FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         August 2009
Contact: Craig Shafer
publicity@pcpa.org
805-928-7731, 4100

PCPA THEATERFEST

PRESENTS

Distracted

 “distracted” -- 1. Having the attention diverted. 2. Suffering conflicting emotions; distraught. 3.having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety 4.showing a lack of attention or care.

Amid a flurry of distractions, including cell phones, text messages, the Internet, satellite TV, constant interruptions, and eight large flat panel screens relentlessly bombarding our senses with images, Distracted will be presented in the Severson Theatre from August 28 through September 20.

Lisa Loomer’s recent play is an examination of the perplexing and emotional journey two parents take in hopes of making the best decision of treatment for their son who’s been diagnosed with ADD.  Distracted – which premiered in Los Angeles in 2007 and made its Off-Broadway debut this past February – is alternately funny, touching, sad, and wonderful.

Directed by Patricia M. Troxel the cast features Elizabeth Stuart* as Mama and Andrew Philpot* as Dad. Playing multiple roles are Peter S. Hadres*, Kitty Balay Genge*, Frazier Hurwin, Kerry Ann Mayling, and Amy Barrick. Tess Chism plays Natalie and Dylan Perry is Jesse, the 9 year old boy caught in the middle and who vacillates between funny and wild, and sweet and angry. He loves to embarrass his parents by continually using the “F” word.

The unique video and sound designs by Jeff Allen and Walter T.J. Clissen respectively are used to set locales that change throughout the show with break-neck speed. They also set the mood for the various scenes. The eight video screens incorporated into Christopher Mumaw’s clean and modern scenic design will help identify reoccurring locations as well as reinforce the psychological tension through the use of computer animations. The sound design will consist of a broad range of music, effects, and environmental recordings that serve the practical world and the emotional state of characters in the play. Also designing for Distracted are Frederick P. Deeben (costumes) and Mike Johnson (lights). Stage Manager is Christine Collins*.

This is a modern comedy, cleverly exploring parenting, analysis and the struggle to focus in an era of confusion, the Internet, and Ritalin. It follows a mother's attempt to understand her son Jesse’s behavioral problems. She gets advice from teachers, therapists, and neighbors about Jesse’s issues while she searches for a way to hang on to her own sanity and serenity. 

Jessie is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Dad says, "He's just a boy!" And Mama's on a quest for answers. Is Jesse dysfunctional, or just different? Don't we all have ADD, to some degree? Mama consults a psychologist, a homeopath, a neuropsychologist, and an environmental physician. She talks to neighbors, whose kids have their own diagnoses. A psychiatrist prescribes Ritalin for Jesse, but surely a pill can't solve all of his problems.

A provocative – sometimes hilarious – and poignant look at a modern family and an epidemic dilemma: Distracted asks, are we so tuned into our 24/7 info-rich world that we've tuned out what really matters? And, perhaps it’s possible that the parents own distracted lives are at the root of Jesse’s problem.

Making its Off-Broadway debut this past February, it featured Tony-Winner Cynthia Nixon as Mama. In an interview with The Canadian Press Nixon said her character is doing all she can for her child, “but literally and figuratively, she’s sort of lost sight of him. Mama’s attempts to figure out what’s wrong with her son can be funny, ridiculous and sad, as she Googles, texts, and online shops her way through her worry and grief.”

Playwright Lisa Loomer told The Canadian Press that the production, with the backdrop of scrolling headlines, video cameras, and cell phones, is itself a play with ADD. “I remember reading that the United States consumes 85% of the world's Ritalin. I wondered what it said about us as a society, and that's where this idea came from."

The L.A. Times wrote, “Lisa Loomer’s great strength as a playwright is the vigor of her highly attuned social imagination. But as a dramatist, she appreciates the many sides of an argument, the different human approaches to what seem to be insoluble dilemmas.”

In addition to being a playwright, Lisa Loomer is a screenwriter (Girl Interrupted), and worked as an actress and stand-up comic. She is best known for writing The Waiting Room.  Her plays are often examinations of social issues, including those affecting the Latino community.
(Distracted contains mature language and themes)
*Member, Actors' Equity Association

Tickets for Summer 2009 are on sale now. Call 805-922-8313 between 1 and 7pm Wednesday through Sunday, or purchase tickets online anytime at www.pcpa.org. Information about Group Sales for 12 or more patrons may be obtained by contacting groups@pcpa.org or by calling 1-800-PCPA-123.

Now in its 45th season, PCPA Theaterfest is the Central Coast’s Resident Professional Theatre Company, and has infused the national theatre scene with thousands of trained actors and theatrical technicians over the years in its conservatory. This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the Solvang Festival Theater.

Just the Facts
What:               PCPA Theaterfest presents Distracted by Lisa Loomer

When:              August 28 – September 20, 2009
                        (Aug. 28-preview)

Where:             Severson Theatre, Santa Maria, Ca
                        On the Allan Hancock College campus
                        800 S. College Dr

Times:              Matinees 2pm (Wed, Sat, Sun)

Evenings          7pm (Fri, Sat, select Thursdays)

Tickets:            $26.25 - $28.25 for adults;
                       discounts for children, students, seniors, and preview performance.

Box Office: (805) 922-8313, hours from 1 to 7pm Wednesday - Sunday.
(closed Monday and Tuesday, open for Tuesday performances)

Online tickets and information: www.pcpa.org

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