LAFPI

L.A. Theatre Works is releasing a state-of-the-art audio theater recording of Bump, a new comedy by Chiara Atik. Based on the true story of Jorge Odón and the birthing device he invented in his garage, Atik’s play spans time and space in an effort to grapple with the mystery and miracle of maternity.

When Claudia gets pregnant she has a very clear plan for how she wants to give birth. Her pre-natal anxieties inspire her father to create a device for safer deliveries, and Claudia realizes that nothing ever goes quite as expected.

“I’m so excited that L.A. Theatre Works is bringing my play to this medium,” says Atik. “At first, I had no idea how they would be able to translate the play to audio. But I was so impressed when I heard the first cut. They are the consummate producer of audio theater, and it really works. Now, audio plays seem to be more relevant than ever. I’m always walking around listening to something.”

The L.A. Theatre Works recording stars Ana Ortiz (Hulu’s Love, Victor; Ugly Betty; Devious Maids), Herbert Sigüenza (Culture Clash) and Alma Martinez (Gentefied, The Terror). Also in the cast are Lucy DeVito, who was in the original cast of Bump, as well as Anna Lyse Erikson, Anna Mathias, André Sogliuzzo, Devon Sorvari, Inger Tudor and Moira Quirk. Rosalind Ayres directs.

Bump premiered off-Broadway at New York City’s Ensemble Studio Theatre in 2018. “In centuries-spanning ‘Bump,’ it’s always Labor Day,” wrote The New York Times. “If you are pregnant, if you have been pregnant, if you have resulted from a pregnancy, you will probably find [Bump] very funny… If you are a mother, “Bump” is guaranteed to give you flashbacks as to how you became one.”

Bump is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays, with lead funding provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, bridging science and the arts in the modern world. Purchase of the recording includes access to Zoom interviews with Atik and renowned gynecologist Dr. Judith Reichman.

The world’s leading producer of audio theater, L.A. Theatre Works stands apart in its approach to making great theater widely accessible and affordable, bringing plays into homes and classrooms of millions of theater lovers, teachers and students each year. LATW’s syndicated radio theater series broadcasts weekly on public radio stations across the U.S. and daily in China on the Radio Beijing Network. The L.A. Theatre Works catalog of over 500 recorded plays is the largest archive of its kind in the world. According to AudioFile magazine, “L.A. Theatre Works sets the gold standard for fine audio theater recordings.” The Philadelphia Inquirer calls L.A. Theatre Works “a national theatrical treasure.”

The recording of Bump is now available for purchase for $20 at https://latw.org/digital-season, with the release date set for March 10. Subscribe to L.A. Theatre Works’ entire 9-play, 2020-21 Digital Season for $150, and receive additional bonus features throughout the season, including a special video conversation with L.A. Theatre Works founding members Edward Asner, Richard Dreyfuss, Hector Elizondo, Stacy Keach, Marsha Mason and JoBeth Williams.