THE EARLY WORKS OF ARTIST CHRIS BURDEN ARE BROUGHT INTO FOCUS IN THE EXCITING NEW PLAY COMING TO HOLLYWOOD FRINGE
A Beast/A Burden
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY MAY 29, 2018
PRESS CONTACT:
Billy Ray Brewton
(205) 538-1217
[email protected]
THE EARLY WORKS OF ARTIST CHRIS BURDEN ARE BROUGHT INTO FOCUS IN THE EXCITING NEW PLAY COMING TO HOLLYWOOD FRINGE
When artist Chris Burden died in 2015, his passing occurred with little fanfare. A man who had lived a large portion of his life in the public eye had become somewhat of an artistic recluse, creating large and lengthy art projects at his Topanga Canyon studio that served as a sharp contrast to his earlier, performance-based, works. More recent works like “Urban Light” and “Metropolis II” have become fixtures in Los Angeles, but it was his pieces in the early-70’s that put Chris Burden on the map and turned him into the bad boy of the contemporary art world.
A BEAST/A BURDEN focuses, primarily, on five months in the early life of the young artist, as he is sculpting his artistic voice and legacy. Based on the photographic collection, “Chris Burden”, and the documentary, Burden, the ensemble production presents the audience with numerous pieces over the course of Burden’s career, while using artistic license to present a portrait of a complicated artist on the verge of greatness.
“I really wanted to expose people to Burden’s work,” says writer/director Billy Ray Brewton. “As an artist, he is so identified with Los Angeles – maybe more than any other – but I feel like Angelenos visit LACMA and see “Urban Light” and marvel at it, but don’t really have a strong enough foundation for just how incredible the man was, as a creator.”
Brewton is best known for the musical comedy “Skanks in a One Horse Town”, which was the subject of the 2014 documentary, Skanks, which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival. Actor Ben Hethcoat stars as Chris Burden. Hethcoat is a visual producer for MarketPlace and has also acted and produced for years as a filmmaker. The cast is rounded out by Corsica Wilson (LA Macabre), Brennan Murray (Emmy winning Danger & Eggs), Jessica DeShaw, Anthony Rey, and Leah Lamarr (also featured in the Fringe show Nickel Dickers).
“We are all first time Fringers,” Brewton continues. “There’s something so apropos about diving in head first with a story about a man who personified guerrilla ambition. Whether you love or hate Chris Burden, or love or hate the art he created, it’s difficult to deny just how fascinating he was as a human being.”
A BEAST/A BURDEN enjoys eight performances during Hollywood Fringe (6/1 at 10pm; 6/3 at 8pm; 6/10 at 11am; 6/14 at 8:30pm; 6/21 at 6pm; 6/22 at 6pm; 6/23 at 12:30pm; 6/24 at 4pm) at The Broadwater Black Box (6322 Santa Monica Blvd.). Tickets are $15, with special discounts available for Fringe participants and volunteers. Visit http://hff18.org/4940 for tickets or more information, and visit Facebook for special deep discounts throughout the run.
