Book-It Repertory Theatre Takes An Honest Look At Addiction In AMERICAN JUNKIE

Book-It Repertory Theatre [Book-It] kicks off 2019 with an honest look at addiction in Seattle native Tom Hansen's American Junkie. Adapted by Jane Jones and Kevin McKeon and directed by Jones, Hansen deftly balances a raw story about the path that leads to self-destruction with wry humor and hope. This tight, 90-minute ride through Seattle's grunge-era music scene looks at the man behind the addiction and takes a hard look at the power heroin and other opioids have on people's lives. American Junkie plays February 14-March 10, 2019 (Opening/Press Night on Saturday, February 16) at The Center Theatre at the Armory.

A story of recovery and accountability, this adaptation of American Junkie follows Hansen, a pioneer in Seattle's punk rock scene, as he goes from rock bottom and then rises to the path of recovery. "I first read Tom Hansen's American Junkie in 2013 while directing Langford Wilson's Balm in Gilead. The memoir has stuck to me like glue all these years after. The opioid crisis continues to claim lives in our country, including 50 thousand people this year alone, and the numbers keep growing. Addiction is so stigmatized, and yet it exists in the closets, if not the living rooms, of countless American homes. Tom's memoir sheds an unapologetic treatise on how this can happen to anyone," says Jones.

The author of both this memoir and the novel This Is What We Do, Hansen looks forward to seeing his work dramatized, "When I saw the Book-It adaptation of Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son I dreamed of having one of my books produced for the stage. I'm beyond honored and thrilled to see what they do with American Junkie."

The cast includes Jesica Avellone as Mom/CJ/Sasha/Ensemble, Ian Bond as Tom Hansen, Hazel Rose Gibson as Giselle/Gretchen/Jenna/Ensemble, Tim Gouran as Cody/Psychiatrist/Timmy/Ensemble, Brian Gunter* as Dad/Sverre/Johnny/Ensemble, and Marco Adiak Voli as Scotty/Greg/Margarita/Ensemble.

Jen Taylor is the assistant director. The design team includes scenic design by Catherine Cornell, sound design by Kyle Thompson, costume design by Kelly McDonald, lighting and projection design by Tristan Roberson, and properties design by Cedric Wright.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States