LOST IN LVOV PRESS RELEASE

LOST in LVOV

Hollywood Fringe Festival, in association with Schkapf
LOST IN LVOV
June 19, 21 & 22, 2014
August 17, 2014
Sandy Simona

Los Angeles, CA (June 2, 2014) Sandy Simona is thrilled to present, LOST IN LVOV, a multimedia solo performance with Live Music and special musical guests.

LOST IN LVOV (60-minute performance) will perform as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, in association with Schkapf – and will open on Thursday, June 19 at 7:00 pm and run for two more performances on Saturday, June 21 at 7:00 pm and on Sunday, June 22 at 5:30 pm at Schkapf theatre.
The evening of Saturday, June 21, 2014 will also include a preshow and postshow performed by Jacob & Julia from Paris Chansons, where the group will sing songs in Russian and Yiddish.

LOST IN LVOV brings to life several generations of an educated Jewish family as it transitions from the former Soviet Union (the family has Ukranian roots) to a new life in America, which is often overwhelming, often hilarious, always meaningful. They find joy in keeping some old customs and adapting to new ones—or resisting them. The family maintains its spirit and traditions throughout the stories; that are held together by music and Gypsy dance, and a tour de force whirlwind performance by the beneficiary of her family’s rich history, the young actress who enters the arts despite the entreaties to enter a more sensible profession.
A biographical, multimedia storytelling experience,

LOST IN LVOV opens a time capsule of memories, secrets and precious experiences of the Belman sisters, three sisters who immigrate to America from the U.S.S.R before and after Perestroika. Their memories left behind— implanted in pockets and shelves of their brains, burned into memories of photos they set on fire, and smuggled in their hearts their new homes, with Soviet trinkets and recipes they passed down to their grandchildren. Intimate winks and glimpses of their past lives wander as they reinvent themselves in America. The stories are interwoven with breaks of dance and music at any moment, when words can no longer express emotion and time stops.
Dashes of multi-language expression fuse Russian, Yiddish and English.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

SANDY SIMONA is an Interdisciplinary, Multimedia Artist & Storyteller. Growing up on both sides of, The George Washington Bridge, She is now based in Los Angeles, California. Sandy’s writing, choreography and devised work has been shared and performed nationally at The Guthrie Theater (TIME SENSITIVE Directed by Marcela Lorca), California Institute of the Arts, and Highways Performance Space. Internationally at The  Au Brana Cultural Centre in Lectoure, France and Edinburgh, Scotland at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Sandy is recent Master of Fine Arts Graduate from California Institute of the Arts and a Rutgers University Alumna. In 2012, Sandy was selected for the prestigious residency, A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training lead by Ken Washington.  For more information about her other projects, please visit her website http://www.sandysimona.com/.

WENDY THUM (Producer) has been working as a casting director for theatre, film and television for a number of years, and has begun producing at the gentle insistence of some extremely talented colleagues. She was recently elected to the Board of her Neighborhood Council, so if you would like to call her “Madame Council Woman,” that would be amusing, but also correct.

LENA BUBENECHIK (Co Producer/Marketing Director) is originally from Ukraine and is a film producer. She has produced several projects for award-winning directors including Jennifer Lynch, Barbara Stepansky and Nina Menkes, as well as producing a few films for AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women. Lena’s credits include, multiple award-winning feature film AS HIGH AS THE SKY, directed by Nikki Braendlin and has recently produced an episode for ITVS’ FutureStates, CODE ACADEMY, directed by Nisha Ganatra.  Lena is a big theatre fan and was the Associate Producer of the play BLOOD AND THUNDER (Terence Anthony) presented by Moving Arts. Lena is currently in development on several feature film projects.

GRETCHEN SHOOT (Stage Manager) graduated summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky with her B.A. in Theatre.  She has stage managed over 50 productions for multiple theatre groups across Central Kentucky.  In 2010 she was a stage manager for the Alltech World Equestrian Games and has worked as a casting associate for the major motion pictures Seabiscuit and Dreamer.  From 2005 to 2010, she served as the Business Manager for the Woodford Theatre in Versailles, Kentucky and currently works in the Fine Arts Division at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.  She is actively pursuing a career in stage management with Cirque du Soleil.

ARGENTA WALTHER is a California based vocalist who relishes performing a wide repertoire spanning from the Medieval period to the Contemporary.   Ms. Walther has been honored to appear as a soloist with PARTCH, wild Up, The Choir of Saint James, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Santa Barbara Master Chorale and MicroFest.   Ms. Walther holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and an MFA from CalArts, and is grateful to the many teachers who have guided her steps down the path of creative performance.

YOON LEE is an improvisor, composer and performer. Often reclusive, he goes through phases of hiding and practicing, to teaching and performing. Music aside, Yoon likes noodle, cars and science

KASANDRA KOCOSHIS is an LA-based world percussionist. She specializes in Flamenco, but performs with a wide variety of groups: Pop, Rock, R&B, Folk, Salsa, Brazilian, Jazz, 20th century puppet shows, and many more. Although she has a passion for Flamenco, Kassandra travels the world constantly exploring every culture’s rhythmic roots. Kassandra has performed with Kanye West, Young The Giant, Persian Singer Hamed Nikpay, Jason Kanakis, Adam del Monte, Unidos de Quilombo, Shaherah White, and various jazz, latin, and folk groups in the LA/Chicago areas. Classically-trained, then turned fringe-rock rebel, Kassandra plays in groups ranging from musical theater pits to dive-bar experimental music shows. Kassandra has degrees from DePaul University and California Institute of the Arts. 

TICKETS INFORMATION

Schkapf is located at 6567 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90038. Tickets are available on the Hollywood Fringe website, as well as at the box office for $15. For more information on purchasing tickets, please visit, http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1863?details.