HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE One woman's story of the road to forgiveness and freedom from secrets, self-hatred and addiction. Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize winning play tackles brutal subject matter with grace, humor and humanity. The dark taboos within this story --ambiguous consent, sexual abuse, pedophilia, incest-- have not faded over time, but are more relevant than ever. This is not just one woman's story -- it is the story of a whole culture, and a story about the way we are taught to look at men, sex and women. Ultimately this play enables a dialogue about the empowerment of survival. Written by Paula Vogel Directed by Carly D. Weckstein Performing at Theatre Asylum in The Lab
99 WAYS TO FUCK A SWAN A unique new play about human perversion. This dark romantic comedy is endlessly funny and uplifting, as it explores the dark corners of desire, and the eternal mysteries of love. Set in a world of bizarre romantic obsessions and everyday ineptitude, the story crosses centuries and continents to examine a great catalog of kinks. This production is being directed by our first official guest director, the incendiary Caitlin Hart, Founder and Co-Artistic Director at the award-winning theatre company, The Vagrancy. Written by Kim Rosenstock Directed by Caitlin Hart Performing at Studio/Stage
ODESSA The World Premiere Coming to the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2014 Set within the confines of an underground bunker in a post-apocalyptic world, Odessa is a futuristic myth about the complex intersections intimacy, isolation and identity. Playwright McClain is working closely with the Illyrians to evolve the World Premiere of this powerful new work. Written by John Tyler McClain Directed by Carly D. Weckstein Premiering at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2014
OTHELLO We end our season with an epic classic, exploded through the Illyrian lens of human sexuality and gender roles. The Illyrian Players, known for uniquely revitalizing Shakespeare, will tackle this haunting tragedy about love, hate, discrimination and fidelity. Othello unpacks the ways in which we are taught to view and treat those who are marginalized as “outsiders” (through lenses of race, gender, and sexual orientation), both as a society and as individuals. Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Carly D. Weckstein Opening Halloween 2014