AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT PREMIERES NEW ORIGINAL WORK!
YOSHIBA
Based on actual customer complaints, “Yoshiba” is a one-act play by Joshua Morrison about computers and the personalities of the people who complain about them.
LOS ANGELES – After having taken home the 2013 TU Award for Best Play at the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival for the critically acclaimed surprise hit It’s Important to Leave, As Well, playwright/director Joshua Morrison returns to the 2014 Fringe with the premiere of his satirical and darkly funny techno-drama Yoshiba, playing at the Theatre Asylum Lab.
Yoshiba is a fictional one-act that utilizes real-life, computer-related customer complaints as a jumping-off point to explore the characters and narratives behind their claims. Together, these stories present a glimpse into the kind of pervasive, absurd, sometimes destructive, and ultimately revealing relationship we humans have with our computers.
“Yoshiba is the closest thing I’ve ever written to a political play,” Morrison said. “It has nothing to do with actual politics, but it does, at least superficially, deal with thoughts about how technology is affecting humanity. And there’s a chance audiences will walk away thinking I’m one good LSD trip away from mailing bombs to Apple stores. But the truth is that at its heart, Yoshiba is about people. It’s a darkly comic celebration of confusion, self-deception, dissatisfaction, and overall messiness—in essence, things we humans tend to do well.”
Morrison, who not only earned Fringe acclaim for It’s Important to Leave, As Well, but also for co-directing the wildly popular 2012 Fringe version of 25 Plays Per Hour, wanted to bring Yoshiba to this year’s festival as a way to challenge himself. He’s taking on the roles of writer, director and producer with this new show, backed by a cast of theatre (and Fringe) veterans.
“Once I saw that these talented people responded to my request for their help with immediate enthusiasm, I felt confident about putting up this show,” Morrison said. “It was then I realized that Fringe is not only about challenging yourself, but doing so with the support of the community.”
In that spirit, Morrison is offering a ticket discount to all Fringe participants. He is also offering $5 off the general admission ticket price for patrons who bring in a written complaint about technology!
Calendar Listing Request:
YOSHIBA
Written, Directed and Produced by Joshua Morrison
SYNOPSIS:
From award-winning playwright Joshua Morrison comes Yoshiba, a fictional one-act that utilizes computer-related customer complaints as a broad jumping-off point to explore the absurd characters and silly narratives behind their claims. Together, these exaggerated stories present an “artistic” glimpse into the kind of pervasive, absurd, sometimes destructive, and ultimately revealing relationship we humans have with our computers.
DATES AND TIMES:
Thursday, June 5 – 10:00 p.m. (Preview performance)
Saturday, June 14 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 21 – 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 24 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 28 – 2:30 p.m.
LOCATION:
Theatre Asylum Lab
1078 Lillian Way
Hollywood, CA 90038
TICKET PRICES:
General Admission: $10
June 5 show is FREE preview.
Fringe participants pay just $9.
**Get $5 off if you bring in a written complaint about technology!
MORE INFORMATION:
Order tickets by visiting http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1831
*Tickets can also be purchased at the box office on the day of the show (if available).
PRESS CONTACT:
Jim Martyka
Press Manager
(818) 497-3701
[email protected]
