Jessica Hanna News

Artistic Director and Chair of the CSULB Theatre Arts Department Jeff Janisheski continues his 3rd season strengthening partnerships with artists in our community.  This season features artists from across the creative spectrum: Welcoming professional directors such has Ovation-nominated Kari Hayter and Bootleg Theater co-founder Jessica Hanna, and Bruce A Lemon Jr., Artistic Director of Watts Village Theater. Jeff Janisheski says, "Cal Rep's spring season celebrates community: those that are already in our orbit, the new voices we champion, and the community partners and artists we want to work with."

The League of Professional Theatre Women (Kelli Lynn Harrison and Catherine Porter, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been leading the gender parity conversation and championing women in the professional theatre for over 35 years, will present the 2019 Theatre Women Awards at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012) on Monday, March 25 at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm). For more information on the 2019 Theatre Women Awards, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.theatrewomen.org. 

New year, new Kilroys! For the past five years The Kilroys, an LA-based collective of playwrights/producers continuing the fight to achieve gender balance in the American theater, have been advocating for equal representation on our American stages, and have released an annual list of under-produced plays by women, trans, and non-binary writers. Despite some measurable progress, we still have a long way to go before we strike that balance. So, as we approach 2019, we are beyond thrilled to introduce a fresh new gang of fearless badass leaders. These women will seize our reins and continue the fight for equality, creating random acts of disruption along the way, while the OG Kilroys will serve as an advisory board supporting the current class. 

The nominees for the 29th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were announced this week.

Los Angeles Performance Practice presents its annual LAX Festival, which serves as a highly visible platform that supports hundreds of local artists each year, and reaches thousands of audience members in the greater Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Exchange [LAX] Festival, 6th Ed. will run for ten days from Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 21, 2018 at participating venues around town. With performances and events that are geographically focused in and around Downtown L.A., the festival program hosts an eclectic array of contemporary performances by Los Angeles-based artists, presented in dialogue with works by guest artists from outside the city's limits. The 2018 LAX Festival is built on an exchange with artists, curators, and organizations in Philadelphia. Festival passes are $125, individual tickets for performances and events are $20. For more information, please visit https://performancepractice.la/festival. To purchase passes or tickets, please visit https://performancepractice.la/festival/tickets.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

BOOTLEG THEATER is thrilled to announce the world premiere of THE WILLOWS, written by Kerri-Ann McCalla and directed by Jessica Hanna. THE WILLOWS will preview on Friday, April 6 & Saturday, April 7 at 7pm; Sunday April 8 at 2pm; will open on Thursday, April 12 at 7pm and run through Saturday, May 5 at 7pm at the Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles.

BOOTLEG THEATER is thrilled to announce the world premiere of THE WILLOWS, written by Kerri-Ann McCalla and directed by Jessica Hanna. THE WILLOWS will preview on Friday, April 6 & Saturday, April 7 at 7pm; Sunday April 8 at 2pm; will open on Thursday, April 12 at 7pm and run through Saturday, May 5 at 7pm at the Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Celebration, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, and in association with Ryan Allen, Andrew Carlberg and Amy Miller Gross is thrilled to announce that the fastest selling show in its history and the second show in its 2017-2018 season, its critically acclaimed (LA Times CRITIC'S CHOICE, Stage Raw RECOMMENDED), Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical, book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., presented in special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) with choreography by Roman Pantoja, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, directed by Jessica Hanna and produced by Stephen Soucy and Jay Marcus is EXTENDING through SUNDAY, MAY 6 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

'The mega-popular 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert delivered miles and miles of heart. Priscilla Queen of the Desert the musical remains loyal to the movie  and is delightfully extravagant and colorful with perhaps the most dazzling array of costumes, amazing sets and brilliant lighting design in theatrical history. Over the last few years it has become almost as popular as the film with touring companies in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Sweden as well as in the US'. This was my opening quote when the tour bowed at the Pantages in 2012. Now onstage at the small Celebration Theatre in Hollywood, the show is much scaled down but with an incredible cast of 11, under the amazing direction of Jessica Hanna, it is more bright and alive than ever. Audiences will fall in love with this brand new Priscilla... and come away exhilarated...and wanting more.

Celebration, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, has announced that the fastest selling show in its history and the second show in its 2017-2018 season, the Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical, book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., presented in special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) with choreography by Roman Pantoja, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, directed by Jessica Hanna and produced by Stephen Soucy and Jay Marcus is EXTENDING through SUNDAY, APRIL 15 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Celebration presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the second show in its 2017-2018 season, the Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical,book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., presented in special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) with choreography by Roman Pantoja, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, directed by Jessica Hanna and produced by Stephen Soucy and Jay Marcus.

Celebration announced today its 2017-2018 season of shows, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd.

Celebration announced today its 2017-2018 season of shows, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd.

BOOTLEG THEATER is thrilled to announce the Los Angeles premiere (second half of a rolling world premiere) of I CARRY YOUR HEART, written by Georgette Kelly and directed by Jessica Hanna (as part of the Hope & Optimism Initiative's 'Hope On Stage' playwriting prize project (www.hopeoptimism.com).

BOOTLEG THEATER is thrilled to announce the Los Angeles premiere (second half of a rolling world premiere) of I CARRY YOUR HEART, written by Georgette Kelly and directed by Jessica Hanna (as part of the Hope & Optimism Initiative's "Hope On Stage" playwriting prize project (www.hopeoptimism.com). I CARRY YOUR HEART will preview on Thursday, May 18 at 7pm; will open on Friday, May 19 at 7pm and run through Saturday, June 10 at 7pm at the Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles.  

BOOTLEG THEATER is thrilled to announce the Los Angeles premiere (second half of a rolling world premiere) of I CARRY YOUR HEART, written by Georgette Kelly and directed by Jessica Hanna (as part of the Hope & Optimism Initiative's "Hope On Stage" playwriting prize project (www.hopeoptimism.com). I CARRY YOUR HEARTwill preview on Thursday, May 18 at 7pm; will open on Friday, May 19 at 7pm and run throughSaturday, June 10 at 7pm at the Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Award-winning actor, writer and director Roger Guenveur Smith announced today that he will be performing two of his critically acclaimed and award-winning one-man shows FREDERICK DOUGLASS NOW and RODNEY KING in March at Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. 

BOOTLEG THEATER is thrilled to announce the second show of its 2016-2017 season, the world premiere of THE STAND- IN, written by Alicia Adams & Peter Monro and directed by Patrick Murphy. THE STAND- IN will begin previews on Thursday, October 13 at 7pm; will open on Saturday, October 15 at 7pm and run through Saturday, November 5 at the Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles.