Johnson Over Jordan
by J.B. Priestley 

October 14th, 2005 - November 27th, 2005

Written in 1939, JB Priestley’s Johnson Over Jordan follows the afterlife of Robert Johnson, a seemingly ordinary man who has died of pneumonia at the age of 51. Inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Priestley puts Johnson in a condition of what the Book of the Dead calls bardo, a kind of purgatorial intermediate state after the body has died but before the soul has been subsumed into the universe. And in this state of bardo, Johnson takes an extraordinary journey, a post-mortem dream of memories, hopes and regrets in which he is forced to recognize his failings and flaws and strip away all sentiment to see his true self.

Far more Franz Kafka than Frank Capra, Johnson Over Jordan is a surreal and spiritual trip into the absurdities, mundanities, and epiphanies of a life examined. It is, as its author described it, “an adventure in theatre.” It is a drama, a mystery, a meditation on life and death and everything in between.

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Holiday Fever!
Created by J.T. Austin and Dagney Kerr 

December 1st, 2005 - December 17th, 2005

“Holiday Fever!” is a comedy-variety show that draws its inspiration from “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Donny and Marie” – with a little bit of “Solid Gold” flavor accounting for the big hair, spandex, leg-warmers and sequins.

Creators J.T. Austin, (Disney’s “Beauty and The Beast,” Barry Manilow’s, “Copacabana”) and Dagney Kerr, (“DesperateHousewives,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) invite you, your family and friends to an evening of cheesy carols, silly sketches, high kicks and ‘jazz hands’.

“Holiday Fever!” is a blast – celebrating the fun, crazy and wildly-entertaining lost art of a live variety stage show. Don’t miss it!

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TRIP Dance Theatre: Breath and Bone
 http://www.tripdance.org

January 6th, 2006 - January 15th, 2006

TRIP Dance Theatre dives into the ocean, onto land and into Breath & Bone to explore lost and found connections with our bodies, voices and primal instincts. Gorgeously textured live & pre-recorded original music in four channel audio, stunning costume and video design, passionate contemporary dance.

The creation of "Breath & Bone" was made possible with funding from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Durfee Foundation, the City of Culver City Art in Public Places Fund and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and with the support of the APPEX Program. This performance of "Breath and Bone" and the premiere of "Warming the Skin" were made possible with generous support from Unknown Theater and TRIP Dance Theatre's individual donors.

ALSO AT UNKNOWN THEATER! JOIN US for 2 FANTASTIC NIGHTS of MUSIC with TRIP MUSIC ENSEMBLE & VOCO

Sit back (if you can keep from dancing!) and enjoy the lush sonic landscapes, soaring melodies and world rhythms of the TRIP Music Ensemble featuring the music of Charlie Campagna (Guitar/Cello) and Ron Bartlett (Percussion) with Eric Potter (Guitar), Hector Torres (Percussion) & Mia Campagna (Vocals).

VOCO, featuring Moira Smiley, Jessica Basta & Christine Green (Vocals), Jessica Catron (Cello) & John Ballinger (Percussion/Banjo) digs deep into the amazing spectrum of the human voice. Moira's original songs are often emotional, playful dialogues with sorrow, cynicism, and loss - somewhere between the wild precision of an Eastern European dance song, the rich rhythm of a South African mbira tune and the plaintive improvisation of an Appalachian or African-American spiritual. VOCO’s performances are joyous & moving, so bring your shakers & your hankies!

JANUARY 5th & 12th, 2006
2 Thursdays at 8 p.m.
$15 at the door or pre-paid online
Visit the Online Box Office to get your tickets!
Info: tripdance.org / moirasmiley.com

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Ballet Collective: Sweet Revenge, Other Passions
 http://www.balletcollective.org/

January 20th, 2006 - January 29th, 2006

Artistic Director John Castagna will be kicking off the 2006 season with a rollicking production of Sweet Revenge, (Die Fledermaus), Act I. Also on the program will be Artistic Consultant Stefan Wenta's Romeo and Juliet, (Balcony Scene). Castagna will be premiering his quintet Sisterhood of the Blue Snow. Heather Lipson will be performing Pointe, Joe Gutierrez will include his Pros and Cons, and David Sukonick will stage The Nutcracker, Pas Deux, (after Petipa). To complete the program Heather Lipson and Jennifer Webster will collaborate on their theater/dance work Love Poem.

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Scenes from an Execution
Howard Barker 

February 17th, 2006 - April 1st, 2006

The nation is at war. The government commissions a brilliant artist to render the war's greatest battle in oil and canvas, a master painting to hang in the national gallery. But the artist has issues. With art. With war. With truth. She sees the imperial triumph as human savagery, the victory as butchery, her role as not a government mouthpiece but as a reporter of reality. And as she commits her vision to a gigantic canvas, the political forces around her begin to consider the fact that she herself may need to be committed...to prison.

It could be the United States in the early 21st century. But it's Italy in the late 16th. Five-hundred years difference, yet the issues -- war, art, truth and the mighty weal of the government -- are not so different at all.

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Everyman for Himself
 

April 7th - April 29th

An evening of dance theater fusing dance, martial arts, capoeira, and acrobatics. "With Ameenah Kaplan providing the percussion accompaniment, the six-person ensemble is remarkable" - Uentertainment.com

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The Hothouse
by Harold Pinter 

May 19th, 2006 - July 1st, 2006

It’s Christmas day at a government run psychiatric hospital. One patient has died and another has just given birth. With the boss unraveling, and the employees unaware of the powder keg simmering beneath them, events hurtle hilariously to a horrifying climax. A riotous blend of farce and terror, The Hothouse is by far the funniest of plays written by Harold Pinter, one of the most original voices of the 20th century and recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Pinter wrote The Hothouse in 1958 but chose not to produce it until 1980. It remains one of the celebrated playwright's best kept secrets.

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Within The Unknown
 

July 13th, 2006 - July 16th, 2006

WITHIN THE UNKNOWN is the Unknown Play Project's annual new works festival - featuring plays at various stages of development - and designed to give the audience an inside look at the development process of a new play.

WITHIN THE UNKNOWN took place from Thursday, July 13th, 2006 thru Sunday, July 16th, 2006 at Unknown Theater in Hollywood.

The Schedule included...

Possession: The Legend Of El Rojo
A Musical Dance Drama featuring Incendio
Book & Lyrics by Mark Governor
Music by Incendio and Mark Governor

McGoogle
Written by Aaron Henne

The Cobler's Son
Written by Hugh Fitzgerald

Devil Dog Six
Written by Mary Fengar Gail

Mind Over Mother
Written by Annie Reiner

Customary Monsters
Written by Kyle T. Wilson

America
Written by Kim Yaged

Ticket Information
Workshop Performances - $12
Readings - $5 (Suggested Donation)
Rehearsed Readings - $10 (Suggested Donation)
Staged Readings - $10
Festival Pass - $20 Best Deal!

That's right...
Buy a Festival Pass and See It All for ONLY $20!

All shows at Unknown Theater.

Then, stick around Sunday night, immediately after the festival for Unknown Theater's LEASE-SIGNING ANNIVERSARY PARTY.

Featuring:
Cheap drinks!
Great music!
And all your favorite Unknowns!

Come help us celebrate!

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Danses Chromatiques
La Danserie http://www.ladanserie.com/

July 21st, 2006 - July 30th, 2006

La Danserie, the chamber-sized contemporary ballet company dubbed “the exhilarating collective” by the Los Angeles Times presents Danses Chromtiques, two weekends of new works. On the program, artistic director Patrick Frantz’s premier Appassionato showcases high velocity dancing set to Rachmaninov piano music; guest artist Alexandre de la Caffinière of the Berlin Opera Ballet performs his Ibou, a striking, sculptural solo; and Judy Pisarro-Grant premiers No Way/Any Way, with music by George Antheil, the self-described “bad boy” of modern music.

Formed in 1997, La Danserie has lived up to its description by the LA Weekly as “intrepid.” Over the near decade of its existence the company has performed throughout Los Angeles in a variety of venues including Highways Performance Space, the Los Angeles Theater Center, the Madrid Theater, California State University Northridge Performing Arts Center, and Moorpark College. This August the company makes its first appearance outside Los Angeles, bringing Danses Chromatique to the Marjorie Luke Theater in Santa Barbara.

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The Playground
Written & Created by: Michael Justen
Music & Lyrics by: Beth Hart, Sebastian Sage, & Michael Justen 
http://www.theplaygroundlive.com/

September 7th - 30th

THE PLAYGROUND is a powerful rock-drama inspired by the true events of teenage runaways and street kids that combines live theatre, rock music, urban vibes, video, and street style dance. Michael Justen adapted their stories from journal entries, interviews and documentaries.. Members of the production team and cast spent time on the streets without food or money with actual street kids to gather true stories for the production. THE PLAYGROUND has joined forces with Los Angeles Youth Network in efforts to promote community involvement to end teenage homelessness.

In the darkest of places, the “street family” offers a sense of belonging, the bonds of friendship, love, and unity in the constant struggle for survival. Bravely written scenes and intimate monologues impart a strong backbone to the interconnecting story lines. Fantasy and drug trips provide a canvas for the vocalists, making the music an entryway into the lonely corridors of their minds, saturated with dreams, fear, passion and hope for a better future.

THE PLAYGROUND features original music and lyrics by Beth Hart, Sebastian Sage, and Michael Justen.

The cast of THE PLAYGROUND features: Luke Barnett, Joey Borgogna, Chris Devlin, Rebecca Edmonston, Jonathan Halyalkar, Renette Johnson, Michael Justen, Erica Katzin, Michelle Kaufer, Michael Montoya, Rachael Page, and Lisa Schwartz.

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Dialogos (Dialogues)
A Shared Program from Rosa Negra Flamenco and Tango Gravitas 

October 5th, 2006 - October 15th, 2006

Download Flier See Rosa Negra Flamenco Demo Video

Experimental Flamenco Works from Rosa Negra Flamenco:
Rosa Negra Flamenco’s artistic director and award-winning choreographer, Deborah Greenfield, brings four new works and her particular innovative approaches to the expressive, rhythmic intensity of flamenco dance. Dancers Batista Gremaud and Vera Ninkovic join Deborah onstage, along with singer Marta Santa Maria and percussionist Fernando Diez. In addition, Moti-Moses Buchboot and Deborah meet in a collaborative, multimedia duet.
For more info on Rosa Negra Flamenco visit: www.rosanegraflamenco.org

Argentine Tango and Beyond from Tango Gravitas:
Moti-Moses Buchboot, with partner Chelsea Eng and others, present a unique and compelling exploration of current social and political issues, expressed through traditional Argentine tango, contemporary dance styles and a melding of these genres. Moti and Chelsea’s energizing choreography and provocative performance bring a twenty-first century vision to Argentine Tango.
For more info on Tango Gravitas visit: www.organictango.info/index_LA.htm

Special Promotion!
Buy 3 tickets or more and attend a free flamenco dance workshop on Tues, October 10th, 5-6.30pm at the theater! Just show up on the 10th, no reservation is necessary, as long as you buy 3 tickets or more! Bring a print-out of your ticket confirmation and hard-soled shoes.

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Don't Look Now
by Kenneth Patchen 

EXTENDED: January 4th - 21st, 2007

Unknown Theater is pleased to announce a three-week extension of Don’t Look Now, a haunting Cold War era black comedy written by beat poet Kenneth Patchen. Tickets now available for January 4, 2007 through January 21, 2007! Unknown’s Artistic Director Chris Covics has earned critical and popular acclaim for intoxicating productions of unknown gems and puts his signature stamp on the topsy-turvy, beat-infused world of Don’t Look Now. Not to be missed, this critically acclaimed production features live improvisational jazz, beat poetry, and an upside down living room!

The Worthcrofts, your typical 1950s nuclear family, have suddenly found themselves standing on the ceiling of their living room – that’s right, on the ceiling. With the doors, windows, and phone out of reach, they desperately try to escape. Meanwhile, a bizarre vacuum that makes speech impossible, is gradually consuming the ability to be heard – forcing them to find a way to turn the world right side up before they are trapped forever in silence. With the help of a hypnotist, a jazz poet, and a man with a radioactive head, they soon realize that there is only one way out of this crazy predicament – to love one another.

In 1958, beat-poet Kenneth Patchen wrote Don’t Look Now during a physical respite from a debilitating spinal ailment that left him semi-paralyzed for much of his life. Momentarily free from the prison of his withering body, he saw his country in its own state of emotional paralysis, subsisting in the paranoid fear of nuclear terror. He saw people isolated and unable to reach out to one another on any level but the most superficial. The play, at once hilarious and tragic, is a desperate call for all of us to come together in love and appreciation for one another. Or, in his own words: “We must learn to love one another… if one man fails to believe, then there can be no faith in the world.” In 2007, as our country finds itself once again in the throws of terror and fear, the play, featuring live jazz and beat poetry, now holds as much resonance as it did when first staged nearly 50 years ago.

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Collision Course
The Greatfruit Collective 
http://www.myspace.com/thegreatfruitcollective

January 25th, 2007 - February 4th, 2007

If you saw a meteor heading straight for you, what would you do? Hide in a hole? Create a contraption? Tell some stories?

The GreatFruit Collective asks you to sign up for an introductory course that explores this metaphorical dilemma. Come watch the experiment as particles and waves collide in the forms of bodies, sound, and an approaching 18-mile meteor.

The GreatFruit Collective is an interdisciplinary group of writers, dancers, actors, video, and sound artists who are dedicated to exploring, sharing and combining the languages of their artistic mediums. Embracing an adventurous spirit we often find our creative journey traveling through intimate levels of abstraction and absurdity but never far from a grounding emotional and spiritual core. Founded in Los Angeles in 2003, The GreatFruit Collective has performed at Highways Performance Space, California Institute of the Arts, Plaza de la Raza, The Anatomy Riot, The Electric Lodge, and Sola Contemporary Dance Festival.

The current project Collision Course is conceived, directed, written, and choreographed by Alexander Marchand and Alyson Boell, performed by Wanda Gala, Chris Anderson, and Kate Fox, sound design by Bob Bellerue, and video design by Levi Brewster.

For more information about the GreatFruit Collective go to
www.myspace.com/thegreatfruitcollective

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30 Seconds Til Left Field
UN-titled Dance Co. 

February 9th, 2007 - February 11th, 2007

What do you have when you combine true art, a multitude of dances styles, intense theatrics, and three critically acclaimed Hip Hop Choreographers?...

You have the experience of the… “UN-titled Dance Company”.

UN-titled Dance Company returns to Southern California in their first full theater production, “30 Seconds Til Left Field”. This new production displays the limitless area in which all things exist and move. There are no boundaries, and there are no rules. It’s where you go to express your passion and creativity in a dramatic and wordless storyline through theatrical dance. “30 Seconds Til Left Field,” is a Broadway style production, which will introduce to some and welcome back so many others to UN-titled’s personal style of movement, nationally and internationally dubbed as a, Contemporary Hip Hop Ballet. This will be an experience for the entire family.

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The Serpent
by Jean-Claude van Itallie 

March 9th, 2007 - April 7th, 2007

In a passionate ceremony twelve ensemble members bring you on a journey of movement, sound, and unforgettable poetry. It is a ritual designed to give the actors and audience an opportunity to challenge and honor the beliefs and ideas that define them. Originally created by the Open Theatre in 1967, The Serpent is realized again through the synthesis of 1960s improvisational physical theater and Unknown Theater’s own audacious and evocative style.

Opening with a rigorous examination of the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the ceremony turns to the Book of Genesis, to search for meaning, resonance, and the roots of this enduring presence of violence and fear. It is within these communal stories from our beginning that The Serpent simultaneously embraces and struggles with the consequences of antecedent decisions we cannot change and the possibilities still left for us to choose. No longer in the beginning and unknowing of the end, it is in these ancient stories we now find hope.

Re-imagining the stage at Unknown Theater, Chris Covics has constructed a modern day arena filled with 3,000 lbs of dirt. Performer and audience alike sit within the ritualized ring, surrounded by a 14’ tall scrim cylinder of projected images and light. A cacophony of alluring sights and sounds, The Serpent is a wildly theatrical experience that you will never forget.

There will be no Sunday evening performance on March 18, 2007.

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Poisoning the Well
TRIP Dance Theatre http://www.tripdance.org

April 13th, 2007 - April 29th, 2007

Following last year's sold-out Unknown Theater run, TRIP Dance Theatre offers the premiere of "Poisoning the Well", a foray into humankind's complex relationship with the earth.

Through dynamic contemporary dance, sculptural costume design, stunning video imagery, shadow play, and live, original music featuring amplified handmade instruments, "Poisoning the Well" celebrates the way nature feeds our souls whilst exploring the dramatic and often devastating impact humans are making on the planet.

With beauty, drama and humour, TRIP brings to life the worlds of cranes, bark bettles, monkeys, fish, humans and polar bears in arctic landscapes, green rice patties, swirling gyres of plastic, red tides and "drunken forests".

THREE WEEK RUN - April 13- 29, 2007 Fridays & Saturdays at 8 p.m. / Sundays at 6 p.m.

ALSO AT UNKNOWN THEATER! JOIN US for 2 FANTASTIC NIGHTS of MUSIC with ON ENSEMBLE and MOIRA SMILEY & VOCO

April 12th at 8pm
ON:Trio With the powerful rhythms of ensemble taiko music at its foundation, the On Ensemble (pronounced "ohn") combines the musical talents of its members into unique and provocative performances. As a CDBaby review put it "On Ensemble beautifully combines folk, jazz and rock into a tightly-woven fabric making full use of acoustic potential before adding tasteful electronic colors." Featuring three On Ensemble artists with musical experience ranging from centuries-old Kabuki music to jazz, rock and electronica, "ON:Trio" is a one night only performance of ground breaking music.

April 19th at 8pm
VOCO, featuring Moira Smiley, Jessica Basta & Christine Green (Vocals), Jessica Catron (Cello) & John Ballinger (Percussion/Banjo) digs deep into the amazing spectrum of the human voice. Moira's original songs are often emotional, playful dialogues with sorrow, cynicism, and loss - somewhere between the wild precision of an Eastern European dance song, the rich rhythm of a South African mbira tune and the plaintive improvisation of an Appalachian or African-American spiritual. VOCO’s performances are joyous & moving, so bring your shakers & your hankies!

$15 pre-paid online or $18 at the door
Visit the Online Box Office to get your tickets!

More Information: OnEnsemble.org / moirasmiley.com

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Caligula
Albert Camus 

May 25th, 2007 - June 30th, 2007

A 26 year old boy finds himself in control of the world as emperor of Rome. With youthful idealism and unlimited power, Caligula is going to teach the older generation a lesson—even if it kills them.

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I Dream America
Contra Tiempo 

July 5th, 2007 - July 15th, 2007

2006-2007 has seen contra-tiempo and Alvarez embark on a new collaboration: "I Dream America". "I Dream America" is a Urban Latin movement opera, which primarily seeks to engage the tensions, commonalities, strains and histories between the Black and Latino communities. Traversing the political landscape of immigration, the civil rights movement and Hurricane Katrina, "I Dream America" will investigate compassion and peace and paint a disarming and thought-provoking critique of contemporary life and injustice. Parts of the piece were debuted in in Mexico this October (2006) as part of the Festival Internacional de Teatro de Los Angeles (FITLA). The first full performance will be debuted at the Unknown Theater this July 2007. For more information about this company check out www.contra-tiempo.org

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The Frame of Mind
Ptero Dance Theatre http://www.pterodance.org

July 19th, 2007 - July 29th, 2007

"Religion and spirituality can be life affirming or life threatening. PTERO Dance Theatre explores that theme in this evening of dance theater."

PTERO Dance Theatre is a Los Angeles based dance theater company. Through the performance of original works of dance theatre, PTERO communicates themes universal to the human experience. PTERO is inspired by art, literature, current events, and the process of personal growth and development, in the creation of its emotionally rich, imaginative, thought provoking, life affirming works. PTERO strives to make dance accessible to the community through lecture demonstrations, class for at risk youth, and discounted performances. PTERO endeavors to bridge the gap between its artists and our audience.

"Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom How do they learn it?
They fall, and falling, they're given wings." - Rumi

PTERO Dance Theatre was formed in Spring 2004. At the Entrance of An Idea, performed at Highways Performance Space, marked PTERO’s second major production, and was selected as one of Los Angeles Magazine’s “Top Ten” events in October 2005’s Guide section. PTERO was part of the “Four insightful, high-profile female choreographers…” (LA Weekly) sharing an evening, Variegate, at Highways Performance Space in 2006. PTERO (Pronounced terr-o, Greek for "wing") created its inaugural full evening premiere Candle in the Sun at the Ivy Substation through a grant from the City of Culver City in 2004. The company has received grants from The Puffin Foundation LTD in 2004 and 2006. The company was recently awarded two Lester Horton awards for their work in 2005. In just two years, the company has garnered nine Lester Horton Award nominations, including consecutive nominations for Outstanding Achievement "Performance" and "Choreography." The company has also performed at the 2006 Brand Library Series, 7th Annual Los Angeles Dance Invitational, San Diego’s Celebrate Dance Festival, Barnsdall Gallery Theatre and has toured in Mexicali and Tijuana, Mexico.

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Walking into Traffic
a new comedy by Kyle T. Wilson 

August 24th, 2007 - October 13th, 2007

If you thought you were tired of hearing nothing but bad news on the radio during your morning commute, you should try reading the stuff. Such is the plight of Sophie Snyder, KCMA's top news person in Los Angeles. Today she finally cracks, quits her job, and hits the streets to make some news of her own. Bart Barton, a sleepy sad sack who still lives with his mother, is the only one who hears her, and he hits the streets himself to dry her tears. With the help of a teenage rebel and an aging mother, Sophie and Bart dazzle paparazzi, dodge traffic, and duke it out with the Department of Homeland Security in a hilarious dash to steal just a glimpse of an ideal world.

This fast-paced, mad-cap comedy with big characters, and an even bigger heart, features Unknown Theater ensemble members Ed Dyer, Todd Gallahan, Sasha Harris, Kyle Ingleman, Shelby Janes, Craig Johnson, Joe Nicchi, and Goreti da Silva. Artistic Director Chris Covics, recently named one of the top ten artists to watch in Los Angeles by L.A. Stage Magazine, directs and provides another uplifting design.

Unknown Theater is proud to present our first World Premiere to come from our Unknown Play Project. For more information about this new play project and about Kyle T. Wilson, visit click "more about the show" above.

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Turtles All the Way Down
Simone Forti 

October 18th, 2007 - October 28th, 2007

Simone Forti, Terrence Luke Johnson, Sarah Swenson and Douglas Wadle engage each other to provide an evening of sound, movement, words, reflection, humor and the unexpected revelations that only improvisation can bring. Their work is acid and sweet, funny and dead serious.

Each performer gives play to his/her own subject of interest and way of thinking, as together they weave glimpses of the world. The work is based on two premises. That if you move as you speak, your rational thinking and your body’s feeling for landscape, timing and energy, will interact. And that any four subjects will shed light on each other in particular ways. Each night, the performers decide which of their scores to work with, and though they know what subjects they will be touching on, they don’t know where the cross currents of their thoughts and energies will lead them. Performers and audience alike will be connecting the dots between travels in India, love, Italian genealogy, the rise of fascism, and ways of knowing. As each performance will be unique, you may want to visit Turtles All The Way Down more than once.

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Attempts on Her Life
by Martin Crimp 

November 10th, 2007 - December 15th, 2007

Artistic Directors Chris Covics (Unknown Theater) & Bart DeLorenzo (Evidence Room) are teaming up to co-direct the Los Angeles premiere of Martin Crimp's Attempts on Her Life, featuring members of both companies, the ensemble. The production begins performances November 10, 2007 at Unknown Theater.

In a series of 17 "scenarios for the theater", Martin Crimp presents a panoramic image of our age, a channel-hopping journey through the culture of the moment. From pornography and dance numbers to terrorist paranoia and luxury car advertisements, its compelling array of unnamed characters attempt to invent a story to capture our time in all its startling contradiction.

Attempts on her Life premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London ten years ago and has been revived frequently since, most recently this past spring in a landmark production directed by Katie Mitchell at London's National Theatre. The play has been performed all over the world and translated into more than 20 languages. Commonly hailed as Martin Crimp's masterpiece, this is its Los Angeles premiere.

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Naked Yoga
Alex Carver 

January 4, 2008 - January 13, 2008

A new comedy by Unknown Theater Company member Alex Carver!

She came! She saw! She kicked his butt!
And he never knew what hit him.

Limited Two Week Engagement
Opens Friday January 4th at 8pm
Saturday January 5th at 8pm
Sunday January 6th at 6pm
Thursday January 10th at 8pm
Friday January 11th at 8pm
Saturday January 12th at 8pm
and closes Sunday January 13th at 8pm

Get Tickets!

Based on a true story, Naked Yoga is a contemporary comedy that examines modern sexual politics in a confined space, and reveals how quickly a powerful woman can move in on a weak man's territory, turn it upside down--changing him and everything around him.

Written and directed by Alex Carver
Assistant directed by Ed Dyer

And featuring...
Boomie Aglietti, Danielle Hartnett, Dion Lack, Kelly Lett, Rodrigo Robles, and Elizabeth Southard

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Hollywood Ballet
 www.hollywoodballet.com

January 17th - Janury 27th, 2007

'Amazingly talented" (American MENSA)
"Fabulous work!" (Dance Spirit magazine editor Kathryn Holmes)

Music and passion in motion, Hollywood Ballet is Hollywood's own contemporary/ballet and lyrical dance group.

Under the artistic direction of Choreographer Rick Heiman, Hollywood Ballet launches Unknown Theater's 2008 Dance Series with premieres of Ghost Frog, a modern jazz work set to music by Parisian composer Phasme, and sections of Requiem XXI, set to Mozart's Requiem. Also included in the evening are other favorites including Green, a modern dance solo and Strange Visitors, set to Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, and much more.

As part of Hollywood Ballet’s commitment to provide opportunities for young performers, they are pleased to be joined for its run at Unknown Theater by guest dancers from the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts and Santa Susana High School.

For more information about Hollywood Ballet please visit www.hollywoodballet.com

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Accidental Death of an Anarchist
by Dario Fo 

February 8th - March 29th, 2008

It’s just before Christmas in 1969, and several bombings in Milan and Rome kill 17 civilians. Fingers point, and the non-violent anarchists become fascist scapegoats. A few days later at midnight, after an interrogation, there’s a dead anarchist splattered all over the sidewalk outside the police headquarters. Did he jump? Was he pushed? Police claim suicide; official enquiry claims accident. Bit ambiguous, you see. Cover-ups, threats and secrets become a virus as the public buzzes with panic, confusion and suspicion.

Based on the true story of one political party’s attempt to hijack the Italian government, which triggered 10 years of viral fear and violence, Accidental Death of an Anarchist re-opens this famous controversial enquiry with plenty of knee-slapping comedy and haunting relevance.

In a modern day democracy, do the citizens still control their government? Or, is it sometimes the other way around?

Amid police corruption, media manipulation, and political shenanigans, Dario Fo managed to find inspiration and an opportunity to respond to outrage with hilarious comedy—a powerful weapon against those who would threaten our liberties, corrupt our journalists, and bend the truth to control us all with fear.

Come watch as a maniac infiltrates the system, catches the cops with their pants down, and unearths the many levels of lies and deception. Side-splitting farce meets political debate. Accidental Death of an Anarchist was and is an opportunity to assemble and laugh out-loud about all of our fears and frustrations with our government and its pitfalls.

Liberal or conservative, Fo’s razor-sharp farce about police corruption, media manipulation and political shenanigans will leave you in stitches.

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Ganga - Life as a River
Arpana Dance Company 

April 3rd - April 5th, 2008

Along with co-director Priya Srinivasan (Asst. Prof. UC Riverside Dance dept.), Ramya Harishankar now explores new structures within the idiom of Indian Dance in this production.

‘An article on the River Ganga sparked the idea of a river as a metaphor for life.While this presentation draws from archetypal symbols of the Ganga as Woman and Goddess, it also brings together a different understanding of the lives of everyday women. From Ganga as the mythological figure known for her relationship to the God Siva, as a symbol of power, water, and the feminine, to the movement of the river itself as a young bubbling brook, a youthful exuberant water and life force, the mature calm but deep water, to the lives of women such as laundry women, a sweeper and a prostitute. The various stages of women’s lives are thus juxtaposed through the symbolic image of river, water, and life.’ explains Harishankar of the vision behind the theme.

Most traditional Bharata Natyam performances are set to a repertoire of music composed or set over hundreds of years for the art form. In this production, newly commissioned music, using digital sampling as well as electronic mixing, have been introduced by Babu Parmeswaran, the Music Director. In Indian dance, interpreting poetry and story telling are integral and performed through the language of symbolic gestures, kinetics and facial expressions. Pure dance or movement is often an expression of musical and rhythmic melodic sequences devoid of any lyrical interpretation. Veering away from this technique, the Arpana Dance Company explores new paths in ‘Ganga’. D’LO, a talented poet worked with the Company to create Spoken Word sections.

This project was partly funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fund for Folk Culture.

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dirty mean tricks
Choreographed by Jennifer Li 

April 17th - April 27th, 2008

Come take a haunted carousel ride between the lines of reality and imagination in dirty mean tricks, a provocative interplay between music and movement. Comic tragedy blends with pop of the absurd in this cocktail of experimental choreography and live music by Velvet Monkey. Like a hall of mirrors, dancer and musician reflect one another to reveal the dirty mean tricks we play on ourselves when trapped by longing, obsession, and the monkey business inside our own minds.

dirty mean tricks is directed by Jennifer Li and choreographed in collaboration with featured dancers Hassan Christopher and Marissa Labog. Cast includes Sharyn Gabriel, Erika Jensen, and Uma Nithipalan. Live music by Velvet Monkey features music and lyrics by Marc Jackson. Design team includes set and lighting design by Laura Mroczkowski; costume design by Jamie Hebert, Ryan Heffington, Abby Nieto, Vanessa Porter; sound design by Marc Jackson; puppets by Michelle Zamora. Heleya de Barros produces.

For more on Velvet Monkey:
www.myspace.com/velvetmonkeymusic

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The Arianne MacBean Ballets [revisited]
Choreography by Arianne MacBean  www.dancemovingforward.com

May 1st, 2008 - May 3, 2008

As an Artist-in-Residence with the city of Los Angeles, MacBean returns to her 2000 signature dance-theater work with a new perspective. Originally found by the LA Times to "abound with humor and wit" this series of short "ballets" engage issues of ownership and performance. Eight years after first conceiving the work, MacBean addresses the same ideas still wrought with fragmentation, liminality, and alienation. But, in these Ballets, MacBean proposes art itself - the fleeting beauty of movement - can save us from ourselves. The Ballets expose the mechanisms working within the system of dance and the politics of the body, this time around, without discounting the power of hope and whimsy. Featuring the virtuosic talent of Nicole Clarke with members of The Big Show Co. The Ballets examine the relationships between choreographer, performer, music, theater space, and audience.

Choreography by Arianne MacBean
Live Music by Ivan Johnson

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Kingdom Come
translated by Dan Oliverio 

May 16th, 2008 - June 28th, 2008

In 1532, Atau Wallpa awoke from a foreboding dream -- a red bearded enemy would destroy his world. Almost immediately, Francisco Pizarro and his army arrived from Spain to conquer the Inca Empire. Yet, in the face of war and potential devastation, Atau Wallpa gave his people courage and hope. While Pizarro did defeat the Inca army and murder the great king Atau Wallpa, this cataclysm could not destroy the Inca heart. The undaunted spirit of the Inca people survives in the voices of the people who continue to tell their story.

Unknown Theater’s adaptation illuminates the universality and timelessness of this ancient story with the inclusion of the diverse ancestral history of eleven wanderers who find one another at the crossroads of Kingdom Come. Come meet the survivors of three thousand years of human tragedy and perseverance. Watch as they stumble upon the story of the fall of the great Inca Empire, and discover with them the healing power of this ancient culture.

Join us for Kingdom Come, a play about the Inca and a theatrical event about us all.

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Eleven Missing Days
Meg Wolfe/Show Box 

July 3, 2008 - July 13, 2008

Meg Wolfe/Show Box presents the premiere of Wolfe's Eleven Missing Days, plus work from exciting local and visiting guest artists...

July 3-6: Faye Driscoll (NYC) w/ Nikki Zialcita & Arianne Hoffmann (LA) w/ Kai Hazelwood
July 10-13: casebolt & smith (LA) & Sam Kim (NYC)

about Eleven Missing Days:

Doomed Love. Death. A Femme Fatale. Eleven Missing Days uses the stylized, low-budget world of film noir as a starting point in this contemporary dissection and chronicle of the theme of disappearance, up-ending the creative process itself.

Collaborators on the hybrid dance/theater/audio project include performers Jeremy Hahn, Rachel Lopez, Nancy Sandercock, and Rae Shao-Lan Blum; writer Mikki del Monico; and composer/sound artist Aaron Drake; with lighting design by JaNelle Weatherford.

The development of Eleven Missing Days is supported in part by an Artists' Resource for Completion grant from The Durfee Foundation; and by the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures Hothouse Residency (2007).

week one guests:

Faye Driscoll will present 837 Venice Boulevard, which simultaneously pokes fun at and transcends the construct of identity using absurdity and some irreverence towards social stereotypes, to illuminate how exhausting it is to have to keep being "somebody" all the time. The performers play "themselves", an ultimately confusing acting job as they weave through manipulative relationships, dark childhood memories, funny but sad psychological breakdowns and intentionally bad dance routines. 837 Venice Boulevard explores the lonelier edges of the question; How dependent is who you are on how others see you? This duet danced by Faye Driscoll and Nikki Zialcita is an excerpt of an evening length work premiering at HERE Arts Center in New York in November 2008.

Arianne Hoffmann presents Doing by Undoing # 2 A score for a solo for two, a choreographer and a scribe, it requires spontaneous decision-making as one works with limitations, and produces a detailed inquiry into repetition, perception and process. With Kai Hazelwood as scribe.

week two guests:

casebolt and smith will present In Other Words. In Other Words uses a unique tactical blend of theatricality, intricately timed movement phrases and humor to illuminate how events, information, politics, and emotions are distributed and interpreted; all at a 2 foot x 4 foot table. casebolt and smith "have telepathic chemistry and they step into serious territory in In Other Words, a compelling political commentary...this powerful dance theater is destined for Youtube play around the world." (Kris Eitland, Sandiego.com)

In spite of dread horror of the solo form, Sam Kim engages herself in AVATAR a SOLO. There is no story. There is no arc. There are no overt references. They are eviscerated. There is one insistent body in the room––precisely felt in AVATAR.

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An Attic An Exit
lean to productions 

July 17, 2008 - July 27, 2008

In this theatrical tour-de-force, Looney-tunes comedy meets magical-realist mystery in a single room crammed full with riddles, levitation, baking supplies, and two meticulously explorative twins you will never forget. An Attic An Exit follows these two white-faced, white-haired twins caught amidst the household clutter of saucers, silverware, and salt. Watch as they find escape from their confinement through an imaginary landscape of fetishization.

“One of the perennial thrills in attending arts festivals is coming across a work that had never registered strongly in the blizzard of pre-festival publicity. After the hype, comes the discovery. There was little buzz before hand about Lean To Productions’ An Attic An Exit, but the premiere of this 50-minute dance theater work (more mime than dance) proved a rare pleasure and, for this festival habitué, one of the highlights of the past two weeks… These people actually have respect for their audience… This pair knows their Looney Tunes… There’s theater magic here…”

-Allan Ulrich, VoiceofDance.com, 2008

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Fables du Theatre

A collaboration with Immanence Artists
 http://www.immanencetheatreartists.com

August 15, 2008 - September 27, 2008

Sex. Death. Clown.

Unknown Theater is thrilled to conclude its third season the way it began, with a wild collaboration with one of Los Angeles’ most respected companies, Immanence Theatre Artists.

Succubae, princesses, and clowns collide in an entertaining feast for the senses. Delight in the wonder that unfolds as these two companies pull out all the stops to bring you Fables Du Theatre, an intoxicating adaptation of three classic French fables for a modern world. With a touch of Jean de la Fontaine and a pinch of Hermann Hesse, the cast weaves a magical night of sex, death, and clowns.

Artwork courtesy Edward Walton Wilcox.

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Torn Between Two Bitches
by Michael Sargent 

October 10, 2008 - November 1, 2008

The 90's ‘Zine Scene gets skewered in this blistering world premiere comedy featuring serial killer art, do-it-yourself publishing, post punk & polaroids.

Jim & Debby Goat, the self-proclaimed angriest couple in Los Angeles, perversely re-locate to Portland, Oregon to escape their mainstream success as a result of the infamy generated by their foul self-published magazine “Don’t Buy This ‘Zine”. Their move puts them right in the trap of a teenaged fan of their ‘zine -- who is even angrier than they are -- challenging their 2 decade love/hate relationship. Where is there to go when success is the enemy of artistic credibility and your philosophy is failure at any cost!?

Rock Concert with theater or Theater with live rock? Nick Liberatore and Joel Rutkowski, the two-man wonder-band Elemenopy, blow the roof off the joint with a blistering original live score as well as twisted adaptations of rock favorites.

WARNING: This play contains nudity, violence, sex, drugs, & rock ‘n’ roll.

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Knowns At Unknown: Comedy Fundraiser
Hosted by Sarah Tiana and Laura Valdivia 

November 9th, 2008

Featuring Hollywood's hottest comedians including:

Kyle Dunnigan (Reno 911)
Bryan Callen (Mad TV, OZ)
Brian Keith Etheridge (The Joe Schmo Show)
Ian Bagg (Tonight Show, The Late Show, His Own Comedy Central Special)
& a "Special Guest" so secret their agent doesn't even know

$10 ADMISSION

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