Pender Pine Productions Presents An extended run of IT'S CRIMINAL! The Comedy 1/16/2010

Pender Pine Productions announces the return to the stage of "IT'S CRIMINAL! The Comedy!"- Criminal Defense Attorney Murray Meyer's idiosyncratic travelogue through the criminal justice system. A workshop performance of the play was chosen 2008 Hoopla Pick in the LA Weekly, which said, "More lawyers should do one-person shows." Taking their advice this one lawyer, is doing more shows. "It's Criminal" will play for five weeks on The Main Stage at Santa Monica Playhouse opening Saturday, January 16, 2010.

Written and performed by Murray Meyer "It's Criminal" recounts his courtroom adventures with needy, sometimes dangerous clients, loony judges, sexy DA's, and even his own neuroses. "This is my take on the daily menu of mishegas (craziness) I encounter in my job," says Meyer who has more than 20 years experience as a criminal lawyer. He developed his material at the Un-Cab Lab comedy workshop run by Un-Cabaret creators Beth Lapides & Greg Miller and in earlier performances at Santa Monica Playhouse.Meyer's earlier autobiosolo show "Walking Back to Brooklyn" was performed at Santa Monica Playhouse in 2002.

Director Laurel Ollstein has been involved in new play development as an actress, writer, director and teacher for over 25 years. She was a member of the award-winning Actor's Gang for more than 10 years, and is currently a member of About Productions and is also the Literary Manager for Ensemble Studio Theatre Los Angeles. She wrote the book for the musical "OPA!" which premiered in 2008 at the Midtown theatre festival in New York, where it received 14 award nominations, and was performed in September 2009 at the Queens Theatre. Directing credits include: "Showing Our Age" written by Laurel Ollstein, at Inside the Ford for About Productions; "Children's Hour" written by Lillian Hellman, for Loyola Marymount University; "365 plays" by Susan Lori Parks, for Playwright's Arena; and "Walking Back to Brooklyn" by Murray Meyer, at the San Francisco Fringe, Seattle Fringe, and Toronto Fringe.

"It's Criminal, The Comedy" (http://www.ItsCriminaltheComedy.com) is a guest production at Santa Monica Playhouse and is produced by Pender Pine Productions. It plays Saturdays at 8 pm for five weeks only, January 16 - February 13, 2010. All tickets are $16.00 and can be purchased on line at www.Plays411.com/ItsCriminal or by phone at 1-(323)-960-7780.

Santa Monica Playhouse is located at1211 Fourth Street (between Wilshire & Arizona) in Santa Monica, CA. Convenient public parking is located directly across the street in municipal parking structure #1.
By public transportation: take the Santa Monica Blue Bus or the LA Metro Rapid #720, and exit at
4th and Wilshire.