NVA Continues Its 08-09 Season With BE AGRESSIVE 4/4-4/26

New Village Arts (NVA) continues its 2008-2009 season with Be Aggressive by award-winning playwright, Annie Weisman. NVA Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner directs this edgy comedy centered in San Diego around the world of cheerleading. Be Aggressive runs April 4 through 26 at the New Village Arts Theatre, located at 2787 State Street in Carlsbad Village. Tickets range from $25 - $30 and are available by calling the box office at 760-433-3245 or by visiting www.NewVillageArts.org.

A comedy with a kick, Be Aggressive chronicles the experiences of two teenage cheerleaders, Laura and Leslie, on their odyssey from life in a Southern California suburb to a hard-core cheerleading camp in North Carolina. The story also explores the essential place of "cheer" in our lives, especially in the midst of tragedy. "[The play] began with social commentary and satire on cheer, but it evolved into compassion and understanding for the emotional and psychological inevitability, even benefit of 'cheer' in our lives," says playwright Annie Weisman.

"Be Aggressive is a play about trying to find your place in a society that is increasingly more interested in outward appearances," says Kristianne Kurner, production director and NVA executive artistic director. "The play explores what it is like to grow up and grow older in Southern California - from the perspective of two teenage girls and their parents. What I find brilliant about Weisman's writing is that she uses comedy and cheer to get her message across."

The accomplished cast features NVA Ensemble members Rachael VanWormer, Amanda Morrow, Amanda Sitton, Daren Scott and Dana Case. VanWormer, who portrays Laura, has performed roles with Moxie, ion, Cygnet and NVA, and was just awarded for her Outstanding Lead Performance by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. Morrow plays Leslie and recently appeared with Cygnet Theatre in A Christmas Carol and NVA in Sailor's Song. Sitton takes on the role of Hannah and most recently appeared in Doubt at San Diego Repertory Theatre and Don't Dress For Dinner at North Coast Rep, and was also awarded for Outstanding Featured Performance by the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. Playing Phil is Equity actor and NVA Ensemble member Daren Scott, who most recently appeared in Love Song at Cygnet Theatre and with NVA in Humble Boy. The role of Leslie's mother Judy will be played by Ensemble member Dana Case, who last appeared with NVA in Humble Boy. The cheer chorus is compromised of three local college students, Caitlin Kunkle, Rachel Robinson and Alyssa Schindler.

All performances of Be Aggressive will be held at the New Village Arts Theatre and will run Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM; Saturdays at 3 PM & 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. Tickets range from $25 to $30 and are available by calling the box office at 760-433-3245 or logging on to www.NewVillageArts.org.

New Village Arts' Eighth season concludes in June with John Patrick Shanley's biting comedy Four Dogs and a Bone.

About New Village Arts Theatre

New Village Arts Theatre was founded in April 2001 by graduates of New York's Actors Studio Drama School. NVA is now in its eighth season of producing award-winning, critically acclaimed theatre in North County San Diego. Thanks to the support of the City of Carlsbad and many generous individuals and companies, New Village Arts opened their new theatrical space in the heart of Carlsbad Village in June of 2007. This season NVA will present plays by two of its favorite playwrights, Sam Shepard and John Patrick Shanley; a regional premiere of a 2007 Pulitzer Prize-finalist by Eisa Davis; a hilarious, surprisingly poignant play about growing up in San Diego by award-winning playwright Annie Weisman; and the return of its very first commissioned work by local playwrights Tom Zohar and Amy Chini.

NVA's debut in November 2001, Brilliant Traces, was staged in the Granary - a converted chicken coop in Carlsbad's Magee Park - and received Critic's Choice from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Pat Launer (then of KPBS) named New Village Arts "The Most Exciting New Theatre" in San Diego in January 2002. New Village Arts found a temporary professional home in the Studio Space at Jazzercise, Inc. In the five years that NVA produced at Jazzercise, they were awarded numerous major awards, for such productions as A Lie of the Mind, Orphans, The Waverly Gallery, The Playboy of the Western World and Nocturne. New Village Arts became known for their intense, thrilling, ensemble driven productions. This past year, NVA was awarded with five San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Awards, their production of Crimes of the Heart was named one of the top ten productions of 2007 in the San Diego Union Tribune, and Sailor's Song was noted as one of the best productions of 2007 in both the San Diego Reader and San Diego Magazine.

New Village Arts presents theatre fueled by the power and passion of the artist and shares with its audience an uncompromising appetite for the human experience.
NVA gratefully acknowledges the support of its season sponsors: The PC Chao Charitable Foundation and Jack & Valerie Cumming.

New Village Arts Theatre. 2787B State Street, Carlsbad Village

TICKETS: General Admission: $30 Senior/Student/Military: $25
Groups of 6 or more: $22
For Reservations and More information: 760/433.3245
www.NewVillageArts.org

Directed by Kristianne Kurner*
Scenic Design: Tim Wallace
Costume Design: Amanda Sitton*
Sound Design: Joshua Everett Johnson*
Stage Manager: Sam Sherman
Listing: New Village Arts presents Annie Weisman's BE AGGRESSIVE, a comic look at growing up in San Diego told through the medium of cheerleading. BE AGGRESSIVE performs April 4-26, 2009 (with two Pay-What-You-Can Preview performances April 2 & 3) at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad Village, 2787B State Street. For reservations and more information: 760/433.3245 or www.NewVillageArts.org.

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