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

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

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

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