LAFPI

A new, dark, comedy about race and class. With a hostile takeover of a neighborhood block party and bouncy houses, Penelope Lowder’s newest play set in historic West Adams takes an uncomfortable look at altruistic gentrification gone wrong. Perhaps reshaping a newly adopted neighborhood in your image isn’t as lofty as one might think.

Created and Developed for Skylight’s Resident Playwriting Group, SkyLAb

“My goal with this play is for audiences to be unsettled by the myopic vision of the new colonials,” explains playwright Penelope Lowder. “They seed the divide and fuel racism, ultimately destroying so many black and brown people.”

The cast includes Andrés M. Bagg, Allison Blaize, Clayton Farris and Jenny Soo.

The creative team includes Stephen Gifford (Scenic Design), Mylette Nora (Costume Design), Donny Jackson (Lighting Design), Jesse Mandapat (Sound Design), David Murakami (Projection Design), Michael Teoli (Original Music), Michael O’Hara (Properties), Gary Grossman, Michael Kearns (Producers).

Penelope Lowder is a Los Angeles playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Selected works include Reaching Autonomy and A Drop of Sun. Her plays have been produced in New York, Los Angeles, and Lowder’s most recent film “15 Minutes” will premiere at the 2020 Pan African Film Festival. Her new film, “Three Seconds of Hell,” is an adaptation from her debut novel of the same name, and the story of her father’s experiences in a 1950’s southern motorcycle gang. Lowder is a member of SkyLAb, part of the development wing of Skylight Theatre Company. She is a recipient of the Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship and the Los Angeles Theater Center Playwrights Residency. Lowder holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from USC and teaches writing there through the Community Literature Intensive Program, serving as a playwriting mentor to at risk youth in south Los Angeles.
Director Michael A. Shepperd is the Artistic Director of Los Angeles’ award-winning Celebration Theatre. Recent directing credits include: The Boy From Oz (Ovation Award, LADCC Award, Best Director), Rotterdam (LADCC Award – Best Production, Stage Raw award – Best Production, and nom – Best Director), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Director of the Year, Scenie Award, BWW nom, Best Director) The View Upstairs (BWW award, Best Director), and Rent.

Previews 1/25 1/26, 1/31

Opening: 8:30pm on Saturday, February 1, 2020
Schedule: 8:00pm Thursdays, 8:30pm Fridays, Saturdays, 3:00pm Sundays

Info: (www.skylighttheatre.org