THE FENCE WORLD PREMIERE UNDERGROUND THEATRE SEPTEMBER 29 TO NOVEMBER 5, 2006

Hollywood, CA…Writer/director Johanna Siegmann is pleased to announce the World Premiere of THE FENCE. The play takes place one evening when a fence suddenly appears at the US/Mexico border, stranding people on both sides. It is a lighthearted, irreverent look at everything from media sensationalism to NAFTA, joblessness to drugs, vigilantism, terrorism, rules and regulations, cultural differences and outsourcing.

One night, as Gin (Angelica Pulido) a Mexican mother returns home, she finds her route blocked by a huge fence. The disembodied voice of Border Patrol Guard Officer Wilcox (Mueen Jahan), controls the situation and blasts instructions over a loudspeaker. Ma, Gin’s mother-in-law (Livia Trevino), her father-in-law Pa (Sandez Rueles), her unemployed husband Jojo (Carlos Antonio) and his free wheeling activist sister Chacha (Adriana Milan), all come searching for her, only to find themselves trapped on their side of THE FENCE. As the night progresses a whole cast of characters - entrepreneurial Angie (Elena Bonifaz), two teenagers Lalo (Luis Chavez/Ronnie Alvarez) and Toby (Anderson Goncalvez/Michael Zephan), their fathers Hector (Jody Miller) and Sancho (Armando Ortega), and two ambitious television reporters Erica Hernandez (Elena Bonifaz) and Fred Robinson (Andrew Thatcher), as well as a half a dozen other eccentric characters, all find themselves confronting their own particular issue raised at THE FENCE. At the end of the night, Officer Perkins takes over as the new Border Patrol Guard, and the audience is left to contemplate…what side are you on?

Johanna Siegmann has directed over a dozen full length plays since 1996. Some of them include THE CERAMIC COW and THE CACTI & I for Theatre Unlimited at the NoHo Arts Festival; LOVESTRUCK and BEYOND LOVE for Macha Theatre Company; INSOMNIA and DIRTY LAUNDRY for the Los Angeles Jewish Theatre. Her most recent production IT IS HOT IN HERE OR IS IT ME? starred Dee Wallace Stone. The bi-lingual actress and writer is also a professional Argentine Tango dancer. Commenting on the play she states, “The truth is that when I wrote this play, I had no intentions of writing anything political. One afternoon I had one of those fleeting thoughts that zipped through the back of my mind – the words – a fence. This play skewers everyone on both sides of THE FENCE and shows us how obscured we can be when entrenched in a particular point of view. While this is a serious issue, that has a lot of people really angry, I have always believed that the only way people can absorb new information is while they are laughing.”

THE FENCE is produced by Racquel Lehrman. As founder and managing director of Theatre Planners, a theatrical production and public relations firm, her company also runs the Lounge Theatre formerly the old Actor’s Gang Theatre in Hollywood.

Preview is Thursday, September 28. Opening night gala is Friday, September 29. The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through November 5. Tickets are $10 for preview, $35 for opening night gala, $20 for regular performances, with a $5 discount seniors, AEA members and students for pre-paid tickets only. For reservations and information go to www.plays411.com/thefence or call 323/960-7784. The Underground Theatre is located at 1312 N. Wilton Place, Hollywood (2 blocks west of Western Avenue, between Sunset and Fountain.)

For additional information contact: Marcia N. Groff 310/855-0498
ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES
656 West Knoll Drive, #104
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