Camelot Artists Opens Pulitzer Prize Winning Play Rabbit Hole on July 12 2008

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Camelot Artists Opens Pulitzer Prize Winning Play Rabbit Hole on July 12, 2008

The Theatre Company of the Beverly Hills Playhouse Acting School opens David Lindsay-Abaire's Drama at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles. Allen Barton directs a talented cast in this Tony Award winner. Daytime Emmy nominated Brynn Thayer stars in this poignant play about people finding themselves in a world that has turned upside-down and trying to find a way to move forward.

Los Angeles, CA July 15, 2008 -- Camelot Artists: The Theatre Company of The Beverly Hills Playhouse Acting School (http://www.bhplayhouse.com) presents David Lindsay-Abaire's "Rabbit Hole", opening July 12, 2008 for a six week run at the Skylight Theater in Hollywood.

Performances at the Skylight are Friday, Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm. For reservations call 310-358-9936. "Rabbit Hole" won the Tony Award for best play and for leading actress Cynthia Nixon ("Sex In The City"). It received the Pulitzer for drama in 2007 and is now being readied for the bigscreen by Fox Searchlight with an adaptation penned by Lindsay-Abaire. Nicole Kidman will star and produce through her Blossom Films banner.

Rabbit Hole tells the story of Becca and Howie, a married couple with grief - eight months earlier, their 4-year-old son Danny was killed by a car. Since Danny's death, Becca looks for ways to move on from the tragedy but finds her methods don't align with Howie's. Becca's mother Nat, who has also dealt with the loss of a child, is little comfort to Becca as well. Izzy, Becca's pregnant sister, further complicates the family situation.

The piece deals with the grieving process, but it's also about redefining and re-discovering relationships. It was the challenge of the grief that inspired Director Allen Barton: "This play presents a significant challenge, namely to address honestly the grievous loss that is at the heart of the story, but to do so with sufficient humor and hopefulness to keep you involved. Always a musician first, I approach directing with the same instincts I do the piano, and this play has proved to be as rewarding to shape as any of my favorite Chopin or Rachmaninoff."

Allen Barton (http://www.allenbarton.com) recently directed "The Last Five Years for Camelot". He is a frequent director for Camelot including the world premiere of "About Faith" (2001). He has also written several one-act plays, written & directed five short films including "Cannes" in 1999 and "Reach Out" and most recently directed his one-act "Baja Fresh" for Camelot's One Act festival. Also in Los Angeles he directed the Guerilla Rep's inaugural production of "Burn This" in 2006. His first feature screenplay, "Real Music", was a top-three finalist in the 2005 CAPE New Writers Award Competition. Allen is also active as a classical pianist - he was a prizewinner in the 2002 Los Angeles Liszt Society Competition, and performs solo recitals regularly on both coasts. A graduate of Harvard College and longtime student of Milton Katselas (http://www.bhplayhouse.com/milton), Allen currently serves as the Executive Director of the Beverly Hills Playhouse, where he is also on the teaching staff.

Camelot Artists is the non-profit theatre company of the Beverly Hills Playhouse (BHP). Founded by Milton Katselas, the Beverly Hills Playhouse is a top Los Angeles acting school (http://www.bhplayhouse.com/faq). Students from his acting classes in Los Angeles (http://www.bhplayhouse.com/classes) comprise the majority of Camelot's casts.

Many years after the BHP had already established a reputation as a leading acting school in Los Angeles, Camelot Artists was founded in 1983 as a non-profit theater in LA (http://www.camelotartists.com/history.html). Camelot mirrors in its own work the BHP's core values -- namely, the development of actors, directors, playwrights and designers. Gary Grossman (http://www.camelotartists.com/staff.html), the Producing Director of Camelot says, "Our artists risk boldly, and take the time necessary to create with freedom and purpose, and thus invent works of true artistic excellence -- Camelot is a Los Angeles theatre (http://www.camelotartists.com/) that entertains, provokes and illuminates."

Now, twenty-five years later, Camelot Artists has over 500 productions to its credit, and countless awards. Our talented pool of actors and directors has included George Clooney, James Cromwell, Richard Dreyfuss, Jenna Elfman, Tovah Feldshuh, Miguel Ferrer, Jorge Garcia, Allen Garfield, John Glover, Beth Grant, Helen Hunt, Richard Lawson, Marian Mercer, Justina Machado, Linda Purl, Gene Reynolds, Doris Roberts, William Schallert, Patrick Swayze, Jeffrey Tambor and Robert Walden, to name only a few.

PRODUCTION: "Rabbit Hole"

Written by David Lindsay-Abaire

Directed by Allen Barton

Produced by Gary Grossman

Starring: Courtney Cole, Chad Hamblin, Jay Huguley, Kristina Kreyling, Kayla Radin, Samantha Sloyan, Pete Stamos, Brynn Thayer. All actors alternate performances.

THEATRE: Skylight Theater

1816 N. Vermont Ave.

Hollywood, CA. 90027

SCHEDULE: Opens Saturday July12

Plays: Friday and Saturdays at 8 PM

Sunday at 7pm

Closes August 17, 2008

TICKET PRICES: Tickets $25.00. Student and seniors tickets $15.

RESERVATIONS: (310) 358-9936

Camelot Artists Opens Pulitzer Prize Winning Play Rabbit Hole on July 12 2008

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