The Katselas Theatre Company's INFLUENCE Plays Final Two Weeks, Clloses May 9

The Katselas Theatre Company announces final Two Weeks of Shem Bitterman's INFLUENCE: A Dark Comedy. The show is directed by Steve Zuckerman and produced by Gary Grossman. The show must close May 9, 2010.

There's a stink of corruption in the offices of World Bank, the world's premier development agency, as a young, idealistic Midwesterner falls under the influence of the bank's powerful new Director. Loosely inspired by Paul Wolfowitz's brief tenure as World Bank Director, INFLUENCE is the final play in Bitterman's celebrated Iraq War trilogy, which also includes the plays, HARM'S WAY and MAN.GOV. The production stars acclaimed film/television/stage actor, Alan Rosenberg.

Skylight Theatre
1816 Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Shem Bitterman is the author of over 30 produced plays and screenplays. An alumnus of Julliard, where he studied acting, Shem got his M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing at University of Iowa. Under his direction, The Job won the LA Times Critic's Circle Award for Best New Play in 1998 and transferred to off-Broadway; it also won The Stanley Award and was published by Samuel French and Smith & Kraus in their Best New Plays of 1998. Other plays include: Harm's Way, at Circus Theatricals, 2008 Pen USA Award, published by Dramatic Publishing, man.gov at Circus Theatricals, 2006 LA Weekly Nominee for Best Play, Sensitive Skin at The Elephant Theatre, The Circle, at Circus Theatricals, 2005 Pen USA Finalist, directed by Shem; Ten Below, at the WPA, winner National Play Award, starring Kevin Conway and Anthony Edwards; Peephole at Geva, winner Davie Award, subsequently made into a movie with Shem directing; Night-Side, Actor's Theatre Of Louisville starring Pamela Gien; The Ramp at South Coast Rep, winner California Playwright's Competition; Beijing Legends at The Mark Taper Forum and the Pacific Jewish Theatre, winner Fund For New American Plays; Self Storage at the Odyssey, subsequently made into the film Tinsletown; Iowa Boys at The Actor's Studio, winner CBS/FDG New Plays Award. Feature films include: The Job, written, directed and produced by Shem, starring Ron Perlman, Joe Pantoliano and Taryn Manning, winner 2009 Best Screenplay at the San Diego Film Festival, Play Dead, co-authored with director Jason Wiles, starring Fred Durst and Chris Klein; Lenexa, 1 Mile, co-authored with director Jason Wiles, starring William Baldwin, Austin Nichols and Jason Ritter; Out Of The Rain, directed by Gary Winick, starring Bridget Fonda; Off The Lip, directed by Robert Mickelson, starring Marguerite Moreau, Open House, directed by Shem, starring Shareen Mitchell. Shem taught screenwriting, playwriting and acting in the California Prisons and in Beijing, China.

Steve Zuckerman is collaborating with playwright Shem Bitterman for the fifth time. Most recently he directed the premiere of Garry Marshall's Everybody Say Cheese at the Falcon Theatre. He directed Shem's Man.gov and Harm's Way (LA Pen Award Winner) at the 45th Street Theater in New York. He directed both of those plays' premieres at Circus Theatricals here in LA, where he is an associate artist. He directed NUTS by Tom Topor on Broadway which received two Tony nominations and a Drama Desk Award. As Associate Director of New York's WPA Theater, he directed over 15 productions including the premieres of NUTS , Shem Bitterman's TEN BELOW and Israel Horovitz's Unexpected Tenderness and North Shore Fish. His collaboration with Mr. Horovitz also resulted in the premieres of Today I am a Fountain Pen, A Rosen By Any Other Name and The Chopin Playoffs. He directed a filmed version of North Shore Fish for Showtime which starred Mercedes Ruehl, Peter Riegert and Tony Danza. Revivals of Tennessee Williams Vieux Carre and Ibsen's When We Dead Awaken with Kim Hunter, received Drama Desk Awards. He has been Director of Play Development at The Circle in the Square Theatre and Artistic Director of the Impossible Ragtime Theatre in New York and the Sharon Playhouse. He has directed at the Manhattan Theater Club, Circle Rep and many regional theatres including Baltimore's Center Stage, The La Jolla Playhouse and the Yale Cabaret. Mr. Zuckerman was trained at the University of Michigan and the Yale School of Drama. In addition to his long theater career Mr. Zuckerman has directed over 350 episodes of prime time television including such shows as Everybody Loves Raymond, The Drew Carey Show, Friends, Empty Nest and Murphy Brown, for which he received an Humanitas Award. Most recently, he directed episodes of According to Jim, Ruby and the Rockits and Hanna Montana.

Alan Rosenberg began his career in 1976, at The Syracuse Stage, as Sebastian in Twelfth Night. One year later, he appeared at the New York Public Theatre in the World Premiere of Thomas Babe's, A Prayer For My Daughter. Alan starred on Broadway, as Uncle Louie, in Neil Simon's Lost In Yonkers, and in What's Wrong With This Picture? In Los Angeles, Mr. Rosenberg appeared with Harold Gould in Old Business, and with S. Epatha Merkersen in Come Back, Little Sheba. On Television, Mr. Rosenberg is remembered as Eli Levenson on both Civil Wars and L.A. Law. He was also a series regular on Cybill, Chicago Hope, and The Guardian. He notably guest-starred on CSI and, in an Emmy-nominated performance on ER. Alan first appeared on film as Turkey, in Phillip Kaufman's The Wanderers. His credits include Happy Birthday Gemini, The Last Temptation Of Christ, and Righteous Kill. He also played a somewhat skewed version of himself in the independent movie, Frankie And Johnnie Are Married. Mr. Rosenberg served as President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) from 2005 to 2009.

The Katselas Theatre Company continues the mission statement set forth by Milton Katselas and Camelot Artists. Working primarily with actors and directors of the Beverly Hills Playhouse, as well as with Los Angeles-based professionals, The Katselas Theatre Company produces stage work inspired by the best work from the BHP's renowned classes as well as turning outside to directors and writers looking for scripts and productions with the emphasis on Los Angeles and World Premiere events. In addition, the theatre company plays host to musicians, poets, and dancers in its continuing dedication to creating theatrical works that benefit the broader Los Angeles community and contribute to its vibrant arts life.

Ticket Prices:
General - $25; Students - $15

For reservations, call: (310) 358-9936
For Katselas Theatre Company General Information: www.katselastheatre.org

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