Laurie O'Brien Stars in Skylight/Skylab's I AM CHRISSIE, Now thru 7/30

Two-time recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Award, and Ovation Award winner, Laurie O'Brien, channels the story of Chrissie, lunatic/savant with a feisty sense of humor.

Sanity is found in the craziest places. The fine lines between art and life, sanity and insanity are highlighted, blurred, and erased during this unlikely journey of two women from two different sides of a mental health facility. An unlikely bond grows between two women from different generations, under the banner of The Women's Movement.

Developed in KTC's INkubator program, I Am Chrissie is being directed by multi-award winner Tony Abatemarco.

"Something extraordinary happen to me. My job was to bring a little bit of art and relief into some dismal lives. Heavy steel doors were unlocked for me as I walked into shadowy mental wards. I left the work with a promise in my heart to share their stories of strength, courage, and the clarity that I saw inside the chaos…the sanity I found while visiting the dark caverns of the insane. I Am Chrissie is the first in a string of stories about the unlovable people that I had the privilege to love, so much." – Laurie O'Brien

I AM CHRISSIE runs Sundays and Mondays at 7pm through July 30, 2012 (preview Friday, June 22nd at 8:30pm). The Skylight/Skylab Theatre is located at 1816 1/2 N. Vermont, LA, 90027. Tickets are $20 - $25 ($17.50 - student/senior RUSH discount). Reservations: 702 KTC-TKTS (702-582-8587) or online at www.ktctickets.com.

LAURIE O'BRIEN: (Writer/Performer) portrayed Paulina in the remake of the movie The Defiant Ones, ugly Denise Savage in Savage in Limbo (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award), crazy Mary Barnes in Mary Barnes (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award), compulsive Virginia in The Clean House, and diva Meta Wolff in Times Like These for which she won an Ovation Award. Film credits include Bottle Shock, DisFigured, Around The Bend, Time Rider, and American Gun. Television guest starring roles include Detroit 1-8-7, Shark, CSI, ER, NYPD Blue, and Seventh Heaven. Numerous characters on cartoon series fill out her performance resume. Muppet Babies (voice of Baby Miss Piggy), Cro (Ivana), The Zeta Project, Spiderman, Ghostbusters, Transformers, Dungeons and Dragons, and the animated feature The Great American Rabbit. She narrates books on tape including Time Warner's The Youngest Hero.

Tony Abatemarco (Director) directed Julie Harris in Lucifer's Child (Broadway and A&E TV), Robyn Peterson's Catwalk Confidential, (The Arts Theatre in London's West End & Miami), as well as projects at Pasadena Playhouse, The Taper, Santa Fe Stages, La Mama ETC, and Theatre Grévin in Paris. A graduate of Juilliard, he has won top honors for his lead performances in The Mystery of Irma Vep, Bach at Leipzig, La Bete, Slow Motion and Four Fathers. He is the author of ten plays, two of which (co-authored Brain Hotel and Sir Vival Sweepstakes) have been produced at the Olympics Arts Festival and Mark Taper Forum respectively. In 2011 his most recent short story, Schwinn, was published in the international journal, Boneshaker. Tony recently starred as "Dr. Rank" in A Doll House opposite Calista Flockhart for LA TheatreWorks, 'Salieri' in the acclaimEd Pittsburgh Public Theatre production of Amadeus and 'Polonius' in Hamlet at A Noise Within.

INKubator is KTC's newest program giving audiences a first glimpse into new projects launched in Los Angeles. Since it's inception in January 2011, INKubator as previewed work from over 40 Los Angeles writers, ages 17- 80 years old. As a result of INKubator, KTC has launched several main stage, critically acclaimed productions including Hermetically Sealed (LA Times – "Critic's Choice and on of the Top Ten Productions of 2011," 2011 Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle nomination for Best Actress, LA Weekly nomination for Best Ensemble), and Beautified (LA Weekly - PICK OF THE WEEK!)

Photo credit: Ed Krieger

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