One year ago, Waterfront Productions presented The Pitch at a theatre in Hollywood. The show was a commercial and critical success. Now, The Pitch is back, in a new production with a mostly new cast (eight of the show's twelve actors are new to the play), and The Pitch is moving to the odyssey Theatre, convenient in particular to westside audiences with free parking onsite.
Tom Allen is a widower, raising his 15-year-old daughter as a single dad. Desperate for money, he grabs at a job in a boiler-room set-up, selling machine parts over the phone. He soon discovers that his job requires him to make ethical compromises, occasionally misrepresenting the products he sells. He finds himself in competition with his co-workers. His tension builds as he discerns that his boss may be under investigation by the authorities, endangering the job that Tom needs so much.
Life at home is getting complicated as well, as Tom becomes aware that boys notice that his daughter Michelle is becoming a woman. He faces disappointment as he discovers that his dreams for Michelle's future do not match the aspirations that Michelle has for herself.
How many compromises can Tom make if he wishes to remain a moral man and a good dad?
Tom Alper is the playwright. The transplanted New Yorker graduated from UCLA, where he studied creative writing and began writing short stories and plays. As an actor, he has been cast in over 100 projects across stage, film and television.
Louie Liberti directs. His previous directing credits include Woman of Manhattan, RegretroSexual, and his own play Almost Made. He is familiar to national audiences through his 48 appearances as Bardelli on the TV series ER.
Liberti's cast for The Pitch includes Tom Alper, Albie Selznick, William Warren, Joe Lorenzo, Connor Killeen, Rachel Butera, Chris Cox, Darian Michael Garey, Grant Hall, Isabella Dibernardino, Johnathan R. Freeman, and Katie Silverman.
Associate producer/ assistant stage manager: Katrina Spenceman. Stage manager: Andrew Black. Lighting design: Jackson Funke.
The Pitch contains enough challenging situations, memorable characters, and twists and turns in its plot to make a worthy pitch for your attention.
WHO: Written by Tom Alper. Directed by Louie Liberti. Produced by Christine Blackburn. Presented by Waterfront Productions. A visiting production at the Odyssey theatre.
WHERE: Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. Free parking onsite.
WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm
ADMISSION: $30. Students and seniors $25.
ESTIMATED RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes.
CONSUMER ADVISORY: Suggested for ages 13 to Adult.
