno, Ohio, and Los Angeles. His play Ape and Apple was a semi-finalist for the National Arts Club's Playwrights First Award, and his 10-Minute Antigone won the Audience Favorite Award at Colby-Sawyer College's SNAFU Festival (New London, NH). His farce Crabs: A Love Story was the St. Louis Playwrights Festival's inaugural production, and his twin one-acts, Apocrypha and Heterodoxy, were given readings in two EST/LA Winterfest events.

Director William Charlton is an actor and director who has acted on stage in NYC, LA, and at various theatres across the country. He has directed at EST/LA and Playwright's Horizons in NYC, and he is a member of EST/LA. Television: recurring on The Shield and Law & Order; guest appearances include Parks & Recreation, Criminal Minds, Monday Mornings, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, House, Numb3rs, Medium, and My Name is Earl, among many others. Film: The Rum Diary, The Changeling, Flags of Our Fathers, Money Train, Get Smart. Training: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Director's Lab West 2010.

Set and lighting design for Land Line are by William Sammons, costume design is by Catherine Baumgardner, sound design is by Joseph 'Sloe' Slawinski, and the stage manager is Marissa Drammissi. Producer for EST/LA is Mina Sharpe.

The opening of Land Line is set for Saturday, June 14 at 8pm. The running schedule will then be Saturday at 5pm, Sunday at 7pm, and Monday at 8pm through July 21, with the following exceptions - no performance on Friday, July 4; curtain time on Saturday, July 5 is 8pm; and there will be added matinees on Sundays, July 13 and 20 at 2pm. Tickets are $25, and all seats are general admission. Tickets may be purchased online at www.EnsembleStudioTheatreLA.org or http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/680900 or by calling (323) 644-1929. The EST/LA Speakeasy at Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Avenue, in Los Angeles.