CREATOR OF “PORN ROCK” DELIVERS BLISTERING NEW COMEDY FOR HFF17
DARK ARTS
Step inside the mysterious world of crisis PR with “Dark Arts”
May 4, 2017 (Los Angeles) – Former episodic television writer-producer Lawrence Meyers, creator of last year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival’s award-winning “Porn Rock”, returns to HFF with “Dark Arts”, a comedy about the high-stakes, mysterious life of corporate “fixers”.
Described as “Veep” meets “House of Cards”, “Dark Arts” takes audiences into the offices of Andrew St. Jude (Meyers) and Lyndsey Klein (Stephanie Hyden, “The Tension Experience”), when a female CEO seeks help combating a media smear campaign that is destroying her business. When evidence suggests Deep State machinations behind the crisis, the partners must face off against a trio of deadly enemies.
Meyers, who is a crisis communications consultant, says he wrote the play “because the world of crisis PR is endlessly fascinating, filled with the sharpest strategic minds, battling in the media trenches over the most compelling narrative.”
The case presented in “Dark Arts” is based on one Meyers spearheaded several years ago. “I was angry and disturbed that sloppy science and provable lies not only caught media traction, but resulted in multiple state and federal agencies getting involved. It was then I realized that the public sees only one percent of the truth, one percent of what goes on behind closed doors.”
However, Meyers wanted to avoid heavy drama, so he constructed a satire, filled with exaggerations of individuals he has encountered, “including myself,” he adds, referring to his own part in the show.
“Dark Arts” also stars Elizabeth Dement who took home the Tracey Collins Funniest Girl Award for her performance as Senator Paula Hawkins in “Porn Rock”, as the embattled CEO. “I’ve worked with Beth since college. She’s an extraordinary actress and writer, and brings ace comedic and dramatic chops to any production,” Meyers said.
Meyers also raided the cast of last year’s groundbreaking immersive theater show, “The Tension Experience” for five cast members. Co-star Hyden, along with Damien Gerard, Terence Leclere, Toni Perrotta, and Erika Quintana, were cast after Meyers had extensive interactions with them across four performances of the immersive production.
“They are some of the finest actors I’ve ever seen. The true test of an actor is not how they handle a monologue in the proscenium, but if they can emotionally connect with you in a one-on-one moment. They all accomplished that with me, each in different ways.”
“Dark Arts” is also the first production to book-end a traditional proscenium show with short immersive pieces in the days before and after the proscenium run.
Audiences have the opportunity to visit with the characters of Klein and St. Jude in a private consultation in “Dark Arts: Prelude”, to seek resolutions to whatever personal crisis they are experiencing. “Dark Arts: Finale” promises to “resolve lingering issues following the explosive events” in the proscenium show.
“Immersive is new wave of American theater,” Meyers says. “It offers audiences more personalized theatrical experiences that can bring unexpected emotional rewards.” For those unfamiliar with immersive theater, “Prelude” and “Finale” promises to introduce the medium in a very modest way, Meyers says.
Tickets for all three shows are available at www.DarkArtsPlay.com
Tickets for the traditional proscenium show are also available at www.HFF7.org
Contact:
Lawrence Meyers
[email protected]
310-721-9587
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