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BATTLE HYMN
Original music by Michael Levine. adds to the fanciful nature of this epic piece.
Click here to listenBATTLE HYMN highlighted on
KPFK Uprising with Sonali Kolhatkar.
An intimate discussion with guests Jim Leonard, playwright, Susie Jane Hunt & Robert Manning, actors.
Click here to listen to the entire segment.
Event Type [Inside] the Ford New Play Series
BATTLE HYMN
By Jim Leonard
Presented by Circle X Theatre Company
By Jim Leonard
Presented by Circle X Theatre Company
January 17 – March 7
From the mud and the blood of Fort Sumter to San Francisco and the summer of love, BATTLE HYMN is the incredible story of a girl who stays pregnant for 150 years.
BATTLE HYMN, a new play by award-winning playwright Jim Leonard, is the story of 16-year-old Martha's epic pregnancy and her incredible search for motherhood, meaning, and love in a war-torn American landscape. After being abandoned by her father, losing her true love and witnessing the horrors of the Civil War firsthand, Martha settles on one incontrovertible fact: She will not raise her baby in a blood-soaked, violent country. And so, Martha keeps traveling in search of a better world and a safe place to bring forth her child… this is easier said than done. From the mud and the blood of Fort Sumter to singing cows, San Francisco and the summer of love, Martha's journey embodies the tragedy, humor and hope that have helped shape the last 150 years of U.S. history.
Thursdays at 8 pm: January 15 (preview), 22, 29; February 5, 12, 19, 26; March 5
Fridays at 8 pm: January 16 (preview), 23, 30; February 6, 13, 20, 27; March 6
Saturdays at 8 pm: January 17 (Opening Night), 24, 31; February 7, 14, 21, 28; March 7
Sundays at 2 pm & 7 pm: January 18, 25; February 1, 8, 15 (dark February 22); March 1
BATTLE HYMN, a new play by award-winning playwright Jim Leonard, is the story of 16-year-old Martha's epic pregnancy and her incredible search for motherhood, meaning, and love in a war-torn American landscape. After being abandoned by her father, losing her true love and witnessing the horrors of the Civil War firsthand, Martha settles on one incontrovertible fact: She will not raise her baby in a blood-soaked, violent country. And so, Martha keeps traveling in search of a better world and a safe place to bring forth her child… this is easier said than done. From the mud and the blood of Fort Sumter to singing cows, San Francisco and the summer of love, Martha's journey embodies the tragedy, humor and hope that have helped shape the last 150 years of U.S. history.
Thursdays at 8 pm: January 15 (preview), 22, 29; February 5, 12, 19, 26; March 5
Fridays at 8 pm: January 16 (preview), 23, 30; February 6, 13, 20, 27; March 6
Saturdays at 8 pm: January 17 (Opening Night), 24, 31; February 7, 14, 21, 28; March 7
Sundays at 2 pm & 7 pm: January 18, 25; February 1, 8, 15 (dark February 22); March 1
THE REVIEWS ARE IN AND BATTLE HYMN IS AN EXPLOSIVE HIT!
"Refreshingly original, smart and engaging... a perfect match for Circle X Theatre Company's signature whimsical staging and inventive visual flair." - Philip Brandes, LA Times
"This is among Circle X's most exhilarating offerings - a sinfully rich theatrical adventure infused with profoundly resonant social satire that produces visceral wonderment." - Les Spindle, Backstage West
"Watching parts of the Lincoln Memorial concert last Sunday afternoon, I wondered if theater could deliver entertainment that would be equally appropriate for this moment. Battle Hymn answered my question." - Don Shirley, LA City Beat
To read more Battle Hymn reviews & articles, click here
"This is among Circle X's most exhilarating offerings - a sinfully rich theatrical adventure infused with profoundly resonant social satire that produces visceral wonderment." - Les Spindle, Backstage West
"Watching parts of the Lincoln Memorial concert last Sunday afternoon, I wondered if theater could deliver entertainment that would be equally appropriate for this moment. Battle Hymn answered my question." - Don Shirley, LA City Beat
To read more Battle Hymn reviews & articles, click here
CASTSuzy Jane Hunt
Bill Heck
Robert Manning Jr.
William Salyers
John Short
SCENIC AND LIGHTING DESIGN
Brian Sidney Bembridge
SOUND DESIGN
Crick S. Myers
COMPOSER
Michael Levine
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Josh Worth
PRODUCED BY
Tim Wright
Jennifer A. Skinner
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS
Camille Schenkkan
Diana Wyenn
COSTUME DESIGN
Dianne K. Graebner
PROPERTIES
Ali Hisserich
STAGE MANAGER
Kathleen Ressegger
Winter Partnership Program at the Ford Theatres
[Inside] the Ford season participants are part of the Ford’s Winter Partnership Program for Los Angeles County-based theater companies without permanent homes. The partners, chosen by a competitive application process, rent the theatre at a subsidized rate and receive promotional and technical assistance. Applications for the 2009-10 season will be available in January 2009 and are due in March 2009. For more information, click HERE.
