THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY Opens Tonight at Odyssey Theatre

Theatre Planners will present a World Premiere play, THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY, written by Peter Lefcourt, and directed by Terri Hanauer. THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY will open tonight, June 22 at 8pm and will run through Saturday, July 28 as a guest production at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., in Los Angeles.

THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY is a world premiere play for theatre lovers! PartPicasso at the Lapine Agile, part Noises Off, we find ourselves in the midst of a play about Leon and Natalya Trotsky's final days in Mexico as guests of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, when a group of actors revolts against the playwright and turns his world upside down. THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY is outrageous, sexy, and completely unpredictable fun. A killer new comedy from the team that brought you last years smash-hit, critically-acclaimed Mutually Assured Destruction.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

PETER LEFCOURT (Playwright) The Assassination of Leon Trotsky: A Comedy is Peter Lefcourt's sixth produced play (and third collaboration with Terri Hanauer). His other plays are Mutually Assured Destruction, Only The Dead Know Burbank, Sweet Talk, La Ronde de Lunch and The Audit. Sweet Talkhas been adapted into a feature film, and will be out some time this Fall. His day job is writing and producing television, where he won an Emmy, created the Showtime hit, "Beggars & Choosers," and remains the only writer who has managed to keep Joan Collins in the same wardrobe for 35 pages. He has published nine novels -- from "The Deal" (adapted as a movie in 2008); to "The Dreyfus Affair" (his cult novel about gay baseball players), to his most recent, "An American Family." www.peterlefcourt.com

Terri Hanauer (Director) A native of Toronto, Canada, she graduated with an honors degree in Theater Arts from York University. She has worked in Canada and the United States as an actress in film, television and theatre (appearing at the Mark Taper Forum and the Arena Stage).

Her background as an actress and photographer led her to directing. She directed a short film entitled "A Day in the Life," which screened at various film festivals. She was accepted into the prestigious AFI's Directing Workshop for Women. Her second short film, "Recycling Flo," was chosen by AFI to represent it at the Cannes Film Festival - International Short Film Corner. Along with being 'official selection' in over 25 film festivals, "Recycling Flo" won two Best Short Film/Jury Prizes at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and The Farmington Comedy Film Festival. She co-directed 13 half-hour episodes of "Zane's Chronicles" for HBO/Afterdark.

She directed the play La Ronde de Lunch, for the Katselas Theatre Company, which was 'Ovation Recommended' and received 6 LA Stage Scene Awards including Best Direction. She directed Mutant Olive at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, NY Solo Festival and Whitefire Theatre Solo Festival (Award Best Solo Show). Last summer at the Odyssey Theatre, she directed the world premiere of Peter Lefcourt's outrageous comedy, Mutually Assured Destruction and Donald Margulies' Collected Stories, which has been invited to this summer's Edinburgh Fringe Festival '13.

She also directed the stage reading of Larry Mollin's The Screenwriter's Daughter at The Blank Theatre and Bradley Rand Smith's "Nocturne" at The Skylight Theatre. Her first feature film, "Sweet Talk," is making the festival circuit and will be released this fall. www.terrihanauer.com

LEANDRO CANO (Diego Rivera) is honored to be making his Odyssey Theatre debut with this remarkably talented team of artists on this crazy, wonderful journey. Favorite theatre roles include Valdez in Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train with barebones productions, Laius/Coro in Oedipus El Rey at the Theatre @ Boston Court, Lennie in Of Mice & Men and Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler with Tangential Theatre Co., Amadeo in Stories, and the Lion in Fables at Denver Center Theatre Co., the title role in Don Juan, Teach in American Buffalo, Elias in Amigo's Blue Guitar, and the Serpent in GENESIS, at Perseverance Theatre, Prospero in The Tempest at the Yale Summer Cabaret, and Mr. Alvarez in The Interlopers at Bootleg Theater. TV credits include "CSI: Miami", "Castle", "Huge", "Without A Trace", "Days of Our Lives", and "General Hospital".

HOLLY HAWKINS (Natalya Sedova) had a terrific experience working with Tim Burton in "Alice In Wonderland," as lady-in-waiting to Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen. Other film/tv: "Criminal Minds," "Rogue," "Nightmare On Elm Street," "Class," "The Young And The Restless," "Strong Medicine," "Hamlet," "Hollywood's Heart," "Joe's Egg" and some recent shorts. A Louisiana native, her early pursuit of ballet led her to NYC, where she segued into theatre. Favorites: Twelfth Night (42nd St Workshop Theatre), Man And Superman (Roundabout), Private Lives (Lamb's Theatre), The Elephant Man and The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee. Los Angeles: Celadine (Colony Theatre); Crime And Punishment (A Noise Within); Meetin's On The Porch. Among other NYC: Much Ado About Nothing,

Tartuffe, Absent Friends, The Millionairess, Julius Caesar, Rutherford And Son, The White Crow, Hamlet. Regional: Private Lives, The King And I, A Streetcar Named Desire (yes, she has played Blanche). Tartuffe, Absent Friends, The Millionairess, Julius Caesar, Rutherford And Son, The White Crow, Hamlet. Regional: Private Lives, The King And I, A Streetcar Named Desire (yes, she has played Blanche).

GREYSON LEWIS (Author/Ramon/Police Captain) Selected Stage credits include Antoine in An Empty Plate In The Café Du Grand Boeuf, Ellard Simms in The Foreigner (Jeff Norton Award), Jailor/Courtesan in Comedy Of Errors, Sebastian in The Tempest, Renfield in Dracula, Jimmy/Daniel in Almost, Maine, Porter/Seyton in Macbeth, Peter/Sampson in Romeo and Juliet, Launcelot in The Merchant Of Venice,Von Strack in Amadeus, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing. He is a proud member of the sketch comedy group "Secondhand Smog".

ASHLEY PLATZ (Guadalupe) escaped from central New Jersey as soon as she was 18. She went to Manhattan and studied theater at Pace University. She then graduated with her BFA in Acting and crossed coasts to Los Angeles. Her first project in SoCal was in When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?Since then she's played Helen in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and most recently Bobbi in Neil Simon'sLast Of The Red Hot Lovers. She began her own Production Company, Voodoo Chai Productions, LLC and is currently producing an parody animated music video due to be released this summer. She is also a poet, and a yoga teacher. ashleyplatz.net

CHRISTOPHER RIVAS (Jesus) is an actor, poet born and raised in NYC. This is his first time at the Odyssey, and he is very grateful to be a part of such a wonderful production. A graduate of CalArts, he feels blessed to do what he loves daily- share his art. Additional info, Film/TV & Notable stage credits atchristopherrivas.com.

JOEL SWETOW (Leon Trotsky) Cymbeline, Cymbeline, Estragon, Waiting For Godot, Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Malvolio, Twelfth Night, Vershinin, The Three Sisters, Arnolphe, The School For Wives, Tartuffe, Tartuffe, Shylock, The Merchant Of Venice, among many, many others at A Noise Within, where he is a Resident Artist.

Additionally Marc Antony in Antony And Cleopatra, Brutus in Julius Caesar, tons of NYC and regional theatre roles, including leads in The Normal Heart, Talley's Folly, and The Sound Of Teeth. Directed the award winning, The Cherry Orchard, As You Like It, Miss Witherspoon, among bunches of others. Ensemble Member of The Antaeus Company. Film/TV: Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland", "Burn Notice", "Charmed", "Alias", various "Star Treks", "3 Ninjas", Clive Barker's "Lord of Illusions", to name a few. Voice Over: Lots of commercials, animated features such as "The Lorax", loads of video games and cartoons too numerous to name.

MURIELLE ZUKER (Frida Kahlo) is a graduate of UCLA's School of Theatre, Film, and Television. Favorite recent theatre credits include Delusion: The Blood Rite (Anna), Macbeth (Lady Macbeth), Three Sisters (Irina), and Anna In The Tropics (bilingual version) (Conchita). She recently completed two festival shorts, playing the leads, and has a feature in post-production.

THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY has assembled an award-winning design team.The Scenic Design is by Joel Daavid. The Sound Design is by Dino Herrmann. The Lighting Design is by Michael Gend. The Costume Design is by Kristin Anacker. The Casting is by Michael Donovan. The Stage Manager is Emily Vredenburg. THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY is produced by Racquel Lehrman, Theatre Planners.