Road Theatre Company Presents World Premiere Of FRIENDS WITH GUNS

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, present the third show of its 2018-2019 season, the world premiere of FRIENDS WITH GUNS, written by Stephanie Alison Walker and directed by Randee Trabitz. FRIENDS WITH GUNS will preview on Tuesday, March 12 at 8pm; Wednesday, March 13 at 8pm & Thursday, March 14 and will open on Friday, March 15 at 8pm and run through Sunday, May 5 at the Road Theatre on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

You think you know your friends, your neighbors, your spouse, but what happens when you suddenly find out they have a garage full of guns? This new dark comedy explores the complicated issue of gun proliferation when two young liberal couples are forced to confront their assumptions about who should own a gun and why. The time of easy answers regarding this issue is long gone. In the wake of current events, we are all forced to reexamine our strongly held beliefs about gun ownership. Friends With Guns explores the question of what we can compartmentalize...and what we can't. It examines what happens when guns enter the conversation. It pulls the curtain back on liberals with guns. It asks what happens when suddenly one person in a marriage does a 180 on the gun issue. And it does all of this through a female lens.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

STEPHANIE ALISON WALKER (Playwright) Her plays include: Friends With Guns (Chapel Theatre Collective, The Road Theatre, Uprising Theatre,) The Abuelas (Teatro Vista in Chicago February 2019,) The Madres (NNPN Rolling World Premiere with Teatro Vista, Skylight Theatre, Moxie Theatre and Shrewd Productions and premiered in Spanish in Mexico with La Troupe in San Miguel de Allende,) The Art Of Disappearing (16th Street Theatre,) American Home (Little Candle Productions) and more. Honors include: Craig Noel Award Nomination for Outstanding New Play for The Madres, Dramatists Guild Foundation Writers Alliance Grant Recipient, Blue Ink Award (winner,) Ashland New Plays Festival (two-time winner,) BETC Generations Prize (winner,) O'Neill Playwrights Conference (two-time finalist,) CTG/Humanitas Prize (finalist) and more. Stephanie is a proud NNPN Affiliate Artist, Dramatists Guild Member, member of the Playwrights Union and the Antaeus Playwrights Lab. She lives in Los Angeles with her brilliant husband Bob and their spirited sons.

RANDEE TRABITZ (Director) is a director based in Los Angeles. She recently returned from NYC's Dixon Place with long-time collaborator John Fleck and his acclaimed Blacktop Highway. Randee's work has been seen in Berlin and Greece, large venues like MOCA'S Geffen Contemporary, California Adventure, Cal Plaza, LA Opera, Disney Cruiselines and the Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita, but her heart is in intimate theater, specializing on new plays with writers like: Stephanie Allison Walker, Julie Hebért, Bridget Carpenter, Jessica Goldberg, Jamie Brandli, Jennie Webb, Elizabeth Dement, Susan Merson, Doug Cooney, etc. Her work has garnered some prizes, (LA Weekly Award, Garland and Ovation Awards, Finalist Short and Sweet Festival) and been awarded grants (CAD, Durfee and Flintridge). She also teaches and directs at a variety of universities, most recently Cal-State Los Angeles, and Cal Tech.

The cast of FRIENDS WITH GUNS will feature (in alphabetical order): Brian Graves as Josh, Kate Huffman as Shannon, Arianna Ortiz as Leah and Christian Telesmar as Danny.

The Design Team for FRIENDS WITH GUNS is as follows: Set Design by Stephen Gifford; Lighting Design by Derrick McDaniel; Sound Design by David B. Marling; Costume Design by Michele Young. Properties Design by Heath Harper; Fight Director/Armorer is Jen Albert. The Production Stage Manager is Erick Marquez. FRIENDS WITH GUNS is produced by Michelle Gillette, Chet Grissom and Susie Lever.

FRIENDS WITH GUNS will preview on Tuesday, March 12 at 8pm; Wednesday, March 13 at 8pm & Thursday, March 14 and will open on Friday, March 15 at 8pm and run through Sunday, May 5 at the Road Theatre on Magnolia, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Performances are Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. Ticket prices are $34; Students and Seniors are $15.00; Previews are $15.00. Sunday Performances are Pay-What-You-Can. Special group rates available for parties of 8 or more. For tickets, please call 818-761-8838 or visit www.RoadTheatre.org to purchase tickets online or to view complete schedule.