Furious Theatre Company

September 2, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Furious Theatre Company returns to production with a season of four premieres: the U.S. Premiere of Scenes from the Big Picture by Owen McCafferty, the Los Angeles Premiere of The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute, the West Coast Premiere of The God Botherers by Richard Bean and the U.S. Premiere of Tearing the Loom by Gary Mitchell. The season is produced by Furious Theatre Company's ensemble in residence at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre (39 South El Molino Ave., Pasadena, California) and features some of the most sought-after playwrights working today.

Scenes from the Big Picture (U.S. Premiere)
By Owen McCafferty
October 19-November 21, 2004

The company is currently in rehearsal for the U.S. premiere of Owen McCafferty's Scenes from the Big Picture, which received its world premiere only last year at London's National Theatre. Set in an imagined area of present-day Belfast, McCafferty's critically-acclaimed play examines the lives of 21 characters over the course of 24 hours as their stories interweave and collide. London's Daily Telegraph wrote that "McCafferty is a writer of depth and subtlety, as well as palpable humanity, and constantly confounds the audience's expectations. His characterization is detailed, vivid and unpredictable, his dialogue pungent, and the piece constantly combine(s) raw drama with quirky humor." Furious Theatre Company's production of the U.S. premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre October 22, 2004 and runs through November 21(previews: October 19-21).

The Shape of Things (Los Angeles Premiere)
By Neil LaBute
January 18-February 20, 2005

Furious Theatre Company kicks off 2005 with the Los Angeles premiere of playwright-director-filmmaker Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things. Despite a phenomenally successful production history beginning with its world premiere at London's Almeida Theatre, the subsequent New York transfer and the 2003 film adaptation, The Shape of Things has yet to receive a Los Angeles production. Furious Theatre Company is honored to have been granted the rights to produce the play, which had been specifically restricted in Los Angeles, requiring approval directly from LaBute and his agent. Set on the campus of a Midwestern college, LaBute's intense, dark comedy is a contemporary story about the nature of art, manipulation and love. Furious Theatre Company's production of the Los Angeles premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre on January 21, 2004 and runs through February 20 (previews: January 18-20).

The God Botherers (West Coast Premiere)
By Richard Bean
March 22-April 24, 2005

Season 3 continues with the West Coast premiere of Richard Bean's politically incorrect comedy The God Botherers, which premiered in November 2003 at London's Bush Theatre. Set in a fictional, part-Muslim, part-Christian African nation, Bean's play focuses on two foreign aid workers and their futile attempts to make a difference in the developing world. The Guardian called The God Botherers "a brutally funny, hotly topical play about the confrontation of western liberalism and Muslim conviction that suggests neither side has a monopoly on wisdom." Furious Theatre Company's production of the West Coast premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre March 25, 2004 and runs through April 24 (previews: March 22-24).

Tearing the Loom (U.S. Premiere)
By Gary Mitchell
May 24-June 26, 2005

The season concludes with the U.S. premiere of British playwright Gary Mitchell's explosive drama Tearing the Loom. Set in a weaver's cottage in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the time of the 1798 Rebellion, Tearing the Loom is a searing portrait of a community divided against itself—with inevitably tragic consequences. Ireland’s Tribune described Gary Mitchell’s work as “that rarest of experiences: a viscerally and emotionally charged juggernaut which slams into the body leaving the head and heart reeling in its wake.” Furious Theatre Company's production of the U.S. premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre May 27, 2004 and runs through June 26 (previews: May 24-26).

Flexpass subscriptions to the 2004-2005 season are currently on sale and may be purchased online at www.furioustheatre.org, at the Pasadena Playhouse Customer Service Center (open from 10 a.m. until curtain on performance days, and 10a.m. – 6 p.m. on Mondays) or by calling the box office at 626-356-PLAY. Single ticket prices range from $15-$24. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 7:30 p.m.

Furious Theatre Company debuted in April 2002 and rapidly produced five critically-acclaimed plays in 12 months. These productions earned 6 NAACP Theatre Award nominations (winner Best Supporting Actor, Best Director), two LA Weekly Award nominations, and numerous critic's picks from the Los Angeles media. The company also received the Pasadena Arts Councils' Gold Crown Award and a special “Debut” award from Back Stage West. In May 2003, the company lost the use of its performance space, a 9,000 sq. ft. section of a former plastics factory owned by the City of Pasadena. After a 13 month search, Furious Theatre Company was invited by the Pasadena Playhouse to become a producer “in residence” at its 99-seat second stage, The Balcony Theatre.

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	*FURIOUS THEATRE COMPANY IS BACK ON THE SCENE WITH A SEASON OF FOUR PREMIERES AT THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE BALCONY THEATRE OCTOBER 19, 2004-JUNE 26, 2005*
	September 2, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Furious Theatre Company returns to production with a season of four premieres: the U.S. Premiere of Scenes from the Big Picture by Owen McCafferty, the Los Angeles Premiere of The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute, the West Coast Premiere of The God Botherers by Richard Bean and the U.S. Premiere of Tearing the Loom by Gary Mitchell. The season is produced by Furious Theatre Company's ensemble in residence at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre (39 South El Molino Ave., Pasadena, California) and features some of the most sought-after playwrights working today. Scenes from the Big Picture (U.S. Premiere) By Owen McCafferty October 19-November 21, 2004 The company is currently in rehearsal for the U.S. premiere of Owen McCafferty's Scenes from the Big Picture, which received its world premiere only last year at London's National Theatre. Set in an imagined area of present-day Belfast, McCafferty's critically-acclaimed play examines the lives of 21 characters over the course of 24 hours as their stories interweave and collide. London's Daily Telegraph wrote that "McCafferty is a writer of depth and subtlety, as well as palpable humanity, and constantly confounds the audience's expectations. His characterization is detailed, vivid and unpredictable, his dialogue pungent, and the piece constantly combine(s) raw drama with quirky humor." Furious Theatre Company's production of the U.S. premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre October 22, 2004 and runs through November 21(previews: October 19-21). The Shape of Things (Los Angeles Premiere) By Neil LaBute January 18-February 20, 2005 Furious Theatre Company kicks off 2005 with the Los Angeles premiere of playwright-director-filmmaker Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things. Despite a phenomenally successful production history beginning with its world premiere at London's Almeida Theatre, the subsequent New York transfer and the 2003 film adaptation, The Shape of Things has yet to receive a Los Angeles production. Furious Theatre Company is honored to have been granted the rights to produce the play, which had been specifically restricted in Los Angeles, requiring approval directly from LaBute and his agent. Set on the campus of a Midwestern college, LaBute's intense, dark comedy is a contemporary story about the nature of art, manipulation and love. Furious Theatre Company's production of the Los Angeles premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre on January 21, 2004 and runs through February 20 (previews: January 18-20). The God Botherers (West Coast Premiere) By Richard Bean March 22-April 24, 2005 Season 3 continues with the West Coast premiere of Richard Bean's politically incorrect comedy The God Botherers, which premiered in November 2003 at London's Bush Theatre. Set in a fictional, part-Muslim, part-Christian African nation, Bean's play focuses on two foreign aid workers and their futile attempts to make a difference in the developing world. The Guardian called The God Botherers "a brutally funny, hotly topical play about the confrontation of western liberalism and Muslim conviction that suggests neither side has a monopoly on wisdom." Furious Theatre Company's production of the West Coast premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre March 25, 2004 and runs through April 24 (previews: March 22-24). Tearing the Loom (U.S. Premiere) By Gary Mitchell May 24-June 26, 2005 The season concludes with the U.S. premiere of British playwright Gary Mitchell's explosive drama Tearing the Loom. Set in a weaver's cottage in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the time of the 1798 Rebellion, Tearing the Loom is a searing portrait of a community divided against itself—with inevitably tragic consequences. Ireland’s Tribune described Gary Mitchell’s work as “that rarest of experiences: a viscerally and emotionally charged juggernaut which slams into the body leaving the head and heart reeling in its wake.” Furious Theatre Company's production of the U.S. premiere opens at the Pasadena Playhouse Balcony Theatre May 27, 2004 and runs through June 26 (previews: May 24-26). Flexpass subscriptions to the 2004-2005 season are currently on sale and may be purchased online at www.furioustheatre.org, at the Pasadena Playhouse Customer Service Center (open from 10 a.m. until curtain on performance days, and 10a.m. – 6 p.m. on Mondays) or by calling the box office at 626-356-PLAY. Single ticket prices range from $15-$24. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Furious Theatre Company debuted in April 2002 and rapidly produced five critically-acclaimed plays in 12 months. These productions earned 6 NAACP Theatre Award nominations (winner Best Supporting Actor, Best Director), two LA Weekly Award nominations, and numerous critic's picks from the Los Angeles media. The company also received the Pasadena Arts Councils' Gold Crown Award and a special “Debut” award from Back Stage West. In May 2003, the company lost the use of its performance space, a 9,000 sq. ft. section of a former plastics factory owned by the City of Pasadena. After a 13 month search, Furious Theatre Company was invited by the Pasadena Playhouse to become a producer “in residence” at its 99-seat second stage, The Balcony Theatre. ###