METHOD GUN Opens 6/15 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

The Austin-based theatre collective Rude Mechs opens "The Method Gun" at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre on Wednesday, June 15. Part of the CTG's DouglasPlus program and the Radar L.A. theatre festival, this inventive, lively and playful production has one preview on June 14 and continues through June 26, 2011.

"The Method Gun" is written by Kirk Lynn, directed by Shawn Sides and created and performed by Rude Mechs. The cast includes Thomas Graves, Hannah Kenah, Lana Lesley, E. Jason Liebrecht and Shawn Sides.

"The Method Gun" follows the abandoned disciples of the obscure acting teacher Stella Burden long after she has mysteriously moved to South America.  Her followers begin to question what they have learned and how to finish a project they have been rehearsing for nine years.

Jeanne Claire van Ryzin of the Austin American-Statesman said, "‘The Method Gun' is nothing short of the best work this theatre collective has done in its 13 years as it has carved out its well-respected reputation on the international indie theatre scene. This is the Rude Mechs doing what they do best: crafting a rich series of stunning and surprising visual moments, lacing those moments with kinetic physical movement and wrapping it all together with a script both lyrical and cheeky. Sweet, irreverent and terribly funny, ‘The Method Gun' pays homage to the creative process itself as something of the ultimate ‘theatre about theatre' play."

DouglasPlus was introduced in the 2008-2009 Kirk Douglas Theatre season with the goal of broadening the spectrum of what CTG can develop, produce and present at the Douglas. It provides an eclectic mix of theatre choices that utilize both traditional and non-traditional performance spaces. Each presentation has a limited number of performances which are sold at a modest price.

Tickets for "The Method Gun" are $25, and are available by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office at the Ahmanson Theatre or two hours prior to performances at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office.

Funding for DouglasPlus is provided by The James Irvine Foundation's Artistic Innovation Fund and the Leading for the Future Initiative, a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.
Ample free parking is available (weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays) at the City Hall, located behind the theatre on Culver Blvd. and Duquesne Ave.