Little Candle Productions presents two shows at Hollywood Fringe Festival

A World Premiere and an Encore Engagement.

WHAT:   THE WORLD PREMIERE of “Taming of the Show,” by Blake Waker; a new 55 minute farce with music AND the reprise of  2014 SMASH HIT “Cold Tangerines: The Play,” adapted by Lynn Downey Braswell from the book by Shauna Niequist; a 50 minute comedy/drama.

WHO:   Little Candle Productions. Producers: Karissa McKinney and Lynn Downey Braswell
WHERE:   The 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Theatre Row, Hollywood, CA
WHEN:   11 performances between June 5th -June 25th

DETAILS:

Little Candle Productions mounts two shows at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. On the bright side, they present an uplifting remount of their hit world premiere of COLD TANGERINES: THE PLAY, adapted by Lynn Downey Braswell from the book by Shauna Niequist, And from the shadows, they debut the wickedly funny TAMING OF THE SHOW by Blake Walker.

Cold Tangerines follows now-famous essayist Shauna Niequist as she honestly and humorously struggles with feelings of doubt, worry, and inadequacy – truly, one woman’s every woman story.

Taming of the Show takes the audience through the outlandish and hysterical rehearsal process of a dysfunctional production of  “Shrew” set in caveman times.

If Cold Tangerines is a love letter to everyday life, Taming of the Show is a drunken text to all we love (and love to hate) about the world of theatre.

The two shows are stacked with an hour break in between so audiences can enjoy both without having to navigate Hollywood parking more than once. The theatres are blocks apart near plenty of watering holes. (Think of it as a long boozy intermission.) Audiences will enjoy two incredibly crafted plays by local writers, featuring spectacular casts, (whose credits include Old Globe, Theatricum Botanicum, Boston Court, the Falcon Theatre, the Odyssey Theatre, A Noise Within, among others,) and experience exactly what it feels like to say “Now for something completely different!” Skip the gym, you’ll get your workout laughing.

Little Candle’s mottos is: NEW PLAYS AREN’T SCARY. We create new, intelligent, story­-centered theatre. Previously, Little Candle Productions has produced the World Premieres of “Cold Tangerines: The Play,”  “The Elliots,” and “The Innocence of Father Brown,” all at the Fremont Centre Theatre, and a one night engagement of “The Winter’s Tale,” at the Historic Alex Theatre.

 

THE SHOWS:

Cold Tangerines: The Play
WHAT: “Cold Tangerines: The Play.” A 50 min comedy/drama.
WHO: Adapted for the stage by Lynn Downey Braswell. Based on the book by Shauna Niequist. Directed by Karissa McKinney.
WHERE: The Lounge Theatre. 6201 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038. Street parking.
WHEN: Sun. June 5th, 2pm. Sat. June 11, 8pm. Sun. June 12, 6pm. Sat. June 18, 4pm. Sat. June 25, 8pm
ADMISSION: $12. $10 with “Hollywood Fringe Festival Button”

RESERVATIONS/ONLINE TICKETING:http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/ search “Cold Tangerines” & follow links, or http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/3416?tab=tickets

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SYNOPSIS:

Shauna dreams of being a writer, but has let her insecurities and obligations hold her back. When she finally summons the courage to put pen to paper, her differing identities clash in her imagination and onstage. As Shauna learns to make peace with her life, herself, and her crazy brain, audiences may begin to do the same on the journey toward #youarenough.  In what might be considered “Eat Pray Love” meets “Godspell,” epiphanies flow along with laughter and tears.

Playwright Lynn Downey Braswell has adapted Niequist’s book for the stage and plays the leading role. A graduate of Ball State University, she is a founding member of Monkey Butler and studies at The Groundlings.

Karissa McKinney directs. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she also trained with Playwrights Horizon in New York.

“Cold Tangerines: The Play” was developed by Little Candle Productions in 2014 with a World Premiere and extended run at the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena and has, since, gone on to tour women’s conferences in Southern California, shining a light on the beauty and inherent worth in our ordinary life stories.

The cast is Lynn Downey Braswell as Shauna, Amanda Celine Miller as Shea,  Maria McCann as Anna, and Melissa Blue as Nadia.

REVIEWS:

“An authentic and impactful adaptation … You will walk away with an indelible smile and renewed optimism.” – Evelyn Chai Chua, LifeinLA.com

“This adaptation proves funny, charming, touching, and heartwarming … just what the doctor ordered.” -Pasadena Star News

Taming of the Show

WHAT: “Taming of the Show.” A 55 min farcical send up of the theatre with music.
WHO: Written and Directed by Blake Walker. Musical Direction by Billy Gill.
WHERE: Sacred Fools Theatre: Black Box. 6322 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90038.  Street parking.
WHEN: Sun 6/5 @ 4pm. Sat 6/11 @ 10pm. Sun 6/12 @ 8pm. Sat 6/18 @1:30pm. Thur 6/23 @ 8pm. Sat 6/25 @ 6pm.

ADMISSION: $12. $10 with “Hollywood Fringe Festival Button”

RESERVATIONS / ONLINE TICKETING:http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/ search “Taming of the Show” & follow links, or http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/3418?tab=tickets

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SYNOPSIS:

A line has been drawn in the sand betwixt actors and crewmembers. Never the twain shall meet. And yet… Eddie Littlejeans, the assistant stage manager on a dysfunctional production of “Taming of the Shrew” (set in caveman times) dares to harbor a flame for the leading lady. Can love find a way backstage? In what might be considered “Noises Off!” meets “Misery” (with singing and dancing!) the show within a show goes terribly wrong, while “Taming of the Show” gets it just right.

Playwright Blake Walker directs. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, he has studied improv and sketch at UCB and IO West.

Musical Director Billy Gill is a graduate of Southern Methodist University. An actor, director and musician, he is slated to direct Little Candle’s upcoming world premiere of “The Light of Western Stars.”

“Taming of the Show” was developed by Little Candle Productions. The cast is Jeff DeCrosta as Eddie, Chineze Enekwechi as Annie, Marc Forget as Montana Stanislavski, Greg Steinbrecher as Brayden, Steve Peterson as Hillary, Paula Deming as Betty & Anthony Papastrat as Ronald Jeremy.