Photo Flash: Elephant Space Hosts World Premiere of SUPERNOVA

The critically acclaimed, award-winning Elephant Theatre Company will begin its 14th season with the world premiere of Supernova by Timothy McNeil, with performances beginning on Thursday, May 20. Opening night is set for Saturday, May 22, and Supernova will play a limited engagement through June 27.

Supernova tells the story of Mabel Davies, a not-so-simple housewife in Des Moines, Iowa, who has spent years living for everyone else. Following the appearance of a magazine with a dog-eared page on her kitchen table, and the events that follow, Mabel finds her life changing in extraordinary ways. A ‘supernova' is defined as an extremely luminous stellar explosion that briefly outshines an entire galaxy before fading from view. Supernova ponders fate, destiny, love, and radicalism.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Micah Cohen, Kelly Elizabeth, Gina Garrison, Tony Gatto, Bonnie McNeil, Tim McNeil, James Pippi, Edward Tournier, and Joe Wiebe. The design team for Supernova includes Elephant Stageworks (set), Joel Daavid (lighting), Jack Arky (sound) and Louis Douglas Jacobs (costumes). Edgar Landa is fight choreographer, Shannon Simonds is the production stage manager, and Supernova is being produced for the Elephant by David Fofi.

Playwright Timothy McNeil is a member of the Stella Adler Academy faculty, and his play Anything had its world premiere at the Elephant in 2008. That production received four LADCC Award nominations, winning three, and was also nominated by GLAAD as best production of the year. Three of McNeil's other plays have been produced locally: Los Muertos, Margaret, and Crane, Mississippi.

There will be two lower-priced preview performances of Supernova on Thursday, May 20 and Friday, May 21 at 8pm, and opening night is set for Saturday, May 22 at 8:00. THE MEDIA IS INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCE ON SATURDAY 5/22, BUT IS ALSO WELCOME AT ANY OTHER PERFORMANCE AFTER THAT DATE. The regular performance schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through June 27. All tickets for regular performances are $20 (previews are $15). To purchase tickets, call (323) 960-4410 or reserve online: www.plays411.com/supernova. For more information on the Elephant Theatre Company, visit www.elephanttheatrecompany.com.

The Elephant Space is located at 6322 Santa Monica Boulevard, just west of Vine, in Hollywood. Street parking is available.