West Adams (2020)
Written by: Penelope Lowder*
Directed by: Michael A. Shepperd
*Skylight resident playwright
A story about the absurdity of racism.
STORY: With a hostile takeover of a neighborhood block party and altruistic dreams of gentrification, Penelope Lowder’s newest play, set in LA's historic "WEST ADAMS" district suggests that perhaps reshaping a newly adopted neighborhood in your image isn’t as lofty as one might think.
SCHEDULE
Skylight Theatre:
Jan 25 - March 8
Opening Night: Feb 1
85 mins; no intermission
Performs: Thurs 8pm, Fri/Sat 8:30pm, Sun 3:00pm
**ASL Interpreted Performance: Thurs Feb 27
Skylight Resident Playwright | World Premiere
2020 Season
BEYOND
CONVERSATION
Enhance your theatre experience with a post performance special guest chat. Beyond Conversation follows the scheduled performance and the Guest chats last about 20 minutes depending on audience interest and participation; topics are suggested by the play's subject matter and guest. Follows these Sunday matinee performances.
Details and Guests
Sun. Feb 16 - It's Not Just A 'Housing Crises'
Sun. Feb 23 - What does "Fair Housing" have to do with you?
Sun. Mar 1 - Race. Class. Inequality and Gentrification
MEDIA
2020
THE ARTISTS OF WEST ADAMS
Penelope Lowder
playwright
is a playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Some of her many works include The Unseen, Reaching Autonomy and A Drop of Sun. Her plays have been produced in New York and Los Angeles. Lowder’s most recent film 15 Minutes will premiere at the 2020 Pan African Film Festival. Three Seconds of Hell is an adaptation of her debut novel Three Seconds of Hell, the story of her father's experiences in a 1950’s southern motorcycle gang. Lowder is a current member of Skylight Playwrights Lab. 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 Theater from University of Southern California. She teaches writing at USC through the Community Literature Intensive Program. Additionally, she serves as a playwriting mentor to at risk youth in south Los Angeles. Lowder resides in Los Angeles.
Michael A. Shepperd
director
MICHAEL A. SHEPPERD is very happy to be back with his Skylight Family. Michael 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 for Best Production (win) and Best Director, nom Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Director of the Year, Scenie Award, BWW nom, Best Director) The View Upstairs (BWW award, Best Director) Never Ever Land, Sucker Punch, Too Heavy for Your Pocket, The Next Fairy Tale, [title of show], Rent.
Acting roles include The Producers (Roger DeBris), Fences (Troy; Ovation, LADCC Nominations), BootyCandy (LADCC nom, Ovation, Stage Raw Win), The Color Purple (Mister; Ovation award), Steel (Ovation Award), Master Harold and the Boys ( NAACP theatre award nom), The Producers, Intimate Apparel (NAACP Theatre Award), Choir Boy (NAACP nom), and Shout Sister Shout.
Broadway/Regional credits include: Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan, The Seafarer, Little Shop of Horrors, Caroline, or Change, Whipping Man. TV: Why Women Kill, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Soul Man, Hot In Cleveland, Wizards of Waverly Place, Monk, Criminal Minds, NCIS. Olive Ewe all the time boo
Allison Blaize
actor
(Sarah) was most recently in the Spanish Prayer Book at the Road Theatre. Other credits include: A Splintered Soul (ICT); Cardboard Piano (ICT); Stupid Kid (Road); The Play About the Baby (Road); A Delicate Ship (Road-U/S); Secure Storage(HFF2017); No Place to be Somebody (Robey).
Andrés M. Bagg
actor
(Edward) Honored to be making his debut at Skylight Theatre in West Adams! Other theater credits: Midsummer Night's Dream (Principe Gran Via, Madrid), Shrek The Musical (Teatro Maipo, Buenos Aires), Rent (Teatro Konex, Buenos Aires), The Three Musketeers (Teatro Armenia, Buenos Aires), Wojtyla (Latín American tour), I Love You Because (El Cubo, Buenos Aires), among others. Film: Stolen Tango, The Rati Horror Show, 27, Coyote Lake, Left for Dead. My love to Moshi and my family.
Clayton Farris
actor
(Michael) is honored to be a part of the world premiere of West Adams. He was most recently seen as Rob in the world premiere of She's Not There at the Zephyr Theatre. He will be reprising his role as Neil Simon in The Art Couple at this years CTG Block Party at the Kirk Douglas. Recent Film/TV: Seal Team, Ratched, Days of Our Lives, The Morning Show.
Jenny Soo
actor
(Julie) Favorite LA theater credits: Hot Cat, D Deb Debbie Deborah, Dry Land, and Gloria (2019 Stage Raw Best Female Comedy). TV: Parks & Rec, LA to Vegas, Reverie. Her passion project, the award-winning feature, FOR IZZY is finishing its festival run and available on VOD: www.forizzy.com. BFA: NYU. MFA: A.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard
DESIGNERS
SCENIC DESIGN: Stephen Gifford
LIGHTING DESIGN: Donny Jackson
COSTUME DESIGN: Mylette Nora
PROJECTION DESIGN: David Murakami
SOUND DESIGN: Jesse Mandapat
ORIGINAL MUSIC: Michael Teoli
PROP DESIGN: Michael O'Hara
PRODUCTION STAFF
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER: Christopher Hoffman
REHEARSAL STAGE MANAGER: Garrett Crouch
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Andrew Carter
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER: Jen Albert
CASTING DIRECTOR: Raul Clayton Staggs
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Amy Pelch
PUBLICIST: Judith Borne
MARKETING ART AND PROGRAM DESIGN: Guillermo Perez
PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHER: Ed Kreiger
VIDEO PRODUCTION: MM Studios, Maxwell Morro
Skylight Theatre Company's Artistic Development program is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Discover Skylab, Skylight's resident playwrights program
PRODUCTIONS
READINGS/WORKSHOPS
REVIEWS
A BRILLIANT debut that bodes well for the rest of the season. Playwright Penelope Lowder has her finger firmly ON THE PULSE of American culture. There are PLENTY OF LAUGHS to be had here — BEFORE THE HORROR SETS IN. Multiple award-winning director Michael A. Shepperd and a wonderful cast lift the rock off Lowder’s dishearteningly PERFECT PLAY and let the creepy-crawlies squiggle freely.
- LA Times, CRITICS' CHOICE
POWERFUL…smartly takes on privilege, race, and status - Broadway World
GO. A smart, powerful play
- Hollywood Revealed
A SAVVY, SATISFYING PLAY, spotlighting the toxic ilk that still poisons our fractious American communities” - Stage Raw
MUST- SEE theatre at its finest and most relevant. A GREAT NEW PLAY...Searing, scorching look at timely issues in a highly entertaining way. West Adams announces the ARRIVAL OF A MAJOR VOICE.
- Hollywood Progressive
SHOCKING... Should really be seen. Does what theatre is supposed to do: Make you think, and make you confront something that makes you uncomfortable
- Observations Along the Road
This EXTRAORDINARY PLAY Must Be Seen. Superbly mounted...BRILLIANT, disciplined cast (kudos to director Michael A Shepperd). - TheatreNotes
Superb job of shifting gears as a fun-filled celebration turns into a life-and-death struggle with NO HOLDS BARRED. Lowder’s play will surely trigger conversations - Splash Magazines