Imagination Workshop In Association With New Directions, Inc. Present SPICE OF LIFE 6/7 And 6/8

The world renowned Imagination Workshop, founded by Artistic Director and award-winning actress, Margaret Ladd, and her husband, playwright Lyle Kessler, in association with New Directions, Inc., an organization for displaced veterans, will present an original one-act play, “Spice of Life,” at the Greenway Court Theatre; 544 N. Fairfax Avenue (at Clinton Street); Los Angeles, CA  90036 on Wednesday and Thursday, June 17 and 18, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
 
“Spice of Life” is directed by Imagination Workshop professional artists Chip Bent and produced by Jim McGrath, with assistance from Christina Linhardt, who will also perform as an actress in the play.  Men and women residents of New Directions, Inc. will perform in the play, written entirely by veterans in recovery.  The plot of “Spice of Life” focuses on the complex, multi-faceted and often comedic relationships of a group of people whose lives intersect at a city diner.
 
A Panel Discussion led by Margaret Ladd and Lyle Kessler, with the participation of staff from New Directions, Inc. and participants in the play will commence immediately after the performances.  Admission is free, but reservations are required and seating is on a first come, first served basis.  Free parking is available directly adjacent to the theatre. Reservations may be made by calling the Imagination Workshop at 310-206-8067.  For further information, please visit the website, www.imaginationworkshop.org.

The Imagination Workshop, an independent 501(c)3 organization, and it’s ongoing projects, are made possible through the generosity of the National Endowment for the Arts, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Los Angeles, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, New Directions, Inc. and the Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.

The Imagination Workshop is a groundbreaking dramatic arts program bringing first-hand theater experiences to at-risk individuals who write, direct and act in their own theatrical creations.  Through the program’s workshops, participants experience significant improvements in social, occupational and psychological functioning.  Founded in 1969 by actress Margaret Ladd and writer Lyle Kessler, the Imagination Workshop has amassed 40 years of success in employing theater arts to redirect the brain away from the “broken self.”
 
New Directions, Inc. provides drug and alcohol detoxification, counseling, residential care, substance abuse treatment and job training for displaced veterans.  The nonprofit agency is headquartered on the grounds of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.  More than 20,000 homeless veterans reside on the streets of Los Angeles.