The Beat Project Presents DEAR HARVEY, 9/16 - 10/10

The Beat Project presents DEAR HARVEY, written by Patricia Loughrey, with original music by Thomas Hodges, musical direction and orchestrations by Wayne Moore and directed by Anthony Frisina. DEAR HARVEY will open on Thursday, September 16 at 8pm and run through Sunday, October 10th at the Lee Strasberg Theatre, 7936 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Ticket prices are $20.00 for all performances. For Tickets, please call 323-960-7782 or visit www.plays411.com/dearharvey.

DEAR HARVEY, is based on the writings of Harvey Milk and first person interviews of those closest to Harvey Milk and the civil rights movement he began. Sharing their stories of Milk's rise and untimely death, these accounts and archives illustrate and memorialize how his life and passion influenced the lives of those around him, of those who never believed in hope and how he ultimately restructured the belief of a nation.

Interviewees include activist Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg, John Laird, photographer Dan Nicoletta, his nephew Stuart Milk, Tom Ammiano, Chris Kehoe, Robin Tyler and many others. In order to reach the LGBT and gay-aligned youth of Southern California, we will be working with various schools and organizations bringing their communities into various performances at no cost.

In keeping with the charitable nature of The Beat Project, 7% of all monies raised and earned will go directly to a local organization specializing in assisting local LGBTQ youths in West Hollywood.

Patricia Loughrey was commissioned by Diversionary Theatre to create a tribute to Harvey Milk on the 30th anniversary of his assassination. Dear Harvey: Stories of Harvey Milk, opened April 19th, 2009. On December 6th, 2009, the script for Dear Harvey was entered into the Harvey Milk portion of the California Museum Hall of Fame. Ms. Loughrey wrote the book for the musical The Daddy Machine which was featured entertainment on Rosie O'Donnell's R Family Cruise to the Mexican Riviera in March 2008. The Daddy Machine - commissioned and produced by Diversionary Theatre- is a family-friendly musical based on the book by Johnny Valentine, published by Alyson Books. Her full length play: Lord Derby's Giant Eland placed second in the Kennedy Center, ACTF Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting Awards, and was produced at San Diego State University in 2005. Her plays for young audiences include: Nicaragua USA, at the New Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and Not Who You See, But Who I Am, with the Mark Taper Forum's Improvisational Theatre Project. Her HIV education plays include Secrets, produced by Kaiser Permanente (winner of the Ryan White Award) and The Inner Circle, seen worldwide in over 500 productions. HUNGRY, commissioned by the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solana is currently touring in the Bay Area. Ms. Loughrey was playwright-in-residence the William Inge Center for the Arts, and at Point Loma High School. She wrote and performed one-woman shows in Santa Barbara and San Francisco. She has taught playwriting at San Diego State University, Diversionary Theatre, and Independence Community College. She coordinates the Queer Theatre - Taking Center Stage program at San Diego's Diversionary Theatre. Ms. Loughrey is a member of The Dramatists Guild.

Anthony Frisina is a New York native, now residing in Los Angeles, whose career has spanned the world performing, directing, choreographing, teaching and writing. Anthony is also the Producing Artistic Director of The Beat Project, a NY/LA-based theater, film and dance production company.

His directing & choreographic credits include: Dames at Sea, O. Henry Christmas (The Shawnee Playhouse), The Deshowitz Protocol, Learning What You Are, Aven'U Boys by Frank Pugliese (IGDB Productions), Harry The Dirty Dog, Madeline & the Bad Hat, Rainbow Fish (ArtsPower National Touring Theater), Forever Plaid (Smithtown PAC), Swing Dance America, World News Now and All My Children.

The CAST of DEAR HARVEY features (in alphabetical order): Clifford Banagale, Vash Boddie, Parnell Damone, Tawny Dolley, Alice Ensor, Michael Taylor Gray, John Meeks, Jordana Oberman, Bobby Reed, Vance Reyes, Laura Sanzo, Peter James Smith, Heidi Sulzman and Estevan Valdez.

DEAR HARVEY has assembled an award-winning design team. The scenic design is by Kurt Boetcher. The lighting design is by Tim Swiss. The costume design is by Afton Garrett. Projection Photography provided by Daniel Nicoletta.

DEAR HARVEY is sponsored by EQCA (Equality California), and fully endorsed by the City of West Hollywood, West Hollywood Arts Council and the West Hollywood Gay and Lesbian Advisory Board.