Title, Premiere and Location
ZONES or Where Does Your Soul Live and Is There Sufficient Parking?
October 5 - November 9, 2001
Played throughout Los Angeles at Westwood United Methodist Chuch (10/5-7), University of Judaism (10/11), The Vendanta Society (10/12), Hsi Lai Temple (10/13), St. Philomena Church (10/14), Los Angeles Baha'i Center (10/21), Faith United Methodist Church (10/28), Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (11/01), Temple Emanuel (10/3), New Horizon School (11/9)
Written By
Written by Peter Howard
Toured to multiple, mostly faith-based locations.
Part play, part community conversation, this participatory theater experience invited audiences to share their thoughts and experiences as the action unfolded around them.
Synopsis
A new theatrical construction, built at the intersection of performance and community dialogue. Zones is part play, part community conversation-a participatory theater experience that invites audiences to share their thoughts and experiences as the action unfolds around them.
The action of the play takes place at a zoning hearing for a new community center for a religious group that is vaguely New Age, and definitely unlike any established religion people have heard of. There's a lot of fear and suspicion surrounding this group: are they a cult? What about the rumors of bizzare practices? The Lark family is split over this new religion and its place in the community: the daughter is a practioner, the mother is a vehement opponent, and both of them have their say in the meeting.
The audience is caught up in the action through a series of organized discussions that unfold during the play. Other characters who participate in the meeting (and the break-out discussions) include Mrs. Lark's pastor, a man who seems like he's the janitor but who in fact has a secret, pro-church attorney Byron Bannerstamm, and beleagured zoning official Judith Tetley Stone.
In a sense, this production was "designed" using ideas developed by the National Conference on Community and Justice (NCCJ -- formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews).
Staff
Written by Peter Howard
Directed by Bill Rauch
Creative and Dialogue Consultant - Dani Bedau
Costume Design - Christopher Acebo
Set and Lighting Design - Geoff Korf
Building Design - Chris Mueller
Sound Design - Paul James Prendergast
Properties Design - Charisse Terrazas
Production Managers - Geoff Korf and Amy Hiett
Production Stage Manager - Bridget Kirkpatrick
Assistant Stage Manager - Celeste Thompson
Dramaturg - Karla Diaz
Assistant to the Director - Maya Gurantz
Producer - Mark Valdez
Co-Producer - Damion Teeko Parran
Understudies - Peter Howard & Lorraine Shields
Cast
Original Cast |
2001 |
Donald Bishop |
Keeper |
Amy Hill |
Judith Tetley-Stone |
Diana Elizabeth Jordan |
Renee Lark |
Shishir Kurup |
Pastor Thomas |
Armando Molina |
Byron Bannerstamm |
Barbara Roberts |
Monica Lark |
Revival Cast |
2002 |
Edward Blackoff |
Keeper |
Lorraine Shields |
Judith Tetley-Stone |
Diana Elizabeth Jordan |
Renee Lark |
Shishir Kurup |
Pastor Thomas |
Armando Molina |
Byron Bannerstamm |
Barbara Roberts |
Monica Lark |
Comments by cast, crew, and other participants.
Subsequent Performances or Productions
The production was revived in 2002 and played at the following venues between October 29, 2002 and November 15, 2002
1st New Christian Fellowship - 10/29
Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church - 11/01
Insititute of Religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (near USC) - 11/3
University Hall, University of Redlands - 11/4
Leo Baeck Temple - 11/6
The Armory Center for the Arts - 11/7
Center for Inquiry West - 11/9
St. Francis X. Cabrini Church - 11/10
Maryknoll Chruch - 11/15
Special Notes
Articles, Reviews, and other Links
LA Times Article:
http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/19/entertainment/ca-58901
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