Hector Atreyu Ruiz

The world premiere of Kimber Lee's 'different words for the same thing' opened last weekend on May 11 at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. Scroll down for photos from the opening night festivities!

The world premiere of Kimber Lee's 'different words for the same thing' opened last weekend on May 11 at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. Click below to go behind the scenes with the playwright as she talks about her writing process and more!

Think Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Move the action ahead a century or so, adding Asian Americans and Mexican-Americans to the Anglo-Saxon mix and you come out with a very contemporary perspective of a small American town in Kimber Lee's different words for the same thing, beautifully staged by director Neel Keller. In fact, the entire staging with set pieces moved or carried on and off by the 12-member cast to make the houses, stores, school playground, church, cemetery and other interiors/exteriors of the Idaho town come to life in the vast space is what first brought Our Town to mind. I could see/feel the big picture before getting into the smaller ones. These are highly personal scenarios, some quiet/passive, others volatile. Some scenes are practically blackouts with little or no dialogue... but the all-encompassing thread keeping them connected bristles with furrows of emotional tension. Very cinematic! The effect is overwhelming, almost like divine intervention. Now onstage at the Kirk Douglas Theatre through June 1, this world-premiere play cries out to be experienced.

The world premiere of Kimber Lee's 'different words for the same thing' opens this Sunday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Performances continue through June 1, 2014. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Rehearsals have begun for the world premiere of Kimber Lee's "different words for the same thing," which begins previews May 4 at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Opening night is May 11 and performances run through June 1, 2014. Kimber Lee discusses the show in the video below.

Rehearsals have begun for the world premiere of Kimber Lee's "different words for the same thing," which begins previews May 4 at the Center Theatre Group / Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Opening night is May 11 and performances run through June 1, 2014. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal!

Casting has been announced for the world premiere of Kimber Lee's "different words for the same thing," which begins previews May 4 at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. The opening night is May 11 and performances run through June 1, 2014.