THE PAIN AND THE ITCH

SEASON 2009

By Bruce Norris
Directed by Damaso Rodriguez

A young daughter is in serious need of attention while her parents worry if the milk is organic. A ravenous creature may be prowling the upstairs bedrooms. And an average Thanksgiving for this family unravels into an expose of disastrous choices and less-than-altruistic motives. The Pain and The Itch is a scathing comedy about the politics of class and race, a controversial examination of denial and its consequences.

A Co-Production with Furious Theatre Company.

cast

Olivia Aaron
Katie Marie Davies
Ava Feldman
Scott Lowell
Vonessa Martin
Brad Price
Jennifer Rhodes
Kevin Vavasseur

Understudies

Greg Bryan
Jason Frost
Alyssa Rae
Amro Salama
Tina Van Berckelaer
Bryna Wiess

Production Team

Scenic Design – Kurt Boetcher
Lighting Design – Christie Wright
Sound & Video Design – Doug Newell
Costume Design – Leah Piehl
Properties Design – Shannon Dedman
Dialect Coach – Joel Goldes
Assistant Director – Dan Steele
Production Stage Manager – Rebecca Cohn
Casting – Raul Clayton Staggs
Key Art – Eric Pargac
Publicist – Aldrich & Associates
Production Photographer – Ed Krieger

“Critic’s Pick! This astutely designed and intelligently rendered production is a shared feather in the cap for two of L.A.’s most adventurous theater companies.” – Backstage

“Bruising and biting!…The drama…blends satire with realism in a finger-pointing manner that definitely isn’t out to win prizes for congeniality. Every time you think these cringe-inducing characters can’t descend any lower, they discover a new mucky bottom. All credit, then, to this co-production…for not slipping into monstrous caricature. Even when we’re laughing derisively, we can’t help recognizing patterns in hypocrisy, denial, narcissism and greed.” – Los Angeles Times

“Pick of the week!…The ensemble responds with exceptional commitment embracing the characters with real zest. No matter how you spell it, you should not miss this exceptional West Coast Premiere presentation at the elegant Boston Court Performing Arts Center.” – ReviewPlays

“A powerful piece…When The Theatre @ Boston Court or Furious Theatre Co. have something to say, they do it in ways that can prove disquieting for some, as well as nontraditional, deeply theatrical and pointedly memorable…Like watching an explosion in slow motion, you can’t take your eyes off the thing, even as you find the splatter creating a pattern you don’t want to see.” – Pasadena Star-News

“The cast is terrific…the acting is spot-on, the direction tight, the set impressive, the costumes pitch perfect, the lighting and sound evocative…the partnership is clearly a good one…these two companies can do great things together.” – Talkin’ Broadway

“A vicious must-see comedy…that steadily, unsuspectingly turns black, twisted and unsettling. Truly Well Done.” – Splash Magazine

“Witty intelligent dialogue…Damaso Rodriguez’ work is by and large excellent, not the least part of which is his casting… intriguing multi-layered plotting.” – Edge