Theatre aficionados and disability experts have been enjoying the West Coast premiere engagement of "The History of Bowling" at The NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood, California. The show runs through April 27, 2008.
Reviews recommending the show have been written by the Los Angeles Times, Backstage West, LA Weekly, LA Stage Scene, as the show also earned 'Critics Pick of the Week!' from the American Radio Network.
In a move of authenticity, the show features performers with disabilities playing characters with disabilities. Actor Danny Murphy, who has quadriplegia in real life also portrays a quadriplegic character. Actor Lynn Manning, who is blind in real life, portrays a character who is deaf and blind. The play, written by Michael Ervin, who is a wheelchair user, is being directed by Sara Botsford, whose brother used a wheelchair following the onset of multiple sclerosis.
"The History of Bowling" has Los Angeles based performers and theatre lovers speaking out in recognition of the importance of innovative theatre.
"I saw 'History of Bowling' last Friday and loved it," says actor Robert David Hall of "CSI" fame. "The cast was brilliant. Tara Samuel and Danny Murphy were especially good together and the staging was amazing. I was part of the original readings of 'History of Bowling' and I think Sara Botsford has taken the play to a new level. Mike Ervin's play transcends simply 'disability' issues. This is both a love story and a comedic look at stereotypes. I recommend it highly."
Film, television and theatre actress Diana Elizabeth Jordan was thrilled with the show's success.
"As a fellow actor with a disability, I hope the show opens more doors," Jordan says, "and that this ushers in an era where more and more stories from our disability culture can be shared in exciting theatrical and entertaining ways."
Noting the significance of the play's West Coast premiere, Gloria M. Castaņeda, Program Director/Casting Liaison of the Media Access Office, was proud to see "The History of Bowling" come to fruition.
"Danny Murphy, along with the rest of the cast and production team, did an amazing job putting on this play. 'The History of Bowling' truly shows that performers with disabilities are actors first and foremost. This play entertains the audience by bringing the universal subjects of life, relationships, love and sex to the forefront, proving that we all share the human experience," Castaņeda explains. "I look forward to the future when Blue Zone Productions will do other projects where actors with disabilities are cast and their disability is not the focus of the story."
Deborah Lewis, Executive Director of the ELA Foundation, was impressed with every aspect of the show.
"'The History of Bowling' is a story of the disability experience beyond the victim and hero syndromes," Lewis says, "and it dispels the myths of people with disabilities on all levels and brings us all into the human experience."
Vivian Kimoto, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor who has worked with disabilities for 20 years, had a different view of the play.
"It's very important for able-bodied people to see this play, but it's also important for people who think they understand disabilities," Kimoto explains, "because this play is very honest. To see the experience of people with disabilities, whether you work with disabilities or not, you need to view this show with an open mind. It's so interesting because there's one character with an unseen disability of epilepsy while the other character has a visible disability as a quadriplegic and wheelchair user. The dynamic is so interesting because she's more disabled than he is, even though he uses a wheelchair. She has so many hang-ups because she hasn't accepted her disability and, in a way, society hasn't allowed her to accept it because it's unseen. Society wants to know 'Why can't you do that?' Epilepsy is an unseen disability that has limitations. The other character is deaf and blind and he's a jerk. It doesn't matter that he's disabled, character is character and it shows through. I encourage everyone to see this play because it's complex and gives us a new level of understanding."
"The History of Bowling" runs through April 27, 2008, at The NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood, Fridays and Saturday 8 P.M., Sunday at 3 P.M., (818) 508-7101.
For more information visit www.TheNoHoArtsCenter.com or www.PerformersWithDisabilities.com.
Reviews recommending the show have been written by the Los Angeles Times, Backstage West, LA Weekly, LA Stage Scene, as the show also earned 'Critics Pick of the Week!' from the American Radio Network.
In a move of authenticity, the show features performers with disabilities playing characters with disabilities. Actor Danny Murphy, who has quadriplegia in real life also portrays a quadriplegic character. Actor Lynn Manning, who is blind in real life, portrays a character who is deaf and blind. The play, written by Michael Ervin, who is a wheelchair user, is being directed by Sara Botsford, whose brother used a wheelchair following the onset of multiple sclerosis.
"The History of Bowling" has Los Angeles based performers and theatre lovers speaking out in recognition of the importance of innovative theatre.
"I saw 'History of Bowling' last Friday and loved it," says actor Robert David Hall of "CSI" fame. "The cast was brilliant. Tara Samuel and Danny Murphy were especially good together and the staging was amazing. I was part of the original readings of 'History of Bowling' and I think Sara Botsford has taken the play to a new level. Mike Ervin's play transcends simply 'disability' issues. This is both a love story and a comedic look at stereotypes. I recommend it highly."
Film, television and theatre actress Diana Elizabeth Jordan was thrilled with the show's success.
"As a fellow actor with a disability, I hope the show opens more doors," Jordan says, "and that this ushers in an era where more and more stories from our disability culture can be shared in exciting theatrical and entertaining ways."
Noting the significance of the play's West Coast premiere, Gloria M. Castaņeda, Program Director/Casting Liaison of the Media Access Office, was proud to see "The History of Bowling" come to fruition.
"Danny Murphy, along with the rest of the cast and production team, did an amazing job putting on this play. 'The History of Bowling' truly shows that performers with disabilities are actors first and foremost. This play entertains the audience by bringing the universal subjects of life, relationships, love and sex to the forefront, proving that we all share the human experience," Castaņeda explains. "I look forward to the future when Blue Zone Productions will do other projects where actors with disabilities are cast and their disability is not the focus of the story."
Deborah Lewis, Executive Director of the ELA Foundation, was impressed with every aspect of the show.
"'The History of Bowling' is a story of the disability experience beyond the victim and hero syndromes," Lewis says, "and it dispels the myths of people with disabilities on all levels and brings us all into the human experience."
Vivian Kimoto, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor who has worked with disabilities for 20 years, had a different view of the play.
"It's very important for able-bodied people to see this play, but it's also important for people who think they understand disabilities," Kimoto explains, "because this play is very honest. To see the experience of people with disabilities, whether you work with disabilities or not, you need to view this show with an open mind. It's so interesting because there's one character with an unseen disability of epilepsy while the other character has a visible disability as a quadriplegic and wheelchair user. The dynamic is so interesting because she's more disabled than he is, even though he uses a wheelchair. She has so many hang-ups because she hasn't accepted her disability and, in a way, society hasn't allowed her to accept it because it's unseen. Society wants to know 'Why can't you do that?' Epilepsy is an unseen disability that has limitations. The other character is deaf and blind and he's a jerk. It doesn't matter that he's disabled, character is character and it shows through. I encourage everyone to see this play because it's complex and gives us a new level of understanding."
"The History of Bowling" runs through April 27, 2008, at The NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Boulevard, North Hollywood, Fridays and Saturday 8 P.M., Sunday at 3 P.M., (818) 508-7101.
For more information visit www.TheNoHoArtsCenter.com or www.PerformersWithDisabilities.com.
