Company “re-vamps” with new image, formally adds creative team of Associate Artists

Los Angeles, February 5, 2001 - Circus Theatricals Artistic Director Jack Stehlin announced today that the company has extended its residency at The Odyssey Theatre for at least three more years. Circus Theatricals and the Odyssey Theatre originally committed to a two year arrangement in 1999, which was to end this coming June.

The first co-production under the renewed partnership is Sam Shepard’s dark comedy, ‘True West,’ which opens March 24th. They plan to open a world premiere of a Shem Bitterman play this coming Fall.

“When we decided to move to the Odyssey Theatre, we were very hopeful that the arrangement would be beneficial to everyone,” says Jack Stehlin. “Well, it’s gone better than we could ever have imagined. Ron Sossi, (The Odyssey Theatre’s Artistic Director), Beth Hogan, and the entire Odyssey Theatre family have been extremely supportive.” Circus Theatricals/Odyssey Theatre co-productions have included celebrated productions of The Cheats of Scapin (with Sean Patrick Thomas of “Save the Last Dance” fame) and Hamlet.

In fact, the commitment to extend the relationship with The Odyssey Theatre has given Stehlin and Jeannine Welles (Stehlin’s wife and co-producer) a renewed feeling of optimism about participating in world-class theatre. To “grow the company,” they’ve officially added a select group of Associate Artists. They’ve also been invited to bring a production to the Slovak Republic next year.

“Our Associate Artists are chiefly made up of a group of people who we have consistently worked with throughout the years, and have offered leadership in a variety of areas,” says Stehlin. “We decided to make their participation official.”

Associate Artists include actor/director Alfred Molina, actor/director Casey Biggs (who is playing opposite Stehlin in the upcoming production of True West), playwright/director Shem Bitterman (who’s play ‘The Job,” was produced by Circus Theatricals both in L.A. and New York, and won the 1998 L.A. Drama Critic’s Circle Award for “World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play of 1998”), British TV and film actress Jill Gascoine (who played Gertrude to Stehlin’s Hamlet), and actor/musician Daniel Nathan Spector (who has acted, directed and written music for Circus Theatricals).

“We’ve been running what you’d call a “Mom and Pop” organization so far, and while it’s been rewarding, it’s also very tiring,” says Jeannine Welles. “Especially since we’ve now entered the ranks of parenthood.” (Stehlin and Welles have a one year old daughter). “We hope to lean on our Associate Artists a bit more.”

Indeed, Associate Artist Casey Biggs, (who directed last season’s Hamlet) will appear with Stehlin in True West, as well as direct a new project called “The Side Show.” The company will produce Shem Bitterman’s new play in the Fall, 2001, among other things Alfred Molina will teach a Shakespeare class, and Daniel Nathan Spector is writing music for a work-in-progress.

About Circus Theatricals Circus Theatricals, (formerly in residence at The Hudson Guild) is celebrating its sixth season in Los Angeles, and second year of residence at The Odyssey Theatre. Circus Theatricals membership is comprised of three parts: The Studio Ensemble, The Associate Artists, and The Directors. The company produces Main stage productions, workshop productions (The Side show), industry scene presentations, and The New Plays Reading Series.

History
Circus Theatricals was founded in New York by Jack Stehlin in 1983. The first of many productions was Uncle Vanya (with Kevin Spacey), followed by celebrated productions of Danton’s Death at the RAPP Arts Center, and MacBeth at the Classic Stage Company (CSC). In Los Angeles, Jack Stehlin met and partnered with Jeannine Welles at Circus Theatricals’ new home at The Hudson Guild in Hollywood (the couple married two years later).

Together, they have produced over 28 plays, including the world premiere of Shem Bitterman’s The Job, which garnered critics choice LA Times, three Garland Awards, Three LA Weekly Nominations , and won the LA Drama Critics Circle Ted Schmit Award for ‘World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play.’ The Circus Theatricals production of The Job subsequently enjoyed a critically successful run Off-Broadway at the acclaimed WPA Theatre.

Other productions include Hedda Gabler (Critics Choice , LA Times, “one of the ten best productions of the year, four Drama-Logue awards, Garland Award) Twelfth Night, (Garland Awards) a celebrated production of Tartuffe , Antigone (Drama-Logue award), The Maids, The Stronger, Leftovers, The Lower Depths, The Misanthrope (Drama-Logue Awards), Lysistrata, Denied, Tryst and Shout, six one act festivals, and co-produced Gravity Shoes with John Bunzel (LA Weekly Award for Playwriting). The Hollywood Reporter named Circus Theatricals as one of the top ten theatre companies in Los Angeles.

In June, 1999, Circus Theatricals began a two year residency at The Odyssey Theatre, where they have co-produced along with Ron Sossi and The Odyssey Theatre The Cheats of Scapin and Hamlet. For his performance in the Cheats of Scapin, Jack Stehlin was named by New Times LA as one of the “Ten Reasons You Should Have Gone to the Theatre in 1999.”

The Name:
Jack Stehlin comes from a long line of circus performers. His great-grandfather, who was an Australian prize fighter at the turn of the century, formed his ten children into a traveling circus act. Discovered by P.T. Barnum, they came to the United States and joined his circus, where, under the name “The Colleano’s” they performed center ring as tumblers, acrobats, and jugglers. Stehlin’s Aunt Winnefred and Uncle Cornelius (Con) are in the Circus Hall of Fame, and Uncle Con is in the Guinness Book of World Records for performing the first toe-to-toe forward somersault on a wire. Stehlin’s mother, who was a juggler and tumbler, retired from the circus shortly before Stehlin’s birth. Thus, the name Circus Theatricals honors Stehlin’s illustrious circus family history.

For more information, please contact Jeannine Welles via the Odyssey Theatre at: 310.477-2055 or email jwelles@circustheatricals.com The box office number for True West is 310.477.2055 ###