LAFPI

Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions and American Oasis present the West Coast premiere of Laura Maria Censabella’s moving, funny and thought-provoking drama, Paradise. What is the science behind first love? Two outsiders, a gifted Yemeni-American teenager at a poorly rated high school in the South Bronx and her disillusioned biology teacher, form an unlikely scientific partnership in the hope of securing her a scholarship. But when conflicts arise over differences in religion, culture and the boundaries of mentorship, their capacity to alter the course of each other’s lives becomes greater than either had imagined. Paradise was commissioned by Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, dedicated to developing new works about science and technology, and was a runner-up for the 2016 Saroyan/Paul Playwriting Prize for Human Rights. Starring Medalion Rahimi (ABC’s Still Star-Crossed, feature films Before I Fall and upcoming She’s in Portland) and Jeff Marlow (Henry IV with Tom Hanks, Reduced Shakespeare Company, numerous productions at South Coast Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, the Geffen, etc.). A visiting production at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025; Jan. 25-Feb. 17; $35; (323) 960-7724 or www.Plays411.com/Paradise