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CROWDED FIRE THEATER’S 2015 SEASON
CROWDED FIRE THEATER Announces the
Cast for the American Premiere of TRUCK STOP featuring:
Jamie Asdorian, Jessica Lynn Caroll,
Jeri Lynn Cohen, and Chelsea Looy
TRUCK STOP
by Lachlan Philpott
Directed by Marilee Talkington
October 1-24
(October 1, 2, 3 – previews)
Thick House
1695 18th St, San Francisco
San Francisco - Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) is pleased to announce the cast and creative
team and dates for the American Premiere of TRUCK STOP by Lachlan Philpott, opening
Monday October 5, 8 pm running through October 24 at the Thick House in San Francisco’s
Potrero Hill. Directed by Marilee Talkington, this production marks Lachlan Philpott’s first fully
produced play in the United States. Philpott is an award-winning playwright in Australia whose plays
have been extensively developed at American theaters including San Francisco’s ACT, Crowded Fire
Theater and the Magic.
TRUCK STOP is a scathing play about the real-life events of two high-school girls who prostituted
themselves to truck drivers in highway rest areas. Philpott takes an unblinking look at the damaging,
warped perspective that media creates when love and sex are disconnected, especially for young
women who are navigating adolescence. This gut-punch of a play TRUCK STOP, by Australia’s
Lachlan Philpott is directed by Marilee Talkington with dramaturgy by Laura Brueckner.TRUCK
STOP has a local cast that features Jamie Asdorian as Aisha, Jessica Lynn Caroll as Sam, Jeri
Lynn Cohen in the Adult Roles, and Chelsea Looy as Kelly. The creative team for TRUCK STOP
includes scenic design by Maya Linke, lighting design by Andrew Lu, costume design by
Miriam Lewis, with sound design by Brendan Aanes and props design by Devon LaBelle.
“We’re thrilled to bring Lachlan’s work to our mainstage after workshopping Truck Stop in our 2013
Matchbox Reading Series. It is a hauntingly beautiful piece that sticks with you as Lachlan gives voice
to teenagers in a way that feels honest, raw, and without judgment” remarks Managing Director
Tiffany Cothran
Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) presents the American Premiere of
TRUCK STOP by Lachlan Philpott, Directed by Marilee Talkington
Run: October 1-24 Press Night Monday October 5, 8 pm (October 1, 2, 3 – previews)
At: Thick House, 1695 18th St., SF (between Carolina St.& Arkansas St. in Potrero Hill)
Performances: Wed-Saturdays 8 PM Special Opening Night Monday October 5, 8 pm
Tickets: Prices range from $15-$35 progressively during the course of the run.
We offer Pay-What-You-Can Preview performances and student/senior/group rates.
Tickets: Visit www.crowdedfire.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Box Office by phone 415-523-0034 ext. 1
Photos: http://www.crowdedfire.org/press/
Lachlan Philpott (playwright) is a Sydney based playwright. In 2014, Lachlan premiered new works
at Sydney Theatre Company, The Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Melbourne International Arts Festival
and Tantrum Theatre Newcastle. In addition to TRUCK STOP [Winner best play, young audiences
Australian Writer’s Guild Awards], Lachlan’s plays include BISON, BUSTOWN, CATAPULT,
COLDER [R.E Ross Trust Award], M.ROCK, SILENT DISCO [Winner Griffin Award for Outstanding
New Australian play, Winner GAP Competition Aurora Theatre Co. USA, Winner best stage play,
Australian Writers Guild Awards] THE CHOSEN, and THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY. He has had nine
plays published.
As a playwright Lachlan has worked with Amnesty International, Australian Theatre for Young People,
Belvoir Sydney, Bell Shakespeare, Brisbane Powerhouse, Canberra Youth Theatre, Checkpoint
Theatre Singapore, Cre8ion, Crowded Fire Theater San Francisco, Edinburgh Festival, Feast Festival
Adelaide, Focus Theatre Sydney, Glen St Theatre Sydney, Griffin Theatre Company Sydney,
Hothouse Theatre Albury, IronBark London, Kansas State University, La Boite Brisbane, The Lark
New York, London Pride, Magic Theatre San Francisco, Mardi Gras Sydney, The Mac Belfast,
Midsumma Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, MKA New Writing Theatre, The New Theatre, NIDA,
Outburst Belfast, Oval House London, Perth Theatre Company, Playwriting Australia, Q Theatre
Penrith, PACT Sydney, The NSW Drama Ensembles, The Playwright’s Centre Minneapolis, The
Playwright’s Foundation San Francisco, Rock Surfers Sydney, Sydney Theatre Company,
TheatreofplucK Belfast, The Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Tantrum Theatre Newcastle, Red Stitch
Melbourne, St Martins Melbourne, The Victorian College of the Arts and The Victorian Arts Centre.
Lachlan has also done extensive work as a teacher, mentor and dramaturge at theatre companies,
schools and tertiary institutions around the world. In 2013 he was awarded an Australia Council
Cultural Leadership grant to study new play development models. This grant included residencies at
The Playwrights’ Centre and The Lark Play Development Centre in The US. As the inaugural
Australian Professional Playwright Fulbright Scholar, Lachlan was recently in the USA working with
The American Conservatory Theatre San Francisco. Lachlan is Chair of the Australian Writer’s Guild
Playwrights’ Committee.
Marilee Talkington (director) is an actor, director, playwright, media designer, installation &
performance artist & has contributed to the development of over 40 new works in the past 10 years.
She has written and directed 7 full length plays including THE RAPE POEMS, DAUGHTER OF THE
FLOODS, SUGARVILLE: A LITTLE DEATH, TRUCE (solo show), ATTRITION, WORMHOLE (3D
sound play) & STICKY TIME. In the Bay Area Marilee has directed for Ambit Theater, Crowded Fire
Theater, Vanguardian Productions & Playwrights Foundation. And her original works have been seen
at the NY International Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Exit Theater, Players Theater
(NYC), Crowded Fire Theater, BBC Radio, The Marsh, San Francisco City Hall and over a dozen San
Francisco museums & landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge & the SF MoMA. As an actor she
has originated nearly 35 characters in the past 5 years and has performed at A.C.T., Aurora Theater,
Berkeley Rep, Center Rep, Crowded Fire, Magic Theater, Playground, Playwrights Foundation and
Theaterworks. She will also been reprising her role in X’s & O’s (Berkeley Rep) at Centerstage,
Baltimore this fall. Marilee is a proud Macdowell Fellow and a recipient of the 2011 California Center
for Cultural Innovation Award, TBA New Works Award, two TBA CA$H Awards, BATCC Award and
nomination and was also honored with the Carol Channing Trooper Award for Leadership and
Excellence in the craft from A.C.T. where she holds an M.F.A. in Acting. Talkington is also a proud
Crowded Fire Resident Artist for whom she has acted, directed, designed video & served as a
movement & fight director.
CAST:
Jamie Asdorian (Aisha) previous theatrical work has include CALL IT OFF (director), THE HOUSE OF
BERNARDA ALBA (English and Spanish), and various devised theatrical pieces. She is a Lincoln Center
trained Teaching Artist, classical soprano, and long time student of Bharatanatyam dance. Jamie earned her
bachelor’s degree in Theatre and English Literature from San Diego State University.
Jessica Lynn Caroll (Sam) has performed in the Bay Area in HOOKMAN (Encore Theatre), THE BIG MEAL
(San Jose Rep), I AND YOU and BELLWETHER (Marin Theatre Company), JESUS IN INDIA (Magic Theatre),
BOEING-BOEING (Center REPertory Company), AUCTIONING THE AINSLEYS (TheatreWorks), and
URINETOWN and RAGTIME (Foothill Music Theatre). She has proudly participated in new play readings with
Theatreworks, Playwrights Foundation, Magic Theatre, and Aurora Theatre. Miss Carroll earned her BFA in
Acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and is a member of Actors’ Equity.
Jeri Lynn Cohen (Adult Roles) is a charter member of Word for Word Performing Arts Company where she
has originated roles in over 15 of their productions in the last 21 years including the recently critically
acclaimed STORIES BY ALICE MUNRO. Jeri Lynn has appeared throughout the Bay Area at ACT, Aurora
Theatre, Berkeley Rep, A Traveling Jewish Theatre, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, The Marsh, and
she has toured nationally and internationally with both The San Francisco Mime Troupe and Word for Word.
This past January, Jeri Lynn was featured as a guest star on "A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison
Keillor.
Chelsea Looy (Kelly) is entering her senior year at Oakland School for the Arts with an emphasis in theater
this fall. She has trained all over the Bay Area and in northern Scotland with American Conservatory Theater.
Some of her favorite roles include Rochelle in TEACH FOR AMERICA (ACT), Betsy in EVERY SEVENTEEN
MINUTES... (ACT), and most of all Masha in Chekhov's THREE SISTERS (OSA).
CREATIVE TEAM
Laura Brueckner (dramaturg) is a dramaturg and arts journalist. She's keenly interested in process design,
especially as it relates to new play development. She proudly serves Crowded Fire Theater in San Francisco
as one of its two resident dramaturgs, working chiefly on world premieres and commissions. She is also
communications manager for Theatre Bay Area, where she steers the organization’s journalistic coverage of
career, craft, field, advocacy, and news topics. She recently earned her Ph.D. in dramaturgy at UC San Diego,
and continues to perform, write, and direct for the stage and devise conceptual/theatrical oddments for
nontraditional venues.
Maya Linke (scenic design) has designed the productions: HARRY THAW HATES EVERYBODY, Shotgun
Players, THE LETTERS, Aurora Theater; THE MUSIC MAN, Berkeley Playhouse; PRELUDE TO A KISS,
Colorado Springs Fine Art Center; THE BEREAVED, SHE RODE HORSES LIKE THE STOCK EXCHANGE
and the world premiere of THE HUNDRED FLOWERS PROJECT, (CFT); RAGTIME, Youth Musical Theatre
Company; THE FULL MONTY, SWEENEY TODD, ASSASSINS, JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA, Ray of
Light Theater; WIZARD OF OZ, OKLAHOMA, Musical Theatre Works; WEST SIDE STORY, ROMEO AND
JULIET, FLOYD COLLINS, San Francisco State University; Upcoming projects; On A WONDERVERSE,
Crowded Fire Theater, THE ROVER, Shotgun Players, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, Kansas City Rep. She
is the recipient of the 2012 Bay Area Theater Critic Circle Award for her set design of ASSASSINS and
received her MFA in scenic design from San Francisco State University.
Andrew Lu (light design) is both a scenic and lighting designer by trade. His recent credits include: scenic
designer for The MAPMAKER'S OPERA (NYMF, NYC), scenic designer for HELLMAN V. McCARTHY
(Abingdon Theatre, NYC), lighting designer for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Gallery Players, NYC), lighting
designer for BLITHE SPIRIT (Gallery Players, NYC), set and lighting designer for STICKY TIME
(Vanguardian/Crowded Fire, SF). He was nominated for the 2012 Henry Hewes Design Award for his set for
LOST ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE by Jan Buttram, and the 2009 New York Innovative Theatre Award for
Outstanding Lighting Design for STILL THE RIVER RUNS, by Barton Bishop. He earned his M.F.A. from
NYU's Tisch School of the Art.
Brendan Aanes (sound design) has designed sound and composed music for a wide variety of
performances, including THE BEREAVED and THE HUNDRED FLOWERS PROJECT (Crowded Fire) 33
VARIATIONS (Theatreworks), BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, THE ALIENS, AND HONEY BROWN
EYES (SF Playhouse), POLAROID STORIES (American Conservatory Theatre MFA Program), THE
TEMPEST (Marin Shakespeare), MACHINE (The Crucible) and CALIBAN DREAMS (Berkeley Opera). He also
engineers sound and tours with groups such as SF Contemporary Music Players, Paul Dresher Ensemble,
Chitresh Das, and Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. Brendan holds an MFA in Music from Mills College.
Crowded Fire champions playwrights whose work offers a vital contribution to the American theater
landscape. This production is funded by individual producer support from Carol & Burton Goldfield, Andrew
Meisel, and Brad Rubenstein. TRUCK STOP was developed in part through Crowded Fire’s Matchbox:
Commissioning and Developing New Plays Program with support from the San Francisco Arts
Commission, and the San Francisco Foundation. Crowded Fire’s 2015 Season is funded by generous support
from Corporate Sponsor Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and Season Producers Dugan Moore and
Karena Fiorenza Ingersoll & Emrys Ingersoll. Crowded Fire gratefully acknowledges general operations
funding from Grants for the Arts/SF Hotel Tax Fund and The Kenneth Rainin Foundation.
Crowded Fire Theater Company was founded in 1997 by a group of young artists interested in
experimental contemporary theater, Crowded Fire gained early acclaim for urgent, poetic, and bold work. CFT
regularly receives critical praise for its innovative productions and high quality programming, including
recognition on several "Top Ten" year-end lists and nominations from the Bay Area Critics Circle and
Broadway World San Francisco." In 2012, CFT achieved significant recognition when its production of THE
HUNDRED FLOWERS PROJECT by Christopher Chen (co-produced with Playwrights Foundation) received
both the Glickman and the Rella Lossy Award. FLOWERS also garnered five Bay Area Critics Circle
nominations. American Theatre Magazine described CFT as "one of the most reliable local stops for highquality new work by diverse voices…The company has been instrumental in introducing the Bay Area to new
writers who push the boundaries of what theatre can be." SF Weekly lauded CFT as "a feisty company
specializing in difficult, subversive works by emerging playwrights.”
###
Calendar Editors Please Note:
Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) presents the American Premiere of TRUCK STOP by Lachlan
Philpott, opening Monday October 5 running through October 24 at the Thick House in San
Francisco’s Potrero Hill. Directed by Marilee Talkington this production marks Lachlan Philpott’s
first fully produced play in the United States. TRUCK STOP is a scathing play about the real-life
events of two high-school girls who prostituted themselves to truck drivers in highway rest areas. He
takes an unblinking look at the damaging, warped perspective that media creates when love and sex
are disconnected, especially for young women who are navigating adolescence.
CROWDED FIRE THEATER COMPANY 2015 SEASON
Crowded Fire Theater (CFT) presents American Premiere of
TRUCK STOP by Lachlan Philpott, Directed by Marilee Talkington
Run: October 1-24 Press Night Monday October 5, 8 pm (October 1, 2, 3 – previews)
At: Thick House, 1695 18th St., SF (between Carolina St.& Arkansas St. in Potrero Hill)
Performances: Wed-Saturdays 8 PM Special Opening Night Monday October 5, 8 pm
Tickets: Prices range from $15-$35 progressively during the course of the run.
We offer Pay-What-You-Can Preview performances and student/senior/group rates.
Tickets: Visit www.crowdedfire.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Box Office by phone 415-523-0034 ext. 1 Photos: http://www.crowdedfire.org/press/
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