Photo Flash: Circle X Theatre Co. Presents Site Specific World Premiere Play HOLE IN THE SKY

Circle X Theatre Co. presents the world premiere of a site-specific theatrical event, HOLE IN THE SKY, written by Octavio Solis and directed by Kate Jopson (Fefu and Her Friends). Commissioned by Circle X Theatre Co., HOLE IN THE SKY will have a press opening on Friday, August 24 at 8pm and continue through Sunday, September 23 at Courtship Ranch, 11270 Dominica Ave. in Lake View Terrace.

HOLE IN THE SKY is a California story about how we live with fire, water, and family. A young woman returns home to find her family and community in a bitter fight over who owns the local groundwater during a devastating California drought. Caught between loyalty to her family's ranch and fear - of wildfire, of loss of identity and culture, Connor finds her small town trying to figure out how to live with nature when nature doesn't seem to want us there: "We'd get along with the environment a whole lot better if we didn't have to live in it."

This world premiere, site-specific experience by Octavio Solis (Lydia, Se Llama Christina, cultural consultant on "Coco"), was commissioned and is being produced by Circle X Theatre Co. and directed by Kate Jopson. Jopson was recently named Circle X's new Artistic Director and was the creative force behind last year's Fefu and Her Friends by Maria Irene Fornés, performed at Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House.

HOLE IN THE SKY is staged at Courtship Ranch, a working horse ranch located just 20 minutes from Burbank and Glendale in Lake View Terrace, and which the Creek fire came within 200 feet of destroying in December of last year.

"We love the experience of coming off the freeway and entering this rural-feeling area, where there are riders on horseback by the road. It feels like you're tapping into Los Angeles' agricultural history," says Jopson. "That was important to us when we were looking for a location for the piece. We feel like this area is almost a hidden part of LA, and we're excited to bring audiences into the world of the play surrounded by such an incredible setting."

The play was developed through a series of interviews conducted in the rural northern California community of Scott Valley, located in Siskiyou County-- Jopson's and Circle X Managing Director Camille Schenkkan's hometown.

Karuk and Shasta tribal members, Fish and Wildlife employees, ranchers and environmentalists all told their stories about how water impacts their families and their livelihoods. Solis has woven these interviews into a fictionalized narrative that not only tells a fascinating story of one community, but also resonates with anyone-especially Californians-who have dealt with the tension between people and the environment. HOLE IN THE SKY is the result of acclaimed playwright Octavio Solis developing those interviews into a play about family and community, that is both emotional and timely.

This is Jopson's first show at the creative helm of Circle X Theatre Co., the critically-acclaimed new works development company that has been producing theatre in Los Angeles since 1996.

Photo Credit: Jeff Galfer