The Chuck Mee Challenge August 11, 2007

THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS Presents:

The Los Angeles Premiere Of “THE CHUCK MEE CHALLENGE”

By Francesca Sanders

Directed By: Hope Alexander, Joe Garcia, Rob Hahn, Brenda Beck, Matt Wells amongst others

What happens when you combine one of Portland Oregon’s best-known playwrights, ten directors, a turnip, a colonial occupier, a rooster and an old lamplighter? Well, that’s something Los Angeles audiences will simply have to answer for themselves.

The Los Angeles premiere of Playwright Francesca Sanders’, “THE CHUCK MEE CHALLENGE” will be presented at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts Theatre- 1336 North la Brea Avenue, Hollywood CA 90028. (Entrance on Delongpre)

One Performance Only!!
Saturday August 11, 2007 at 7pm.

In one evening, 10 directors will present 10 scenes using 30 actors, free to do whatever they want with the script, including cut lines, combine characters or even throw out the text entirely. Some directors will e-mail Sanders their intentions. Others innovate solo, freed by the project's open nature. The only advice Sanders gives is: Stay in the spirit of the Mee-ness and you'll do fine. The scenes have all sprung from Sanders mind and each is perhaps more strange than the next -- crabs speaking "click language," a Coke bottle matched against a rooster, a flea in a wrestling contest with Nazi leader Martin Bormann?

“The Chuck Mee Challenge” is the result of Francesca Sanders’ online replies to playwright Chuck Mee’s bold invitation for writers to contribute to his new play (commissioned by The Guthrie Theatre.)
Chuck Mee explains it best: “I posted a piece on the internet called “Under Construction,” and invited others to write scenes to incorporate into my piece. Immediately, I began to receive a flood of scenes from Francesca Sanders, whom I'd not known before--and I loved what she did. Finally, she sent me so many wonderful pieces, I encouraged her to make her own piece out of what she had done--and so she has. She is an immensely gifted playwright--bold, wild, unafraid, funny, devastating, extending the bounds of what's possible in the theatre, and with a complete mastery of her art.” – Chuck Mee (Playwright)

The world premiere of “The Chuck Mee Challenge” was at Portland’s Theatre! Theatre! in June, 2006. “We had standing room only and we still had to turn lots of people away,” says Sanders. The collaboration continued with a successful production in New York City West End Theatre, 263 W.86th Street November of 2006. Now it’s L.A.’s Turn. With an upcoming production August 11th at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts Theatre.
WHERE AND WHEN

1 Performance Only – August 11th @ 7PM
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts Theatre
1336 North la Brea Avenue - Hollywood CA.
(Entrance on Delongpre)

Tickets are $15.00 and available at: 1.800.222.2867 – ext.127