Disney Publishing and Disney+ Announce 'One Day at Disney'

Disney Publishing Worldwide and Disney+ Announce One Day at Disney

The spectacular collectible book and documentary series shine a dazzling light on the creative forces in front of the cameras and behind the scenes at The Walt Disney Company

Aug. 22, 2019 (ANAHEIM, Calif.) -- This evening at D23 Expo, Ricky Strauss, president, Content & Marketing for Disney+ and Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts announced One Day at Disney, a spectacular collaboration between Disney Publishing Worldwide and Disney’s new streaming service.  The new, 224-page coffee table book and the documentary series will both arrive on December 3, highlighting the talented men and women who bring life to some of Disney’s most beloved stories.

On February 21 of this year, 76 unique photo shoots took place around the world, as Disney dispatched photographers to capture images of the employees and cast members who drive creativity and innovation at The Walt Disney Company. From Shanghai Disneyland and ESPN to Pixar and the set of Modern Family, these spectacular photographs—and the stories behind them—will be featured in the hardbound, collectible book, written by Bruce Steele, which is now available for pre-order.

On December 3, the same day the book arrives in stores, Disney+ will debut it’s new, 52-episode short-form series One Day at Disney, launching with a feature-length documentary. This exciting new series takes an in-depth look at the unique and surprising roles these men and women call their daily jobs. The series and documentary are from Endeavor Content’s Non-Scripted Division and executive produced by Michael Antinoro and David Chamberlin and produced by Victoria Chamlee.

Following the debut of the special, which features such talent as Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts and legendary animator Eric Goldberg, more than 50 One Day at Disney shorts, ranging in length between four to seven minutes long and each profiling a single remarkable person and their fascinating job, will debut each week.

Profiled in the Disney+ docu-special (in alphabetical order):

• Eric Baker: The Walt Disney Imagineer who has overseen the creation of many of the intricately detailed props and lifelike creatures that inhabit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the newest lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts
• Ashley Girdich: A talented Walt Disney Imagineer who, as a Research and Development Project Manager, drives plans and helps teams execute some of the innovative robotics technology projects being created for our Parks around the world
• Eric Goldberg: The legendary animator known for creating the Genie in Aladdin and Phil in Hercules, directing Pocahontas, as well as for animating Mickey Mouse in the Academy Award-nominated short Get a Horse!
• Mark Gonzales: A Los Angeles native who works on the world-famous Disneyland Railroad
• Grace Lee: A senior illustration manager at Disney Worldwide Publishing who has worked on titles from Zootopia to Fancy Nancy
• Zamavus “Zama” Magudulela: The talented South African actor currently playing Rafiki in the Madrid production of phenomenally successful musical The Lion King
• Ryan Meinerding: Marvel Studio’s head of visual development who has worked on films including Avengers: Endgame and Guardians of the Galaxy
• Dr. Natalie Mylniczenko: The veterinarian who cares for creatures large and small at Walt Disney World Resort, including a number of endangered and threatened species.
• Jerome Ranft: The skilled Pixar artist who created detailed sculptures for animators to use as a reference for such films as Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3, and Ratatouille
• Robin Roberts: The former ESPN sportscaster has been co-anchor of the Emmy^® Award-winning, top-rated morning show, Good Morning America, since 2005

Forest Whitaker Is The 'Godfather of Harlem'

New York, NY – August 20, 2019 – Premium network EPIX released an inside look featurette for the highly anticipated series, GODFATHER OF HARLEM, premiering on September 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The 10-episode, hour-long drama series is inspired by the story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from eleven years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles and under the control of the Italian mob. While Bumpy finds Harlem ravaged by poverty, crime and drug addiction, he becomes empowered by a growing human rights movement that impels black and white citizens to take action. Together with former Harlem hustler Malcolm X, Bumpy embarks on a quest for redemption ignited by the movement to incite change both in Harlem and in American society.

In addition to Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) as star and executive producer, cast members include Vincent D'Onofrio (Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Daredevil), lfenesh Hadera (She’s Gotta Have It, Baywatch), Nigél Thatch (Selma, American Dreams), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale, Modern Family), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Lucy Fry (Bright, Vampire Academy), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (It Comes at Night, Mudbound) Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, and Rafi Gavron (A Star Is Born).

Produced by ABC Signature Studios, the series is co-created and executive produced by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein (Narcos). Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi, along with James Acheson, Markuann Smith and Joe Chapelle, serve as executive producers. Chris Brancato serves as showrunner.

GODFATHER OF HARLEM was shot on location in New York City.

McClurkin Celebrates 'Live in London and More'

Donnie McClurkin
Photo By Christian Lantry 

Exciting plans are underway for gospel singer and multiple award- winning artist Donnie McClurkin to return to London for a special celebration.  Twenty years ago the trailblazer made a gutsy decision to do an international live recording on the heels of his gold-selling, self-titled solo debut album, Donnie McClurkin.  Despite the naysayers, he went on to record Live in London and More… at the historic Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England in 1999. 

Now years later, UK’s #1 radio station Premier Gospel and The New Wine Church located at Gateway House, John Wilson Street in East London will host anniversary concerts on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19.  The 20^th anniversary concert tickets range from £25-65 and concert goers can check out  www.donniemcclurkin.com ,  www.newwine.co.uk  or www.premiergospel.org.uk for more details to secure seats for the big celebration.

“We’re bringing America to England and we’re going to have a wonderful time. This is my way to show my love and appreciation to everyone who made Live in London and More… a classic CD,” says McClurkin.

McClurkins’ sophomore album, Live in London and More… sky-rocketed, launching his music career to new heights, and settling on the Billboard  music charts for weeks.  The single, “We Fall Down” was a phenomenon right out the gate; it seemed to resonate with listeners outside the church and caught the ear of R&B legend, Stevie Wonder.  After inviting himself on stage to sing with McClurkin during a church service in Los Angeles the song took on a life of its’ own.  

Kyle Matthews, the songwriter who penned the hit “We Fall Down” recounts, “ The single was added to KISS-FM in New York, WCGI in Chicago and  Stevie Wonder’s radio  station KJLH in Los Angeles; then something amazing happened: the song began to get 72 percent more airplay on secular radio than Christian stations.  It was in rotation at BET Network and it broke the Billboard Urban Top 40 Charts, lingering in the top 50 for 36 weeks. “

The success of the London recording opened many doors including the opportunity for McClurkin to host his own nationally syndicated radio program, The Donnie McClurkin Show.  Thirteen years on the air and still going strong, the show has made history landing the coveted #1 spot at WBLS in New York, Philadelphia and several other cities.  To be a #1 inspirational show is virtually unheard of in the radio industry so TDMS defied all odds. The show is syndicated by Westwood One and Gary Bernstein’s Oceanic Tradewinds and produced by T&T Creative. The popular broadcast recently landed in the #4 slot on the Top 10 Syndicated Radio Instagram Influencers Chart. London fans can also hear The Donnie McClurkin Show in Jamaica, Bahamas and on Premier Gospel that reaches over one millions listeners weekly throughout the UK. 

“Donnie is an outlier and a tastemaker, his radio show is a big part of our lives in the UK and I think this live recording will announce new gospel sounds to people around the world the same way Donnie introduced the world to a Caribbean sound in 1999,” says Muyiwa Olarewaju.

The singer’s commitment to his ministry and music keeps him traveling the globe.  He has received numerous awards, appeared on national talk shows, and made his debut in a featured film; and served as judge for eight seasons on BET Sunday Best before the show’s extended hiatus and recent revamping. The countless accolades and honors continue to accumulate but the singer remains focused on what matters most, sharing the good news with people from every walk of life and bringing hope to a lost world.

Sony Pictures' 'Hair Love' Currently in Theaters

Sony Pictures Animation’s HAIR LOVE is directed by Matthew Cherry (BlackKklansman) and Executive Produced by Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse). 

The six minutes short debuted in theaters August 13, playing in front of Angry Birds 2!  Hair Love is a heartfelt animated short film that centers around the relationship between an African-American father, his daughter Zuri, and the most daunting task a father could ever come across – doing his daughter’s hair. The picture book Hair Love was released by Kokila Books/Penguin Random House on May 14, 2019, and became a New York Times Bestseller.

TRAILER:

https://spa.cimediacloud.com/mediaboxes/785326dae7584afb8ec69ed45268ddee

Written & Directed by Matthew A. Cherry

Co-Directed by: Bruce Smith (Proud Family) and Everett Downing

Produced by: Karen Rupert Toliver (EVP, Creative for Sony Pictures Animation), Stacey Newton, Monica A. Young, Matthew A. Cherry, David Steward II, and Carl Reed (the latter two of Lion Forge Animation)

Executive Producers: Peter Ramsey (Oscar winner for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Frank Abney (Pixar)

Co-Executive Producers: Jordan Peele, Andrew Hawkins, Harrison Barnes, Keri, and Yara Shahidi

Associate Producers: N’Dambi Gillespie, Gabrielle Union-Wade & Dwayne Wade Jr., Gabourey Sidibe, Stephanie Frederic, and Claude Kelly. 

Greenway Arts Alliance Announces 2019-20 Season

 

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 15, 2019) – Greenway Arts Alliance (Whitney Weston and Pierson Blaetz, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors) announces its 2019-2020 Season, which includes the Los Angeles Premiere of The Chinese Lady, co-produced with Artists at Play; the Tony and Olivier Award-winning “Best Play”— The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the 4th Annual L.A. Get Down Festival, A Celebration of Hip Hop and Spoken Word. The season productions and festival will be presented at Greenway Court Theatre (544 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles).

 

“We are excited to be starting our season with the Los Angeles Premiere of The Chinese Lady and to work with our partners, Artists at Play. Greenway Arts Alliance is dedicated to presenting plays that represent Los Angeles' landscape and we believe it’s important to provide a platform for diverse stories to be told,” said Whitney Weston, Greenway Arts Alliance Co-Founder, and Co-Artistic Director. She added, “We also enjoy creating intimate experiences with Broadway and internationally acclaimed hits like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at our Greenway Court Theatre. We hope that fans of the novel or play will come and see this theatrical event directed by Kate Jopson.”

 

Pierson Blaetz, Greenway Arts Alliance Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director shared, “We’re also thrilled to be collaborating once again with Festival Director Shihan Van Clief. Every year, in celebration of National Poetry Month, Shihan curates an exciting range of poetic programming, national team competitions for cash prizes and engaging workshops taught by the industry’s leading spoken word performers. And, we are honored that the L.A. Get Down Festival continues to serve as an annual must-attend event by poets and poetry audiences around the country.”

 

Flex subscriptions for Greenway Arts Alliance’s 2019-2020 Season are available for $60.00, which includes The Chinese Lady, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and one event at the 4^thAnnual L.A. Get Down Festival. For more information about the season, visit www.GreenwayCourtTheatre.org or call 323-673-0544.

The Chinese Lady

 

By Lloyd Suh

Directed by Rebecca Wear

 

September 5 – 29, 2019

Opening Night:  Saturday, September 7 at 8:00 pm

 

Inspired by the true story of America’s first female Chinese immigrant, The Chinese Lady is a dark, poetic, yet whimsical portrait of America through the eyes of a young Chinese woman. Afong Moy is 14 years old when she’s brought to the United States from Canton in 1834. Allegedly the first Chinese woman to set foot on U.S. soil, she has been bought and put on display for the American public as “The Chinese Lady.” For the next half a century, she performs for curious museum-goers, showing them how she eats, what she wears, and the highlight of the event: how she walks with bound feet. As the decades wear on, her celebrated sideshow comes to define and challenge her very sense of identity. The Chinese Lady blurs the line between the observed and the observer and gives us new eyes on the history of American entitlement and immigration. Featuring Amy She and Trieu Tran, with Hao Feng and Stephanie Wong.

 

Named a New York Times Critic’s Pick in November 2018, the Times said of The Chinese Lady, “Extraordinary play…piercing…heart-rending…” and “…gently comical drama…”

 

Lloyd Suh is the author of The Chinese Lady, Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery, American Hwangap, The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!, Jesus in India, and others, produced with Ma-Yi, Magic Theatre, EST, NAATCO, PlayCo, Denver Center, Milwaukee Rep, ArtsEmerson, Children's Theatre Co, and more, including internationally at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and with PCPA in Seoul, Korea. He has received support from the NEA Arena Stage New Play Development Program, Mellon Foundation, NYFA, NYSCA, Jerome, TCG, Dramatists Guild, and residencies including NYS&F and Ojai. He is an alum of Youngblood and the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab and was a recipient of a 2016 Helen Merrill Award and the 2019 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. From 2005-2010 he served as Artistic Director of Second Generation and Co-Director of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab and has served since 2011 as the Director of Artistic Programs at The Lark, and since 2015 as a member of the Dramatists Guild Council.

 

Director Rebecca Wear’s credits include Samsaraby Lauren Yee (Coeurage Theatre); If the Saintsby Eric Conner Marlin (Metro Baptist); Obedient Steel by Chloe Brown (HERE arts); and I Run with You by Anna/Kate (Women’s Center Stage). She associate directed the world premiere of Lynn Nottage’s Sweat (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage). Rebecca is a resident director with HERO Theatre, previous associate artist at The Orchard Project, and is pursuing a Ph.D. through a Chancellor’s Fellowship at University of California, Santa Barbara. She is also a 2019 National Directing Fellow (Eugene O'Neill/NNPN/Kennedy Center/SDC).

 

Single tickets for The Chinese Lady are available at GreenwaCourtTheatre.org/TheChineseLady.

  

Kate Jopson

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

 

A Play by Simon Stephens

Based on the novel by Mark Haddon

Directed by Kate Jopson

 

November 1 – December 8, 2019

Opening Night:  Saturday, November 2 at 8:00 pm

 

Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain: He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched, and he distrusts strangers. Now it is seven minutes after midnight, and Christopher stands beside his neighbor’s dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a garden fork. Finding himself under suspicion, Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington, and he carefully records each fact of the crime. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a thrilling journey that upturns his world.

 

Winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play. "This adaptation by the acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens is intensely, innately theatrical; it is also funny and extremely moving…resonates with quality." —Telegraph (London). "…just terrific…a profoundly moving play about adolescence, fractured families, mathematics, colors, and lights…dazzling." —Independent (London). "A beautiful, eloquent, dazzlingly inventive show about the wonders of life." —Evening Standard (London).

 

Simon Stephens has written many plays that have been translated into more than 30 languages and produced all over the world. He is a professor of playwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University, an associate playwright at the Royal Court Theatre, the artistic associate at the Lyric Hammersmith in London, and the Steep Associate Playwright at Steep Theatre in Chicago.

 

Kate Jopson specializes in experienced-based productions that utilize the unique history, architecture, or environment of a theatre or site. She recently directed her first short film Protect & Serve, and a web series called The Web Opera about cyberbullying and privacy violations. Recent Theatre credits: Hole in the Sky (Circle X Theatre); Mad Hatter Gin & Tea Party (Fever Up Productions) Candide (Santa Cruz Shakespeare); Fefu & Her Friends  (Circle X Theatre/J.U.S.T Toys Productions, LA); 1984 (Greenway Court Theatre, LA); An Accident (Griot Theatre, LA), Twelfth Night (Coeurage Theatre Co. LA); Second Skin (The West/The Flagship Ensemble); A Willow Grows Aslant (La Jolla Playhouse—Without Walls Fest.). She has assisted at the Seoul Arts Center, La Jolla Playhouse, ACT (SF), California Shakespeare Theatre, and The Magic Theatre among others. Former Artistic Director of Circle X Theatre. 

This production is also the final component of Greenway’s literacy program, GreenwayREADS, where 21  LAUSD English and Drama classes work with Greenway Institute for the Arts’ teaching artists, receive a copy of the book to keep and see a matinee performance of the play at the Greenway Court Theatre free of charge.

 

 

The 4th Annual L.A. Get Down Festival

A Celebration of Hip Hop and Spoken Word

 

Festival Director Shihan Van Clief

Produced in association with Da Poetry Lounge
 

Weekends in April 2019

 

The L.A. Get Down Festival is a celebration of hip hop and spoken word. Da Poetry Lounge Co-Fonder Shihan Van Clief serves as the Festival Director.

 

The Festival lineup and schedule will be announced at a later date.

 

 

Seth Rogen's Comedy, 'Good Boys' Is Very Naughty

By Darlene Donloe

It’s ironic that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s new comedy, Good Boys, about a trio of BFF 12-year-old boys is inappropriate for children.

The Good Boys swear, drink beer, steal drugs, play with sex dolls, disobey their parents and everything in between.

These Beanbag Boys as they call themselves, are some of the funniest kids to ever light up the screen. It also helps that each of them is about as adorable as they come. 

Director/co-writer Gene Stupnitsky’s has assembled three stars in the making. They all have great personalities, excellent delivery, and enormous chemistry.

Brady Noon, Jacob Tremblay, and Keith L. Williams 

There are three distinct individuals represented with the three friends. Max (Jacob Tremblay) is girl crazy. He’s infatuated with a girl at school. When he’s invited to a “kissing” party at a classmate’s house, he decides to practice so he’ll be good when it comes time to lock lips.  Enter his friends, Thor (Brady Noon), who quietly wants to sing and is a wannabe tough guy and Lucas (Keith L. Williams) who is a true tattletale, and truly can not keep a secret.  Lucas is also dealing with his parents’ impending divorce. Williams with his wit and timing easily steals this movie!  With all they have going on in their lives, when they are together, this threesome is awesome and unstoppable.

First up, Thor pulls out his parents’ sex doll for them to practice kissing, which results in side-splitting hilarity.

Next, they have to replace Max’s father’s drone they used without permission to spy on a teenage girl (Molly Gordon) and her female friend in hopes of catching them kissing.  But something goes awry when the drone he uses crashes in her backyard and she decides to hold it hostage.

Now the boys have to figure out a way to come up with enough money to replace the drone and put it back in its place before dad gets home.

In exchange for getting the drone back, the boys agree to go to a frat house to buy drugs for the girls. What ensues is a classic frat-house brawl that shows Max, in straight Rambo mode, being very adept at shooting college guys with a paint gun.

Midori Francis, Jacob Tremblay, and Molly Gordon

There are several hilarious scenes in the movie including one where Thor is trying to steal a bottle of beer by placing it in his pants. He’s trying to score a beer to prove to some kids at school that he is a badass instead of the punk he was the first time they dared him to drink a beer.

The cop in the scene is downright hilarious. All he wants to do is buy something and go home, but Lucas keeps confessing to everything the boys have done up to that point, including the boy’s attempts to steal beer and buy drugs. The scene is priceless!

Another funny moment in the movie is watching the boys try to run across a crowded freeway. It, too, is priceless!

While the movie has some lesson learned, thoughtful, sad and sentimental moments, the hilarious, magical, and comedic moments outweigh them in Good Boys!

Lil Rel Howery, Retta, Will Forte, and Midori Francis, all turn in funny as hell supporting performances.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Good Boys (Universal) gets an E (excellent).

Deaf West Presents The Solid Life Of Sugar Water

Candid, uninhibited and visceral. A Deaf couple’s relationship is revealed through their lovemaking in a startlingly intimate portrait of a marriage — made even more intense by Deaf West Theatre’s signature performance style combining American Sign Language with spoken English. Deaf West Theatre presents the American premiere of The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Tony Award-winning playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). Randee Trabitzdirects for a Sept. 12 opening at Inner-City Arts in downtown L.A., where performances will continue through Oct 13. Previews take place Sept. 5 through Sept. 8.

Sandra Mae Frank, who starred as Wendla in all three Deaf West productions of Spring Awakening — at Inner-City Arts, at the Wallis, and on Broadway — plays Alice, alongside Tad Cooley’s Phil. Natalie Camunas and Nick Apostolina voice their most private thoughts.

“This play has been with me ever since I read it,” says Deaf West artistic director David J. Kurs. “It was written to be performed by two speaking actors, even though one of the characters is written as Deaf. But it will be even more powerful performed by two Deaf actors. This is that rare play that will be made better by the addition of sign language: the ‘bedroom speak’ will be intensely visual, a quality that will also bring greater clarity to critical events as they unfold. It’s an extraordinary look behind the curtain. The subject of intimacy in a Deaf couple is rarely addressed.”

According to Trabitz, “This is the perfect company for this show. In the (literal) hands of these actors, the play becomes a visual dance that echoes the trajectory of the story.”

The Solid Life of Sugar Water premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival prior to an acclaimed run at England’s National Theatre. In her five-star review, UK Guardian/Observer theater critic Susannah Clapp called it “unflinching… I can’t remember when I last saw a play that was at once so forthright and so delicate.” 

Jack Thorne is an English screenwriter and playwright. He began his TV career writing on Shameless and Skins, before writing Cast-Offs in 2009. He has since created the shows Glue, The Last Panthers and Kiri. He has won five BAFTA awards, including Best Mini-Series for This is England ’88, Best Drama Series for The Fades, Best Single Drama for Don’t Take My Baby, Best Serial for This is England ’90 and Best Original Series for National Treasure starring Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters, and Andrea Riseborough. Thorne’s feature film credits include The Scouting Book for Boys, War Book, A Long Way Down, and Wonder starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. Thorne is also a prolific playwright; his other plays include Hope and adaptations of Let The Right One In, Woyzeck and A Christmas Carol starring Rhys Ifans. He wrote the stage play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child based on an original story by him J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany, which won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best New Play and the 2018 Tony Award for Best Play. The world premiere of Thorne’s newest play, Sunday, will open Atlantic Theater Company’s 2019-20 season in September.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1991, Deaf West Theatre engages artists and audiences in unparalleled theater experiences inspired by Deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language, weaving ASL with spoken English to create a seamless ballet of movement and voice. Committed to innovation, collaboration, and training, DWT is the artistic bridge between the deaf and hearing worlds. Past productions include Our Town, in a co-production with the Pasadena Playhouse; Edward Albee'sAt Home at the Zoo, in a co-production with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; Spring Awakening, which transferred from Inner-City Arts to the Wallis and then to Broadway (three Tony Award nominations including Best Revival);American Buffalo (Los Angeles Times “Critic’s Choice”); Cyrano, a co-production with the Fountain Theatre (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Production); Big River (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Backstage Garland awards for Best Musical in its L.A. premiere, Tony nomination and four Drama Desk Awards on Broadway); Pippin, produced at the Mark Taper Forum in a co-production with Center Theatre Group; Sleeping Beauty Wakes, also a co-production with CTG, presented at the Kirk Douglas Theatre; Oliver! (Ovation Award for Best Musical); and A Streetcar Named Desire (Ovation Award for Best Play). In 2005, DWT was selected to receive the Highest Recognition Award by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for its “distinguished contributions to improve and enrich the culture lives of deaf and hard of hearing actors and theater patrons.”

The Deaf West creative team includes ASL Master Linda Bove, rehearsal interpreter Elli Streifer, scenic designer Sean Fanning, lighting designer Derrick McDaniel, sound designer Noelle Hoffman; projection designer Heather Fipps and costume designer Adriana Lambarri. The production stage manager is Julie Ouellette, the business manager is Deborah Reed, and David J. Kurs produces for Deaf West Theatre. 

The Solid Life of Sugar Water runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m.and Sundays at 3 p.m. from Sept. 12 through Oct. 13. Four preview performances take place Sept. 5 through Sept. 8 on the same schedule. There will be two ASL Nights: arrive one-half hour prior to the performance on Thursday, Sept. 19 or on Thursday, Sept. 26 for a 15-minute ASL workshop that teaches signs used in the play. Ticket prices range from $38.50 to $75, with discounts available for preview performances and throughout the run for students with valid ID; check the website for details. Performances take place in the Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts, located at 720 Kohler Street in downtown L.A. (just south of the Arts District). For reservations and information, call (818) 762-2998 (voice) or go towww.deafwest.org

The Solid Life of Sugar Water deals with adult themes and contains sexually graphic language — recommended for mature audiences only.