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The Marilyn Monroe Theatre & James Dean Soundstage | |
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The Marilyn Monroe Theatre, named after one of Lee Strasberg's illustrious students, was established in 1969 when Anna Strasberg purchased the property as gift to her husband. Since that time, the Marilyn Monroe Theatre has distinguished itself among the finest Los Angeles theatres by delivering first-rate theatrical productions for over three decades.
In October 2000, The Marilyn Monroe Theatre was completely renovated, and under the leadership of David Lee Strasberg, The Group at Strasberg began producing plays by emerging new playwrights. The Marilyn Monroe Theatre world premiered Rodrigo Garcia's critically acclaimed play 10 Tiny Love Stories, the West Coast premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz's A Bicycle Country, and developed and workshopped Tristine Skylar's play, The Moonlight Room which became an off-Broadway hit and toured the country. Opera superstar Julia Migenes starred in Jean Cocteau's French masterpiece La Voix Humaine. Additional productions include Molly's Delicious, Possible Worlds and Invisible Chairs. The Lee Strasberg 100thCentennial was celebrated with a stirring revival of Names and recognized as one of the Best Plays of the Year from New Times Publications. The magnificent renovation also allowed for film and television screenings. Noted film directors such as Oscar-winner Callie Khouri (Thelma and Louise), Peter Medak (Romeo is Bleeding), Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) producer Lili Fini Zanuck (Driving Miss Daisy) and screenwriter Scott Frank (Get Shorty, Minority Report)have discussed their creative process in The Marilyn Monroe.
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| This theatre's early history began in the 1970s with Lee Strasberg conducting master classes, presentations, and directing units in this space. Mr. Strasberg's seminar exhibiting rare film work of Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse, Laurette Taylor and John Barrymore was especially popular. Outstanding productions include David Rabe's In the Boom Boom Room starring Oscar nominees Sally Kirkland, Amy Madigan, and featuring Rebecca DeMornay. Anna Strasberg directed the children's holiday classic, St. George and the Dragon in collaboration with the Actors Studio. The Carpenters, Joe Egg by Peter Nichols and Drayman Henschel by Nobel Prize winner Gerhart Hauptmann, directed by Lorrie Hull highlighted the decade.
The 1980s burst forth with a prolific slate of productions: Leonardo starring Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Sam Shephard's Buried Child starring Andrew Prine (Gods and Generals), A Celebration of Tennessee Williams directed by Hedy Sontag, Dem Bums by Frank Pugliese directed by Evangeline Morphos, and A Moon for the Misbegotten directed by Salome Jens. Anna Strasberg directed with Before I Wake, Kennedy's Children and Love and Such starring Arthur Schnitzner, Ferene Molnar and Guy DeMaupassort. Has Anyone Seen Joey, Cowards by Sam Klutznick, directed by Laura Graham, Tabori Tabori co-produced with the Goethe German Center, Mobile Home, an inspired revival of Bertolt Brecht's The Jewish Wife, A Measure of Cruelty directed by Jack Heller, the musical Lisa and David, Eros and Illinois by April Webster, Playing House Again and Animal Game were housed at this theatre. The Marilyn Monroe was home to Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna when they debuted It Had to Be You and If You Leave Me, I am Going With You both of which became smash hits on Broadway. A fresh revival of Lovers and Other Strangers by Bologna and Taylor also won critical praise. The Marilyn Monroe had the distinction of presenting a searing stage adaptation of Playing for Time directed by Mimi Leder (Pay it Forward with Kevin Spacey).
Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge was presented twice in the Marilyn Monroe; first with Golden Globe-winner Kim Cattral (HBO's Sex in the City) and second with Academy Award nominee Burt Young. The latter scored a Dramalogue Award for Best Production Design. Sydney Kingley's classic Detective Story also won Dramalogue's Best Production Design Award. A Life in the Theatre by David Mamet starring John Prosky Jr. (A.I. Artificial Intelligence), You Shall Give Me Grandsons starring Emmy Award-winner Michael Learned, Yakima directed by Lance Lane starring Caroline Jones were also critically acclaimed bookings. The Marilyn Monroe housed several successful international co-productions, most notably The Winds of God with the Japanese International Cultural Exchange Program and Woyzeck with the Goethe Institute in Germany. Tony Award-winner Israel Horovitz's rarely seen Unexpected Tenderness brought actor Ben Savage an Ovation Award as Best Actor.
Audiences have interacted with such Lee Strasberg luminaries as Robert DeNiro, Shelley Winters, Maximilian Schell, Jon Voight, Al Pacino, Bridget Fonda, Robert Wagner, Stephanie Powers, Claire Daines, Charlayne Woodard and Fionnula Flanagan. Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek hosted a special screening of In the Bedroom; and Frank Peirson, President of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences deconstructed Dog Day Afternoon. Home to The Lee Strasberg Heritage Series, the Marilyn Monroe presented Emmy Award-winner Shirley Knight in an evening dedicated to The Three Sisters, Oscar nominee Lesley Ann Warren illuminated her brilliant comic performance in Victor/Victoria, Oscar Winner Martin Landau discussed his transformation into Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's Ed Wood, other Heritage guests include director Paul Mazursky and Rebecca De Mornay.
The Marilyn Monroe Theatre Board of Directors include Sophia Loren, Placido Domingo, Martin Brest, Marlo Thomas, Lynn Von Kirsting, Samuel Klutznick, Al Pacino and Errol Rappaport
"A woman of vision who makes the lights shine in this theatre. Thank you for lighting the way."
— Lucille Lortell
Space limitations prevent us mentioning all the productions which have played at this theatre.
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The James Dean Soundstage | |
| | The James Dean Sound Stage is a 1000ft. (50ft. x 20ft.) working sound stage complete with lighting grid, green screen drapery and a configuration of black drapery that allows the stage to be split in half. The Dean is also fully equipped with grip gear and an array of Mole-Richardson stage lighting. Information regarding the James Dean Soundstage coming soon.
Volare
Set in 1946, Volare is a relationship story of Vincenzo BonGiovanni, who has moved to Brooklyn, New York from Italy along with his parents and grandmother. He struggles to meet his father's expectations and tries to adjust to American school life. He finds a friend in America thanks to his father's teachings, skills of model airplane building, and a radio show called SKY KING.
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Volare was the first production to utilize the newly completed sound stage at the Strasberg. The 1946 BonGiovanni New York apartment was constructed and filmed during the fourteen day shoot in June, 2004. Volare has been accepted as an Official Selection of the 2005 Newport Beach Film Festival and will also be featured at the Berlin International Film Festival in February. Check back soon for upcoming festival appearances.
Cast
Federico Castelluccio
Tristan Carrasco
Liz Torres
Hristo Ivanov
Austin Majors
Ralf Mosig (Strasberg Alumni)
Markus Flanagan
Bobby Costanzo
Ann Hampton Callaway
Ronnie Marmo
VOLARE was written and directed by Tamela D'Amico (also a Strasberg Alumni)
Produced by Eric Presley
Costumes designed by Alycia Belle
Music composed and conducted by Kyle Newmaster
Music Supervised by Rob Christie
Edited by Dallas C. Baker
Production Design by Brian Ollman and Erin Schlabach
Visual Effects Supervised by John Stewart
Sound Design by Jon Tendrich
Cinematography by Christina Fiers
Key Makeup by Tiffany Lee Bymaster
Key Hair by Mikki McCarron
Executive Produced by Andrew Wyly, Ralf Mosig, Carsten Kuehn, David Lee
Strasberg
Co-Executive Producers Michael D'Amico II and Paul D'Amico
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