WHAT

A black hole is a region of space from which nothing can escape. Playwright Peggy O’Brien examines two families bound together by tragedy in a bond neither chooses and neither can escape. The setting is the one year anniversary of a teenager’s accidental death in a car driven by his best friend. Moving back and forth in time and place, BLACK HOLE examines what, if anything, is an accident, and how the families and friends of the families and students, and the larger community, cope with the loss of a future they assumed would be. It’s a story that feels as if it were ripped from the headlines and in fact its genesis was an actual incident that happened at the school where O’Brien teaches. Her play expands the questions beyond the local community and asks us all to examine the hole left by a life interrupted.

WHO

Written & Directed by:  Peggy O’Brien

O’Brien holds an MFA in Theatre Arts. She has worked extensively in theatre in Australia at the South Australian Theatre Company, in Los Angeles at the L.A.T.C. and with Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST). She was an Affiliate Artist and toured as an artist in Residence with a one woman show, “Driving without Brakes.” Currently, she is the Drama Chair at Crossroads school in Santa Monica, where she directs and teaches.
 

Featuring (in alphabetical order):

Ray Baker

Baker started his acting career in New York, appearing in five Broadway shows, including "Crimes of the Heart" by Beth Henley, and "Torch Song Trilogy" by Harvey Fierstein; as well, as countless Off and Off-Off Broadway plays. His appearances in over 35 Motion Pictures include "Total Recall," "Places in the Heart," "What Lies Beneath," "Without a Paddle," and many others. He acted with Belita Moreno in the original New York production of Beth Henley's "The Lucky Spot", and in 2008, he co-starred as Maurice Chevalier in Jerry Mayer's play, "Dietrich and Chevalier" at Santa Monica Playhouse.

Belita Moreno

Moreno created roles in the premieres of Beth Henley’s “The Wake of Jamey Foster” on Broadway, “The Miss Firecracker Contest” and “The Lucky Spot” Off-Broadway, and Abundance at the South Coast Repertory Theatre, in addition to memorable work in many of Los Angeles’ local theatres.  She is well-known to television viewers for having spent six seasons as the pugnacious “Benny” on ABC’s George Lopez, five seasons as a series regular on ABC’s Perfect Strangers, and many roles in primetime mini-series, TV movies, and series guest appearances.  Her work in films includes the upcoming “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and roles in “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Clear and Present Danger,” ‘Mommy Dearest,” and Robert Altman’s “A Perfect Couple,” “A Wedding,” and “Three Women.”  Ms. Moreno is a prominent acting coach and is an instructor at The American Film Institute.

Jamy Myatt

Myatt comes from New Mexico where she played Viola in Santa Fe Shakespeare Festival's "Twelfth Night."  She has been in national commercials for Levi's and Home Depot; TV and  her film work includes "Days of Our Lives," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Rough Riders" and "If These Walls Could Talk." She currently teaches Life Skills at Crossroads School and performs long-form improv comedy with "The Waterbrains," Friday nights at The Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica.

Liz Nolan

Nolan is a Los Angeles native. She most recently performed in “A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory. She is excited to continue to work in the theater community. She completed her BFA in theater performance from Chapman University. Her film credits include “Normal Adolescent Behavior.” 

Joy Pankin

Pankin holds an M.F.A. in Theatre Arts from Columbia University. She has appeared in over 50 stage productions from Shakespeare to skit comedy, and is a founding member of the St. Vincent Theatre. Her fondest Theatre memory is a 2006 production of “Rumors” in which she appeared with her husband, Stuart and her son, Andrew.

 

Joined by members of the Drama Conservatory Program at Crossroads: Junior Garrett Baer and Senior Jack Quaid, both of whom most recently appeared in “Into the Woods” and “The Crucible,” and Junior Sara Worth, who most recently appeared in “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “The Laramie Project.”

 

Produced by: Penmar Productions

 

WHEN WHERE
Friday, March 19 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 20, at 7:30 pm

Santa Monica Playhouse
The Main Stage

Directions

Santa Monica Playhouse
1211 4th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401

TICKETS HOW

$15
 

(All proceeds benefit the Save the Santa Monica Playhouse Campaign)

For reservations please call:

310-394-9779 x 1 or

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*Santa Monica Playhouse Reserves the Right to Cancel or Reschedule Performances Without Prior Notice. Please Call to Confirm Show Dates and Times.  

 

Santa Monica Playhouse, a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 educational corporation founded in 1960, provides exciting and entertaining dramatic and comedic, classic and contemporary live theatrical productions, Family Theatre musicals, birthday and tea parties, year-round and summer theatre acting classes and educational programming for kids, teens and adults, create-a-play classes and Mommy and Me events for pre-schoolers, daytime and after school field trips,  enrichment classes and in-service in public and private schools, cultural exchange, international touring, and community outreach, as well as theatre rental space for productions, seminars, solo shows, concerts, recitals, lectures, meetings and more.

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