Caught July 16, 2011

CAUGHT
A TALE OF MARRIAGE, LOVE AND FAMILY VALUES

WORLD PREMIERE PLAY,
WRITTEN BY DAVID L. RAY AND DIRECTED BY NICK DEGRUCCIO

Longest Running Play in Los Angeles!

O! OVATION RECOMMENDED & L.A. WEEKLY AWARD NOMINATED

Run Extended for the Fifth and final Time Through Sunday, August 7!
At The Zephyr Theatre

David L. Ray’s world premiere play, Caught, presented by Buttermilk Productions in association with Drumfish Productions, and directed by three-time Ovation Award-winner Nick DeGruccio, has extended its run through Sunday, August 7.

Over the past several years, the debate over same-sex marriage has split the country, deeply divided religious communities, and galvanized American politics. Caught is a contemporary play which examines this contentious debate through the life of one American family.

Described by LA Weekly as a "scintillating domestic comedy," Caught opens in the summer of 2008, a week before Kenneth and Troy's long-awaited Malibu beach wedding. But their bliss is threatened when Kenneth's long-estranged, socially-conservative sister, Darlene, shows up unexpectedly with a suitcase full of secrets in tow. As all hell breaks loose, Caught provides both laughter and tears and, says Broadway World, "triumphs as a genuinely riveting, enjoyable piece of living theater." Through this set of circumstances, Caught explores the meaning of ‘marriage,’ and how the family can find a way to meet in the middle while navigating long-standing religious values and staying true to each individual’s core beliefs.

Writer David L. Ray is an acclaimed, emerging playwright whose previous works have been produced nationwide, including the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in New York and the Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood. Nick DeGruccio is a multi Ovation, LADCC, and Garland Award winner for Best Director. He has helmed productions at other prestigious theatres, including South Coast Rep, The Colony Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, The Rubicon, Cabrillo Music Theatre, Musical Theatre West, Performance Riverside and more. He is the Artistic Director of the acclaimed Havok Theatre Company.

The full cast features (in alphabetical order) Will Beinbrink, Jason Dechert, Amanda Kaschak, Micah McCain, Deborah Puette, and Ian Vogt. The design team includes set by Adam Flemming, lighting by Lisa D. Katz, sound by Elizabeth Rhodes, and costumes by Katherine Hampton Noland. Casting is by Raul Staggs, and the production stage manager is Darlene Miyakawa.

According to Steven Stanley of StageSceneLA, “Since its November World Premiere, David L. Ray’s Caught has become that rarity in Los Angeles Theater - a show that enters L.A.’s stage scene very much under the radar yet manages despite odds to become a breakout hit… True, its director Nick DeGruccio has won more prizes than any just about anyone else in L.A. theater, and yes, its star Deborah Puette did win an LA Weekly Award for her unforgettable work in Tryst, but neither’s name is likely to have marquee value outside L.A. theater cognoscenti… Fortunately, in the weeks following that December opening, Caught has not only inspired one rave review after another (and a GO from the LA Weekly), but has - even more importantly - proven that nothing can beat word-of-mouth for putting bodies into seats… Caught is not about Prop 8. It is not even about Gay Marriage, even though it centers on a gay wedding. It is about love and understanding and the true meaning of family. Profoundly respectful of people of faith yet not afraid to cast stones at those who pervert Christ’s message of love, Caught is one of the few shows I could see on a monthly, if not weekly basis, and never stop enjoying”.

New to this run, Caught will now be featuring ‘Benefit Fridays’ and ‘TalkBack Sundays’. Each Friday of the fifth extension, Caught will donate a portion of ticket sales to an advocacy group including AIDS Project Los Angeles, PFLAG and The Trevor Project. Every Sunday, there will be a post-performance talk back featuring a different Community Spiritual Leader, Equality Activist or Political Vanguard.

The Ovation Recommended production of Caught is now extended for a fifth time, beginning July 8 through August 7. Regular performances are Fridays and Saturday at 8:00pm and Sundays at 7:00pm. There will no performance on Friday, July 15. Tickets are $40 and may be purchased by visiting www.CaughtThePlay.com or by calling (310) 945-5786. The Zephyr Theatre is located at 7456 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, 90046.

Official Website: http://www.caughttheplay.com