The Rogue Artists Ensemble (RAE) and Son of Semele Ensemble (SOSE) present HYPERBOLE: epiphany, an exploration of the theme of “epiphany” using masks, puppetry, music and visceral imagery. HYPERBOLE: epiphany will run from August 12 through September 3 at Son of Semele in Silver Lake.

Comprised of a series of short vignettes set to original music, HYPERBOLE: epiphany explores life’s ordinary moments of birth, adolescence, death, love, faith and chaos in extraordinary ways. The stories of epiphany are brought to life with music, stylized movement, digital video, theatrical effects and the use of over fifty puppets and masks. The HYPERBOLE series is self-described by the Rogues as “Hyper-Theater”, more akin in style to a live music video than to a play. The more than 20 songs featured in HYPERBOLE: epiphany, selected from over forty local musicians and music groups, are an eclectic mix ranging in style from originally composed chamber orchestra pieces, to rock, punk and the wildly experimental. The music serves to score each storyline and drive the plot of each mini-play. HYPERBOLE: epiphany will feature music written and recorded by many L.A. artists including The Ditty Bops, Jack Irons, Run Run Run and Ben Phelps (a featured percussionist at Disney Concert Hall).

This is the first collaborative theatrical venture between RAE and SOSE. The directing team, comprised of members of RAE and SOSE members and lead by RAE Artistic Director Sean Cawelti, includes Kristine Aubert, Barbara Kallir, Adam Simon and Miles Taber. The diverse cast of puppeteers, clowns, musicians, performance artists and actors includes Mauri Bernstein, Linda Borini, Misha Bouvion, Christopher Cole, Matthew Hilliard, Beth Hinderliter, Michelle Ingkavet, Eric La Barr, Kirsten Long, Ben Maughan and Cari Turley. The production design is by Pat Rubio and Sean Cawelti, costume design by Kerry Hennessy, Jenny Owings and Megan Owings, sound design by Tyler Stamets, puppet and mask design by Sean Cawelti and Pat Rubio, scenic design by Lindsey Gassaway, graphic/video design by Patrick Heyn and lighting design by Mel Domingo.

In 2004, the Los Angeles Times dubbed the Rogue Artists Ensemble (RAE) "the most buzzed about new arrival on the theater scene.” RAE was founded in 2001 by a group of ten artists from the University of California, Irvine's Theater Arts program. RAE was created to showcase unconventional performances and to foster collaboration amongst artists in multiple disciplines including digital video production, electronic media, puppetry, and other art forms. Unlike many “actor-based” ensembles, RAE is comprised entirely of theater designers and technical professionals who draw inspiration from the ancient arts of Bunraku and shadow puppetry, mask work and other storytelling conventions, merging them with the Rogue’s unique aesthetic, digital media and cutting edge technology. In July 2004, HYPERBOLE: changes, the second installment of the “HYPERBOLE” series, received critical acclaim at the Rude Guerrilla Theater in Santa Ana. The OC Weekly called the show “visually and sonically arresting.” For more information about Rogue Artists Ensemble, visit www.rogueartists.org.

Hailed as one of the “hippest, hottest, most innovative theatre troupes in the U.S.”, by American Theatre Magazine, Son of Semele Ensemble (SOSE) is a collective of theatre professionals that recognizes emerging cultural questions through the production of new or under-exposed plays. The ensemble company, composed primarily of actors and directors, was featured on the cover of the December 2004 issue of American Theatre Magazine. SOSE was also profiled in the Winter/Spring 2005 issue of TheatreForum Magazine for its production of Carlos Murillo’s “A Human Interest Story.” In February 2005, SOSE was recognized with an NAACP Theatre Award for Best Choreography (four nominations – including Best Ensemble Cast) for its 2004 production of “The Tower.” Most recently, SOSE presented the U.S. premiere of “THE MYSTERIES”, adapted by Edward Kemp. For additional information on SOSE, visit www.sonofsemele.org.

Performances of “HYPERBOLE: epiphany” are Fridays at 8:00 P.M. and Saturdays at 3:00 P.M and 8:00 P.M. Admission is $15.00. Tickets are available exclusively at www.sonofsemele.org or at the box office prior to show times. For more information, call (213) 351-3507. Son of Semele is located in Silver Lake, 1 mile west of Alvarado, at 3301 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. 90004.

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