“Ceremony” A True Tale of Love, Fear and Ayahausca - September 26 – 28, 2014
Written and performed by Michael Kass
Directed by Diana Wyenn
WINNER, Outstanding Solo Performance, San Diego International Fringe Festival
“Leads you on a voyage of self-discovery.”
—LA Weekly, Pick of the Week
“Personal, funny and spellbinding.”
—San Diego Reader
Performances: September 26–28, 2014 at Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles
Tickets & Info: ceremonytheshow.com
August 14, 2014 // Los Angeles, CA—After touring nationally to D.C., San Diego, Chicago, and San Francisco, Ceremony, the award-winning solo show about love, fear and ayahuasca written and performed by Michael Kass and directed by Diana Wyenn, returns home to Los Angeles and the Bootleg Theater (2220 Beverly Boulevard) for a celebratory weekend of performances, September 26–28, 2014.
At 35 years of age, Michael Kass lost himself. And instead of looking for answers at the bottom of a glass or from the comfort of a therapist’s couch, he quits his job, hops a flight to Peru, and searches for a shaman who can prepare a renowned tea that promises to make him see his worst fears. How far will one man go to find himself? And will he be able to find his way back?
Award-winning storyteller Michael Kass takes inspiration from his own narrative to weave this hilarious and spellbinding true tale of love, fear and ayahuasca. Deftly directed by Diana Wyenn, this 60-minute adventure—performed on a bare stage by the charismatic Kass with the aid of eight colorful buckets and a vibrant and immersive sound design by Martin Carillo and lighting design by Tony Shayne—takes audiences from downtown Los Angeles to the Sacred Valley in Peru and back. At turns self-deprecatingly funny and unsparingly frank, Kass’s intensely personal story grapples with universal themes of isolation, self doubt and coming of age in the context of a shamanic medicine ceremony.
Since premiering at the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival, Ceremony has played to sold out crowds and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. LAist praised the production stating, “A worthy lineal descendant of Spalding Gray’s Swimming to Cambodia, this Ceremony is an occasion to savor and certainly not to miss.” LA Weekly designated the show its Pick of the Week and one of the 20 Best Things to Do in L.A. The production has also received multiple awards including the Duende Distinction for Playwriting and a Best of Fringe Extension at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2013, and Outstanding Solo Show at the San Diego International Fringe Festival 2014.
More information about Ceremony can be found at ceremonytheshow.com
More information about Ayahausa can be found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca
For high-resolution images, key art and additional information, please contact Jessica Hanna at: [email protected].
About the Artists
Ceremony is Michael Kass’ first full length solo show. He is a fixture in the Los Angeles storytelling community, having won multiple Moth StorySlams and appeared in shows including Spark Off Rose, Taboo Tales, I Love a Good Story and countless others. Also an actor, Michael most recently appeared in the World Premiere of Jami Brandli’s S.O.E. and has worked with companies including Son of Semele Ensemble, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Chicago’s Tony Award Winning. Lookingglass Theater Company. Michael’s writing has appeared in the Chicago SunTimes and blogs including Thought Catalog and Fierce and Nerdy.
Director Diana Wyenn is a Los Angeles-based director/choreographer, designer and performer with a socially-driven, interdisciplinary practice. Recent directing credits include: Jon Bastian’s Bill & Joan (world premiere), Susan Josephs’ The Interview (world premiere), Michael Kass’ Ceremony (world premiere), and Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist. An active member of the L.A. theater community, she is an associate producer of Director’s Lab West; an associate member of the Theatrical Producers League of Los Angeles; a co-founder of the new play development organization, Circle Readings; and a member of the board of directors for the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Space (LADAD Space), which will be opening a new arts complex in 2015. Wyenn holds a BFA in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
