Elephant Theatre Company
Encyclopedia
In 1995, The Elephant Theatre Company was created in downtown Los Angeles. Artistic Directors, David Fofi and Lindsay Allbaugh, along with other graduates from the California State University, Long Beach Theatre Arts program moved into a space at the Angel City Brewery artist complex. The space doubled as a Studio Theater and the loft apartment for the original founders.
Focused on their desire to continue their craft after graduation they renovated the space creating a small theatre and living quarters and gave it the name of: Elephant Off Main (see story of the name below). The mission of the company and its founders was to produce a new brand of quality original theatre in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
In the summer of 1997, the small 45-seat theater could no longer accommodate the advancing production needs or the increasing audience attendance. The Company then moved to Hollywood (and dropped the “Off Main”). David Fofi along with founding member Don Cesario continued to produce Elephant productions in various Hollywood venues before breaking ground on their eventual home, The Elephant/Lillian Theaters, creating four working stages. With these additions came the necessity to form the business/producing entity called Elephant Stageworks, overseeing both venue operations and Theatre Company endeavors. The company continues to operate out of this building located at 6322 Santa Monica Boulevard.
The Elephant Theatre Company has presented many critically acclaimed world premieres and LA premieres including, Block Nine, The Idea Man, Asleep on a Bicycle, Tooth and Nail, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings, Los Muertos, 7 Redneck Cheerleaders, One Fell Swoop, Never Tell, The Sandstorm (with Operation Truth and Mark Seabrooks), Dearboys War, King of Clubs, The Puppet & Muppet Maiden, Love Bites, Holding Cell and Princess and the Peon in addition to published works and restagings that include, Search and Destroy, Serenading Louie and Sam Shepard’s 4-H Club & Red Cross.
The Story of the Name
In 1995, the Elephant Theatre Company was created in a loft in downtown Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In the beginning, the theatre (which doubled as home to four of its founding members) was 110 degrees, the tech booth was in a bedroom and audiences sat on couches and beanbags.
As the founders geared up for the first production, an evening of early Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
shorts, the question arose: “What should we call this thing we have created, this group, this space?” Over a few beers and many terrible suggestions, one of the directors came across this quote:
“When Sam (Shepard) was first starting to write plays, he was writing little, almost chamber plays. Sam was working on something and we were sitting and talking about some scene he wanted to do, and he said, ‘I don’t think that could be done anyway on the stage. There’s no point to doing it.’ And I said, ‘Look, Sam if you want an Elephant to appear on the stage without walking on from the wings, you should just write it and see what happens from it, and then see if there’s a way to do it, or a way to make it.’” -Jacques Levy
Jacques Levy
Jacques Levy was an American songwriter, theatre director, and clinical psychologist.Levy was born in New York City in 1935, and attended its City College. He received a doctorate in psychology from Michigan State University. Levy was a trained psychoanalyst, certified by the Menninger Institute...
This idea spoke to the founding members. The challenge of “The Elephant.” Hence the name, one that conjures theatrical daring, invention and imagination.
In that loft the company’s seed was planted. Now, twelve years later, the Elephant has built four theatres, which include The Lillian Theatre http://www.elephantstageworks.com, The Elephant Space, The Elephant Lab, and The Elephant ASYLUM. All of them with air-conditioning and real seats.
The name is a reminder of the company’s origins and captures a sense of doing, not just dreaming – of making it real, keeping it real, and keeping it coming over twelve years, two homes, forty-plus full productions, a fluid roster, and a deep bench.
Staff
Founding Artistic Director: David FofiCo-Artistic Director: Lindsay Allbaugh
Founding Managing Director: Don Cesario
General Manager: Tony Foster
Director of Development: Gina Soto
Director of New Play Development: Cheryl Huggins
Head House Manager: Caryl West
Awards and honors
Featured Actor in a Play, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": Ovation nominee, 2011Featured Performance, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": LADCC Award Winner, 2011
Performance in a Play, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": Garland Award Winner, 2011
Supporting Female Performance, Winner, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": 2011 LA Weekly Awards
Supporting Male Performance, Nominee, Boyd Kestner "Parasite Drag": 2011 LA Weekly Awards
Production of the Year "Block Nine" by Tom Stanczyk: LA Weekly Awards, 2010 http://www.laweekly.com/2010-04-01/stage/31st-annual-l-a-weekly-theater-awards/
Best Direction of a Comedy "Block Nine": LA Weekly Awards, 2010
Best Male Comedy Performance, Jeremyh Glazer "Block Nine": LA Weekly Awards, 2010
Playwriting, Nominee, Timothy McNeil "Supernova": LA Weekly Awards, 2010
Ensemble, Nominee "Supernova": LA Weekly Awards, 2010
Voted Best Theatre Company: MyFoxLA.com, 2009 http://myfoxla.cityvoter.com/elephant-theatre-company/biz/59425
Voted Favorite Theatre Company to See: Backstage West, 2009
Voted Favorite Theatre Company to Work With: Backstage West, 2009
Voted Favorite Theatre Company to See: Backstage West, 2008
Voted Favorite Theatre Company to Work With: Backstage West, 2008
Chronology of Plays
Feb - March, 2011The 10th Anniversary of Love Bites: 10 Years Together & Still No Ring (world premiere)
Annual shorts written and directed by various company members
August - Sept, 2010
Parasite Drag (world premiere)
written by: Mark Roberts
Mark Roberts
Mark Roberts is a British streaker who has run naked during several international events.A father of three, Roberts' streaking began when he saw a female streaker run naked down a 1993 Rugby Sevens game in Hong Kong...
Directed by: David Fofi
May - June, 2010
Supernova (world premiere)
written by: Tim McNeil
Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh
Feb - March, 2010
Love Bites Vol. 9 (world premiere)
Annual shorts written and directed by various company members
August, 2009 - Sept, 2009
Block Nine (world premiere)
written by: Tom Stanczk
Directed by: Emilie Beck (Dames) & Pete Uribe (Fellas)
May, 2009 - June, 2009
The Idea Man (world premiere)
written by: Kevin King
Kevin King
Kevin King is a Jamaican soccer player who last played for the Real Maryland Monarchs of the USL Second Division.-College:...
Directed by: David Fofi
Feb - March, 2009
Love Bites Vol. 8.0 (world premiere)
Annual shorts written and directed by various company members
July, 2008 - Oct, 2008
Asleep on a Bicycle (world premiere)
written by: Tony Foster
Directed by: David Fofi
May, 2008 - June, 2008
Tooth and Nail (world premiere)
written by: Gena Acosta
Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh
Feb - March, 2008
Love Bites VI & VII (world premiere)
Annual shorts written and directed by various company members
Nov, 2007 - Feb, 2008
Anything (world premiere)
written by: Tim McNeil
Directed by: David Fofi
August 2007
One Fell Swoop http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934255.html?categoryid=1265&cs=1 http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/qtakes/stage/559489,0,5122772,reviews.event http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/la/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003613964&imw=Y http://www.laweekly.com/stage/theater/the-first-post-bush-bash/16884/
written by: Robert J. Litz
Robert Litz
Robert Joseph Litz is an American playwright, screenwriter, director and critic.-Biography:The only son of William E. Litz and Mary Millik Litz , Robert Litz is of Hungarian and Polish background. He was raised in Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood and graduated from St. Ignatius High School...
Directed by: Christopher Game
March 7-April 7
Love Bites Vol. Vhttp://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/la/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003566134
Annual shorts written and directed by various company members
Jan 07-April 7
In Arabia We’d All Be Kingshttp://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/la/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003543210 http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_lsd&task=default&id=108459&Itemid=99999999 http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933123.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
Written by: Stephen Adly Guirgis
Stephen Adly Guirgis
Stephen Adly Guirgis is an American playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. He is a member and co-artistic director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company. His plays have been produced on five continents and throughout the United States....
Directed by: David Fofi
Dec 06
365 Days/Plays (week 4: Los Angeles)
Written by: Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks is an African American playwright and screenwriter. She received the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant in 2001, and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Topdog/Underdog.-Early years:...
Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh, David Fofi, and Christopher Game
August-Oct 06
Seven Redneck Cheerleaders (Revival)http://www.calendarlive.com/stage/396133,0,2369.event http://www.plays411.com/newsite/review/play_reviews.asp?show_id=683
Written by: Louis Jacobs
Original Staging by: Amy French
Re-staged by: David Fofi & Louis Jacobs
March 6
Love Bites
Annual shorts written and directed by various company members
Nov 05-Jan 06
Los Muertoshttp://www.variety.com/review/VE1117928810.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
Written by: Tim McNeil
Directed by: David Fofi
August 5
Seven Redneck Cheerleaders
Written by: Louis Jacobs
Directed by: Amy French
May 5
Never Tell
Written by: James Christy
Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh
Dec 04
Underwear For Christmas
Written by: Tony Foster
Directed by: Daniel McCoy
Oct 04
Love Bites Harder
Annual shorts written and directed by various company members
June 4
One World
Written by Robert J. Litz
Robert Litz
Robert Joseph Litz is an American playwright, screenwriter, director and critic.-Biography:The only son of William E. Litz and Mary Millik Litz , Robert Litz is of Hungarian and Polish background. He was raised in Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood and graduated from St. Ignatius High School...
Directed by David Fofi
April 4
21 Stories
Written by: G.W. Stevens
Directed by: Yuval Hadid
Oct 03
One Act Festival
All Men are Whores, and Bobby Gould in Hell written by David Mamet
Not Enough Rope, and Hotline written by Elaine May
Desire, Desire, Desire, ‘Dentiy Crisis and 1-900-Desperate by Christopher Durang
Aug 03
Robbers
Written by Lyle Kessler
Lyle Kessler
Lyle Kessler is an American playwright, screenwriter and actor, best known internationally for Orphans, the play he wrote in 1983.-Actor:...
Directed by David Fofi
Workshop Production with Lyle Kessler, not submitted for review
April 3
Some Strings Attached
Written by: Amy French and Alexandra Hoover
Directed by: Gina Soto
March 3
King of Clubs
Written and Directed by: David Fofi
Oct 02
Zzyxx
Written by: Don Cesario
Directed by: Kimberly Brooks
Aug 02
Serenading Louie
Written by: Lanford Wilson
Lanford Wilson
Lanford Wilson was an American playwright who helped to advance the Off-Off-Broadway theater movement. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1980, was elected in 2001 to the Theater Hall of Fame, and in 2004 was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters...
Directed by: Christopher Game and Gina Soto
April 2
Love Bites
Series of one acts written and directed by various company members<
Dec 01
Red Cross and 4H-Club
Written by: Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
Directed by: Chris Game & Dave Fofi
Nov 01
Greystone
Written by: Tony Foster
Directed by: Kristin Hanggi
June 1
Dearboy’s War
Written by: Mike Ambrose
Directed by: Danny LaClair
Dec 00
Underwear for Christmas
Written and Directed by: Tony Foster
Oct 00
The Insanity of Mary Girard
Written by: Lanie Robertson
Directed by: Pat McLoy and David Brown
April 00
Elephant Shorts, a Collection of Vignettes
Written by: Tony Foster
Directed by: E.O.M. Directors
Nov 99
Search & Destroy
Written by: Howard Korder
Howard Korder
Howard Korder is an American screenwriter and playwright. He is the author of the 1988 coming-of-age play Boy's Life, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize for Drama nomination. His play Search and Destroy was adapted into a film in 1995. Among the screenplays he has written are The Passion of Ayn...
Directed by: David Fofi & Anthony Roman
May 99
The Actors Nightmare
Written by: Christopher Durang
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
Directed by: Christopher Game
May 99
Gecko Chestnut Genius
Written by: Jimmie D. Hudson III
Directed by: Don Cesario
April 99
Line
Written by Israel Horowitz
Directed by: Gary Blumsack
Shooting Gallery
Written by Israel Horowitz
Directed by: Andrea C. Robbins
Stage Directions
Written by Israel Horowitz
Directed by: Pat McLoy
March 99
Indian Summer of Our Despondency
Written by: Kelly Wand
Directed by: David Fofi
Aug 98
Halfway There
Written by: Michael Vaez
Directed by: Christopher Game
at the Hollywood Court Theater, Hollywood
July 97
Warmth and Doubt
Written by: David Fofi
Directed by: David Fofi & Andrea Robins
The Princess and the Peon
Written by: Jimmie D. Hudson, Directed by: Christopher Game
Candlefish Theatre, Los Angeles
Feb 97
The Love of Nechron
Written and Directed by: Pat McLoy
Elephant Off Main Theatre, Los Angeles
Nov 96
Criminal
Written by: David Canales
Directed by: Jeff Walsh
Sept 96
Holding Cell
Written by: Mike Vaez
Directed By: Joe Matthews
May 96
Solitary Ping Pong
Written by: Jimmie D. Hudson
Directed by: Lori Lee Bush
My Only Hopeless
Written by: Jackie Apodaca
Directed by: Christopher Game
March 96
King Of Clubs
Written and Directed by: Dave Fofi
Adam and Rhonda
Written by: Matthew Jones
Nov 95
The Galaxy Lily
Written and Directed by: Don Cesario
July 95
Sam Shepard Tribute
Red Cross
Directed by: Christopher Game
4-H Club
Directed by David Fofi
Fourteen Hundred Thousand
Directed by: Kimberly Brooks
External links
- The home page of the Elephant Theatre Company
- The Elephant Theatre Company's MySpace Page