Event
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Books with Feet, a nonprofit organization that brings timeless literary classics to life, transforming them into staged performances that include every written word, brings Fitzgerald's classic short story to Santa Monica audiences in a performance where every written word is performed -- the dialogue and the narrative. "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," a 1920's version of "Mean Girls", teaches an important lesson about superficial popularity and the cruel pressures which demand that individuals conform to the standards of a social set. The conflict between the two protagonists in the story demonstrates the tumultuous social conditions of Fitzgerald's time, and the age old issue of how far do we go to fit in and still hold on to ourselves, with a freshness and accessibility that still impresses readers 90 years down the road. This show was previously presented in the City of West Hollywood as part of its BIG READ program and was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for Arts, BIG READ & the City of West Hollywood.
Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald was a famously fast-living guy whose works of fiction document the lives of young, hip people like him. His stories chronicled a new generation of American youth whose excesses astounded their elders. The collection featuring Bernice Bobs Her Hair is called "Flappers and Philosophers"(1920), which title immediately announces its subject matter. Fitzgerald depicted the changing face of youth through his entertaining stories of women envisioned as forward-thinking, revolutionary "flappers", while the men, who either narrowly missed or survived the horrors of World War I, are labeled "philosophers."
Featuring: Book with Feet production alumni Laura Boccaletti, Emily DeRenzis, Sarah Kelly, Scott Mikels, Greg Nystrom, Tara Redfield, joined by Mathias Dill, Adam Hunter Howard, Derek Kokinda, Jenna Mate, Elliot Schiff, and Emanuel Ward.
Director Genevieve Morrill made her directing debut in 1990 with White Dwarf at the Playwright's Center in Chicago, which played to rave reviews. Critics said, "Genevieve Morrill's staging lovingly sustains the play through all its emotional twists" and "she keeps characters alive and the story moving..." The following year she directed Fragments from the Permanent Collection by Michael Brayndick. In New York, she directed Vanities at The Cultural Playhouse among other shows, and executive produced events and performances for various companies and organizations, including Los Angeles: a World Premiere with Diana Ross at Radio City Music Hall, and 1996 POW WOW Los Angeles. She founded Persona Studios in 1992 when she produced Sally & Marsha at The Empty Space Theater in Seattle. In 2007 Morrill founded Books with Feet and premiered their first season at The West Hollywood Book Fair.
Producer Rebecca Herrick is proud to have produced all four seasons of Books with Feet. She has also produced numerous short films including Unconventional Habits, Decode-A-Mate, Demon Hubby and Obese Rich Kid Round-Up that can be seen on YouTube or Atom.com. She performs long-form improv every Tuesday night at The Second City Hollywood with her group Home Invasion.
Books with Feet (www.bookswithfeet.org ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which brings timeless literary classics to life by transforming short stories into staged performances. The concept honors the written word, inspiring youth and adults to read. The featured authors are the true stars, as Books with Feet allows the literature to speak for itself and tell its story. Through a series of workshops the actors develop a sense of which words belong to their characters in the story until a script is developed. Produced with minimal staging and with simplicity, the written word comes alive as the authors' intended language is converted from the page to the stage, putting the text "on its feet" in a full theatrical production. Every written word is performed -- the dialogue and the narrative!
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LocationSanta Monica Playhouse
1211 4th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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