NEWS RELEASE

Rogue Machine at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Los Angeles, CA (June 30, 2024) – Laughter takes center stage at Rogue Machine in July as renowned writer and performer David Dean Bottrell returns with the Los Angeles premiere of his latest/greatest production, “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This,” which will be playing in rep with encore performances of The Death of Me Yet. Known for his wit and attributes as an engaging storyteller, Bottrell’s return engagement promises to bring delight to audiences during these memorable comedic performances.

“Bottrell’s storytelling is a mesmerizing journey, unveiling subtleties and deep humor even in the darkest moments. Brings brilliance to the boards” – Broadway World

Buckle up for two fast-moving, compelling performances as Bottrell (Frasier, Modern Family) shares a set of, unfortunately, true stories in “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This,” about life’s traumatic turning points which include tales of ill-advised singing lessons, over-enthusiastic weight loss, and trying to keep one’s sister out of prison. In The Death of Me Yet, he presents an uplifting evening about biting the dust. David examines the topic of mortality with a refreshing blend of humor and warmth. Through his anecdotes about potluck funerals, encounters with chatty EMS personnel, and an exploration of unconventional burial options, he recounts his personal experiences with “the big “D” in a life-affirming storytelling theatrical event.

For “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This,” Bottrell explains that, “after receiving a letter from a highly revered producer, I realized that I’d become part of a huge, embarrassing misunderstanding that could never be corrected. There was absolutely no way to fix it, but out of that weird incident this new show emerged about painful, hilarious, scary and wonderful moments in life when you realize that there’s no going back. The road has forked and now it’s up to us to move forward and invest in whatever this new path is going to be!”

Bottrell continues, “The Death of Me Yet is about something much bigger, I honestly think it came into being because of the pandemic. “We were all trapped in some form of isolation, and constantly being warned about how much danger we were in and to stay away from each other. It gave me a lot of time to think about how I want to spend my time from now on. I kind of think that all of my shows are about the search for honesty, even when it’s embarrassing or reveals me to be the unprepared clod that I am.”

“RAW & UNFILTERED… If you have never had the privilege of seeing David Dean Bottrell tell a story, caution: you may need to bring an extra pair of pants.” – Metrosource Magazine 

David Dean Bottrell is an actor/storyteller/writer whose first solo show, David Dean Bottrell Makes Love, had a sold-out run at Rogue Machine in 2011 (LA TIMES – “Hysterical. Well-structured writing … deeply consoling”). Nominated for Best Spoken Word Show (Broadway World Awards) and a recipient of a Best Solo Theatre Performance Award (Stage Scene LA), David’s additional credits include numerous stage appearances in sketch comedy and storytelling shows at NYC’s Joe’s Pub, Dixon Place, Comedy Central Stage, and Acme Comedy Theatre. TV credits include the 2023 reboot of Frasier, Modern Family, Law & Order SVU, Blacklist, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Mad Men, Justified, True Blood, Castle, Bones, Ugly Betty, Days of Our Lives, and Boston Legal. He wrote the screenplay for Searchlight Pictures hit comedy Kingdom Come.

Rogue Machine is the only company to receive the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for “Best Season” three times (2023, 2016, 2011). Additionally, they won the Ovation Award for “Best Season” (2017) and in the last 9 years the company has won three Ovation Awards and four LADCC awards for “Outstanding Production of the Year.” Rogue Machine produces new plays, primarily by Los Angeles based playwrights, and important contemporary plays not yet seen in Los Angeles. Nine of their productions have been published by Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service or Broadway Play Publishing, and six of the productions have had subsequent stagings at significant theatres, including Off Broadway, major regional houses and the Donmar Warehouse in London. Four world premieres, Razorback, Small Engine Repair, Lone-Anon, and One Night in Miami… were made into feature films, and playwright Kemp Powers was nominated for an Academy Award. In recognition of its artistic achievement, administrative strength, development of new work and other significant contributions to the field of professional theatre in the United States, Rogue Machine is supported by the Shubert Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The David Lee Foundation, The City and County of Los Angeles, The Ahmanson Foundation, and The Richenthal Foundation. RMT is a recipient of the American Theatre Wing’s 2014 National Theatre Company Grant.

David Dean Bottrell Returns in Rep at 8pm Wednesday, July 10 and runs through July 21, 2024. Check website for performance schedule. Rogue Machine, in the Matrix Theatre located at 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets are $45 (Seniors $35, Students $25). Reservations: https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/ or for more information 855-585-5185.

Schedule:

EVENT DETAILS FOR CALENDAR: Run time is approximately 80 minutes (no intermission)

WHAT: “David Dean Bottrell Returns in Rep with:

DESCRIPTION: Buckle up for these two fast-moving, compelling performances as David Dean Bottrell (Frasier, Modern Family) shares a set of, unfortunately, true stories in “Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This,” about life’s traumatic turning points which include tales of ill-advised singing lessons, over-enthusiastic weight loss, and trying to keep one’s sister out of prison. In The Death of Me Yet, he presents an uplifting evening about biting the dust. David examines the topic of mortality with a refreshing blend of humor and warmth. Through his anecdotes about potluck funerals, encounters with chatty EMS personnel, and an exploration of unconventional burial options, he recounts his personal experiences with “the big “D” in a life-affirming storytelling theatrical event.

WHEN: Opening at 8pm on July 10, 2024

Closing: July 21, 2024

HOW MUCH: Previews $45

Tickets are $45 (Seniors $35; Students $25)

Antaeus Announces Leadership Transition: Bill Brochtrup Steps Down, Nike Doukas Named New Artistic Director

GLENDALE, Calif. (June 28, 2024) — Antaeus Theatre Company is pleased to announce that Nike Doukas, a long-time company member, will be the new artistic director. Doukas will assume the role on September 4, succeeding current artistic director and company member Bill Brochtrup.

Brochtrup, a member of Antaeus since 2005 and part of its artistic leadership since 2012, has been instrumental in the company’s success. Under his leadership, Antaeus has produced critically-acclaimed seasons featuring works by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Shaw, Ibsen, Brecht, Pinter, and Churchill, as well as American classics by Miller, Williams, Inge, Hellman, Kaufman & Hart, Childress, and Jacobs-Jenkins. His tenure also saw new adaptations of Sophocles and Wright, new plays developed in the Antaeus Playwrights Lab, and three seasons of original audio plays, which earned a 2022 Ambie Award nomination for Best Fiction Podcast. Additionally, Brochtrup helped lead the company’s $3 million capital campaign, culminating in the move to the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in 2017.

Reflecting on his time at Antaeus, Brochtrup said, “When I started doing community theater plays in Tacoma as a 12-year-old, the thing I loved most was the community of artists coming together to tell a great story. Antaeus has offered me the chance to continue living that dream. It has been a real honor to lead Antaeus through steady growth for over a dozen years — both artistic and financial. Nike is the perfect person to lead Antaeus to the next level. She has exquisite artistic taste, a commitment to the Company’s vision, and the tenacity and know-how to get the job done.”

Doukas brings a wealth of experience to her new position. She began her professional theater career in the Bay Area, earning her MFA and serving as a company member at the American Conservatory Theatre. Most of her professional life has been based in Los Angeles; she has appeared in 20 productions and countless workshops and readings at the South Coast Repertory Theatre, and has performed at The Mark Taper Forum, The Old Globe, The Pasadena Playhouse, and Shakespeare Festival LA. Her other theater credits include the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, ACT (Seattle), Shakespeare Santa Cruz, The Jewel Theatre, and Pittsburgh’s PICT Classical Theatre and Kinetic Theatre. Doukas is a 2012 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship recipient. Her Los Angeles directorial debut with Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse at Antaeus garnered 10 Ovation Award nominations and four LA Drama Critic Circle awards. Other directing credits include The Tempest at Antaeus, and productions at A Noise Within, The Ensemble Theatre (Santa Barbara), North Coast Rep (San Diego), The Jewel (Santa Cruz), and Playwright’s Arena (Los Angeles), and PICT Classical Theatre.

Expressing her excitement about the new role, Doukas said, “I am looking forward to this transition in Antaeus with great pleasure and a deep sense of responsibility. I plan to build and expand on what makes Antaeus special: world class actors making classical theater come to life in an intimate space. I plan to continue with Bill’s work; inspiring, surprising and delighting our audiences.”

Board chair Evie DiCiaccio expressed gratitude for Brochtrup’s contributions, saying, “We are deeply grateful for Bill’s tremendous contributions to Antaeus during his tenure. His leadership has firmly established Antaeus as a creative cornerstone in Los Angeles, and we are delighted that he will remain an active member of our ensemble. We are equally thrilled to welcome Nike as our new artistic director. Her cohesive vision, unwavering passion for Antaeus, and exceptional artistic sensibility will guide us as we continue to grow and thrive.”

Antaeus is an actor-driven theater company dedicated to exploring and producing timeless works, grounded in a passion for the classics. The company illuminates diverse human experiences through performance, training, and outreach, believing in the transformative power of live theater.

For more information about the Antaeus Theatre Company, visit www.antaeus.org.

LOS ANGELES (June 25, 2024) — IAMA Theatre Company has selected ensemble member Brian Otaño as the 2024 recipient of the company’s Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission, sponsored by award-winning writer and producer Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Inventing Anna).

Now in its seventh year, the annual Rhimes commission was created to help grow and nourish budding playwrights and artists with an emphasis on cultural inclusion, and to showcase fresh, creative, thought-provoking work. The commission helps foster long-lasting relationships with the diverse voices that IAMA is committed to developing; by incorporating the talent and inspiration of IAMA’s acting ensemble into the development of writers and their work, IAMA continues to create a dynamic family of artists.

Past recipients include Brooklyn-based playwright and activist Geraldine Inoa; Iranian-American playwright Sanaz Toosi, who went on to receive a Pulitzer Prize; Obie-winning performer/playwright Ryan J. Haddad; Emmy-nominated writer, director and producer Larry Powell; celebrated actor, director and playwright Jule Carryl; and Chinese-Canadian playwright, TV writer, screenwriter Chloé Hung. Otaño is the first IAMA ensemble member to be honored with the award.

“We’re so lucky to be able to extend this opportunity to a writer from our ensemble for the first time,” says IAMA artistic director Stefanie Black. We’ve been invested in Brian’s work for years, helping early on to develop his ambitious Dooley Street Trilogy. We can’t wait to see what he’s been dreaming up next that we can build from the ground up together.”

A Brooklyn-born playwright and screenwriter, Otaño’s full-length plays include Dolores Slayborne: A Grand Guignol Drag Fantasia (Atlantic Theater Company Launch Commission), Under Normal Circumstances (UCSB), The Dust (2019 MCC Theater PlayLab), Tara, Zero Feet Away (Roundabout Underground Series) and The Dooley Street Trilogy. In television, Otaño developed numerous projects and served as writer-producer for The Horror of Dolores Roach while under a two-year overall deal with Amazon Studios. Other TV credits include Goosebumps: Gravesend (Disney+, upcoming) and the first season of Cruel Summer (Hulu). Otaño is a two-time alumnus of National Hispanic Media Coalition Writers Program, as well as Echo Playwrights Lab, CTG LA Writers Workshop, Geffen Playhouse Writers Room, Ars Nova Playgroup and Page 73’s Interstate 73 Writers Group. He is the recipient of the New Dramatists Van Lier Fellowship and the New York Theater Workshop 2050 Fellowship. He currently lives in LA, where he is an IAMA Theatre Company member playwright and a participant in the Rogue Machine Playwrights Roundtable. Otaño is represented by William Morris Endeavor, Grandview Management and Jackoway Austen et al.

IAMA has been dedicated to developing new plays and musicals by emerging and established playwrights since 2007. Rhimes, a frequent IAMA audience member, came on board in March 2017 as the company’s first-ever “Patron of the Arts,” committing funds for the commission as well as tangible support for IAMA’s mission and operations through her Rhimes Foundation. The Rhimes Foundation was established in 2016 to support arts, education and activism with a focus on promoting cultural inclusion and fighting inequality.