Critics are raving about Furious Theatre’s production of Hunter Gatherers

Now extended through February 28^th!

“TOP PICK!... Bitingly hilarious!”
"A razor-sharp staging from Furious Theatre Company... With abundant irony and well-turned barbs, Nachtrieb's sharply crafted dialogue follows in Edward Albee's footsteps... Dámaso Rodriguez's relentlessly paced staging builds suspense with the visceral engagement of a cinematic thriller and draws nicely realized characters from the entire cast."
- Philip Brandes, Los Angeles Times

“CRITIC'S PICK...Savagely funny!”
"Combines the verbal savagery of vintage Edward Albee with the visceral brutality of Sarah Kane. In director Dámaso Rodriguez's sidesplitting yet thought-provoking L.A. premiere, the distinctive voice of a trailblazing playwright strongly resonates... The tight ensemble tackles the difficult material with intelligence and skill... This marvelous production is a fitting kickoff to Furious Theatre's graduation from Actors Equity's 99-Seat Plan to a Letter of Agreement arrangement, now offering substantially increased pay for its deserving actors."
- Les Spindle, Back Stage West

“Smart and funny...intense and hilarious!”
"A fine example of Furious's work—an impressively engaging production of an edgy new play."
- Sharon Perlmutter, Talkin' Broadway

“Blisteringly funny!”
"This landmark for the company is a wild night for the audience."
- Don Shirley, LA CityBeat

"Brilliantly performed!"
- Vicki Smith Paluch, Pasadena Star News

Furious Theatre Company Presents…
Los Angeles Premiere
HUNTER GATHERERS
Written by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez

The Los Angeles premiere of the 2006 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award-winner finds Pam and Richard hosting their best friends, Wendy and Tom, for an annual dinner get-together. An animal sacrifice kicks off the evening, followed by a little more sex, violence, deception, wrestling, and dancing than at previous parties. A darkly comic evening where the line between civilized and primal man is blurred, and where not everyone will survive long enough to enjoy the brownies for dessert.

Click here for more details and to purchase tickets!

Furious Theatre Company Special Offer - Four Days Only!

Furious Theatre Company, Pasadena Playhouse Artists in Residence, has announced its sixth season, which will introduce a group of award-winning playwrights to Los Angeles audiences with the local premieres of four critically-acclaimed comedies. Bonus Feature readers can take advantage of this limited time offer. For only $75 you can get a Furious Season Pass. With the Furious Season Pass, you'll save up to $45 on four tickets that you can use how you want at any time during Furious Season 6. Click here for more information. Offer ends October 17. Read on to find out what's in store for Furious Season 6.

West Coast Premiere
U.S. DRAG
Written by Gina Gionfriddo
Directed by Darin Anthony

October 25 - November 22, 2008
(Previews October 18 - 24)

The modern quest for fame and fortune gets a Furious spin in Gina Gionfriddo’s award-winning comedy as two young women in Manhattan who want love and happiness (as they define it) set out to find Ed, a serial attacker who’s terrorizing the city. The reward money might make them rich and famous, but can they really find the elusive Ed? No one’s ever seen his face, and everyone on stage is beginning to act eerily “Ed-like.”

Los Angeles Premiere
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Written by Anthony Neilson
Directed by Robert Pescovitz

November 29 - December 20, 2008
(Previews November 28)

Be Furious for the holidays with their first ever holiday show. In the Los Angeles premiere of this “adults only” Christmas comedy, Gary discovers a real-life elf during his night shift at the warehouse on Christmas Eve and calls his friend Simon (who is still in the closet and living with his mother) to come over and see what he’s captured. A hooker with a (somewhat) heart of gold named Cherry also shows up expecting to collect the coveted toy of the season which Gary has promised her in exchange for sexual favors. Together, the three try to sort out if the elf is real or not and what exactly is the true meaning of Christmas.

Los Angeles Premiere
HUNTER GATHERERS
Written by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez

January 24 - February 21, 2009
(Previews January 21-23)

The Los Angeles premiere of the 2006 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award-winner finds Pam and Richard hosting their best friends, Wendy and Tom, for an annual dinner get-together. An animal sacrifice kicks off the evening, followed by a little more sex, violence, deception, wrestling, and dancing than at previous parties. A darkly comic evening where the line between civilized and primal man is blurred, and where not everyone will survive long enough to enjoy the brownies for dessert.

Los Angeles Premiere
THE PAIN AND THE ITCH
Written by Bruce Norris
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
A Co-Production with The Theatre @ Boston Court

July 25 - August 23, 2009
(Previews July 16-24)

A young daughter in serious need of attention. A ravenous creature possibly prowling the upstairs bedrooms. An average Thanksgiving for one privileged family unravels into an exposé of disastrous choices and less-than-altruistic motives. The Pain and the Itch is a scathing comedy about the politics of class and race, a controversial, painfully human examination of denial and its consequences.

www.furioustheatre.org

Furious Season 6 Announced!

Furious Theatre Company announces its 2008-2009 season which will introduce a group of award-winning playwrights to Los Angeles audiences with the local premieres of four critically-acclaimed comedies.

U.S. DRAG

The West Coast premiere of The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winner by Gina Gionfriddo

October 25 through November 22 (Previews: October 18 - 24), 2008.

This hilarious and witty, jet-black comedy follows Angela and Allison, two young women in Manhattan seeking love and happiness, but they'll settle for rent money. Along the way, they volunteer for a community advocacy group called SAFE (Stay Away From Ed) named for an elusive serial attacker terrorizing the city. (There's a hefty reward for his capture...) Who is this "Ed" anyway? No one's ever seen his face, and everyone on stage is beginning to act eerily "Ed-like"... Join Furious behind the velvet rope for Gionfriddo's sharp, sassy and biting satire on the modern quest for fame and fortune.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

By Anthony Neilson

November 29 through December 20 (Preview: November 28), 2008.

Join Furious for the holidays with their first ever holiday show. In the U.S. premiere of this "adults only" Christmas comedy, Gary discovers a real-life elf during his night shift at the warehouse on Christmas Eve and calls his friend Simon (who is still in the closet and living with his mother) to come over and see what he's captured. A hooker with a (somewhat) heart of gold named Cherry also shows up expecting to collect the coveted toy of the season which Gary has promised her in exchange for sexual favors. Together, the three try to sort out if the elf is real or not and what exactly is the true meaning of Christmas.

HUNTER GATHERERS

The Los Angeles premiere of the 2006 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award-winner by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb,

January 24 through February 21 (Previews: January 21- 23), 2009.

Pam and Richard are hosting their best friends, Wendy and Tom, for an annual dinner get-together. An animal sacrifice kicks off the evening, followed by a little more sex, violence, deception, wrestling, and dancing than at previous parties. A darkly comic evening where the line between civilized and primal man is blurred, and where not everyone will survive long enough to enjoy the brownies for dessert.

All three plays will be at the Pasadena Playhouse Carrie Hamilton Theatre, 39 S. El Molino Ave. in Pasadena.

The final premiere (to be announced soon) will open in the summer of 2009 and will be yet another local premiere by an acclaimed playwright.

Furious Theatre Company

With this season, Furious has increased its effort to work with emerging playwrights in hopes of expanding the number of writers who make Furious their Los Angeles home for new plays.

"An electrifying theatre experience" in the Carrie Hamilton!

The critics are raving, once again, about Furious Theatre Company's revival of their inaugural production, Saturday Night at the Palace. The show must close May 31. Don't miss this amazing production! Purchase your tickets now by clicking here.

Saturday Night at the Palace - Revisited!
By Paul Slabolepszy
Directed by Playhouse Associate
Artistic Director Dámaso Rodriguez

April 26 - May 31, 2008

"AN ELECTRIFYING THEATRE EXPERIENCE!"
"Timelessly resonant!... a finely calibrated ensemble and an exemplary design team."
- Les Spindle, Back Stage West

"PACKS A WALLOP!"
"a bluntly effective reminder of how recently apartheid held brutal sway over South Africa."
- Charlotte Stoudt, Los Angeles Times

"UNFORGETTABLE!"
"edge-of-your-seat, heart-pounding theatre."
- Sharon Perlmutter, Talkinbroadway.com

"POWERFUL!"
"Brilliantly directed!"
- Scott Mauro, Broadwayworld.com

"RIVETS ONE FROM THE FIRST MOMENTS!"
- Frances Baum Nicholson, Pasadena Star-News

"OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES!"
"Reminds us of the unnerving yet poignant impact art can have!"
- David Vidal, Pasadena Now

Click the image above or call 1-800-595-4TIX for tickets. Please visit www.furioustheatre.org for more info.

Photo credit: (left to right) Sean Blakemore, Eric Pargac and Shawn Lee. Photo by Anthony Masters.

Savage Drama from Furious Theatre

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE PALACE - Revisited!
By Paul Slabolepszy
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
April 26 - May 31, 2008
(previews April 23-25)

SEE THE SHOW THAT STARTED IT ALL!
With the Original Award-Winning Cast and Director!

Furious Theatre presents the revival of its 2002 inaugural production, Saturday Night at the Palace, opening April 26, 2008 -- six years to the day that it originally premiered.

2 a.m. The outskirts of Johannesburg. A broken-down motorcycle strands two white men at a lonely roadhouse with a Zulu waiter who only wants to close for the night... Saturday Night at the Palace examines the events leading up to a racially motivated crime in the volatile Gauteng Region of South Africa seven years before the official end of apartheid.

Cannibals Feast on Playwright

FURIOUS HOSTS ALEX JONES TALKBACKS!

Playhouse Resident Artists Furious Theatre Company are hosting British playwright Alex Jones here in Pasadena for the world premiere of his play CANNED PEACHES IN SYRUP. Jones will give two nights of free talkbacks on his weird, wonderful and hilarious play at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre after the performance of the play. Join him as he discusses cannibals and veggies and how he came up with this crazy vision of the future. In addition to the Jones talkbacks, there will be an event for every night during the first two weeks of Furious’ run of CANNED PEACHES IN SYRUP. Join Furious here at the Playhouse, whether Cannibal or Vegetarian, for these tasty Furious Events!

Thurs 10/4
($12 Preview) Talkback with Alex Jones
Fri 10/5
($12 Preview) Pre-show Happy Hour in the Playhouse Library
Sat 10/6
(SOLD OUT) Opening Night Party in the Playhouse Courtyard
Sun 10/7
(Act Now! Almost sold out!)Talkback with Alex Jones
Thurs 10/11
Talkback with the cast and director
Fri 10/12
Pre-show Happy Hour in the Playhouse Library
Sat 10/13
Furious Late Night Returns
Sun 10/14
"Save the Peaches, Save the Planet" a post-show discussion on going green to save the environment

All events are FREE with your ticket to CANNED PEACHES IN SYRUP except Furious Late Night, which is $5 with your ticket to the show. Go to www.savethepeaches.com for tickets.

Save the Peaches!

Furious Theatre Company, Pasadena Playhouse Artists in Residence, have launched an all-new website for the world premiere of their upcoming play, Canned Peaches in Syrup, opening October 6 here in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre. Check out www.SaveThePeaches.com to view the teaser trailer, get the latest info on the production, find all kinds of cool downloads for the show and purchase tickets to this hilariously twisted post-apocalyptic love story.

The Devil Carries Golf Clubs

I saw the Furious Theatre Company's world premiere production of An Impending Rupture of the Belly by Matt Pelfry last Friday – what a privilege.

The play is about a man who “worries about many things” and the dangers that come from his fanatical desire to protect his own. The play uses this theme to address everything from the day-to-day grind of dealing with jerky neighbors to the current situation in Iraq. Through a series a dynamic-yet-intimate scenes and some highly theatrical hallucination/surrealist nightmare sequences, Belly does a superb job of telling a compelling story about man pushed to the brink and the bizarre, painful consequences that come from his unwarranted fear and lack of self-control.

The cast is great (Playhouse Graphic Designer Eric Pargac is dynamite, and he better be since he’s on stage for all but 2 minutes of the play) and the direction, as always with this group, is stellar. This is a hard-hitting play – dangerous, violent – and attacks its theme with teeth bared and golf club brandished – well done.

And on a related note – I think its simply marvelous how well Furious Theatre Company’s programming complements the Playhouse’s mainstage productions and auxiliary programs. I love that if I wanted to, I could come the Playhouse campus and see a Broadway-bound musical, an edgy world premiere play, an up-to-the-minute irreverent comedy show, get lunch, dinner, and a post show drink or two and not walk more than 100 yards all day long. Just love it.

:-)

JJ

AN IMPENDING RUPTURE OF THE BELLY

Written by Matt Pelfrey
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez

EXTENDED thru June 9!

Purchase Tickets

A Furious/Playhouse Partnership

Brad, posting at the Furious Theatre Blog, has some great insights into the relationship between our theatre companies, and cites a nice mention in this week's Pasadena Weekly:

"Check out any season of theater at the Pasadena Playhouse, and you’ll find yourself treated to a wide array of genres befitting one of the nation’s most famous stage institutions. In fact, the theater’s current productions are a perfect example: On the main stage, you’ll find two musicals about marriage, while in the smaller Balcony Theatre upstairs, you’ll find a darkly comic drama that explores how far US government agents should go in questioning Arab Americans as terror suspects."

Check out Brad's article here.

Awesome play, Furious Theatre Company's Back of the Throat

I saw the Furious Theatre Company's Back of the Throat, on Sunday night and am thrilled to say that I had a great time. I am generally wary of "issue" plays, but this piece (while being wholly political - post 9-11/Patriot Act type situation) was truly engaging and inventive. The actors had difficult chores (having to humanize abusive CIA agents, murderously vengeful girlfriends, spiteful strippers, and potential and convicted terrorists) but rose to the challenge with grace and skill. The directing was tight and centered - keeping the play a play and not a rant - and the set and lighting design added an exciting nightmare-type feel that kept the entire production moving forward. The writing was crisp, energetic, very funny at times, and interestingly balanced. Well done all!