STAND DOWN THE MARCH Comes to Hollywood Fringe Festival

Naomi Brodkin's new play STAND DOWN THE MARCH explores the notion of truth and how far one must go to fight for it. Liv is a college senior looking for her "thing." She stumbles into a cause when she learns her professor is a Holocaust denier planning a march on campus.

The play premieres at the Hollywood Fringe Festival next month, with previews starting June 1st.

The play was commissioned by Next Theatre of Evanston in 2011 and went on to win the "New Voices: Emerging Talent" award from the Chicago Jewish Historical Society in 2012. Six years later, it is - unfortunately - more timely now than when it was written.

In April, the New York Times reported the results of a troubling survey that found many Americans lack basic facts about the Holocaust. The study found 31% of Americans think less than two million Jews were killed. It also found that 66% of millennials cannot say what Auschwitz was, and more than half of the country wrongly thinks Hitler came to power by force.

The Holocaust, and its most consequential details, is fading from memory at increasing rates. With Stand Down the March, Brodkin fights for the facts not only to be heard but to be recognized as truth.

Directed by Irene Marquette, the fast-paced drama runs just over an hour, capturing the unique mix of angst and confidence of four college seniors played by Taylor Bostwick, Brendan Scannell (Heathers), Chris Baker (Baker Daily), and Caty Gordon. Their professor is played by Charlie McCrackin (AP Bio).

Stand Down the March was workshopped and co-produced by See What Sticks, a free, monthly workshop with an audience and a creative lab devoted to producing full-length, original projects (more info at seewhatsticksla.com).

Naomi Brodkin is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her most cherished credits include productions of her plays in Chicago - The Word For and Take Out, both winners of the Agnes Nixon Prize in Playwriting, and Stand Down The March, commissioned by Next Theatre and winner of the Chicago Jewish Historical Society's Emerging Talent Award. Most recently, Naomi was a top 10 finalist in the Final Draft Big Break competition.

Irene Marquette spent over 10 years in Chicago performing, teaching and directing both commercially and at venues including The Annoyance, Second City, Columbia College and the Lyric Opera. Since moving to LA she has worked with director/show-runner Kay Cannon on Girlboss (Netflix) and film BLOCKERS.

Produced by Matt Pacult (Documentary Now!, Portlandia) & Naomi Brodkin in association with See What Sticks.

Performances will take place at the Broadwater Main Stage at:
1078 Lillian Way
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Friday, June 1 @ 9:30pm
Saturday, June 9 @ 11:30pm
Sunday, June 10 @ 3:30pm
Thursday, June 14 @ 9:30pm
Sunday, June 17 @ 5:30pm

Tickets & Info: http://HFF18.org/5382