{"id":2043,"date":"2024-07-10T13:28:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T20:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/?p=2043"},"modified":"2024-07-10T13:28:12","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T20:28:12","slug":"a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/eternal-2043-a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la","title":{"rendered":"A HISTORY OF THE ODYSSEY THEATRE ENSEMBLE IN LA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With over half a century of history as one of LA&#8217;s most adventurous companies and a pioneer of the chamber theater movement, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble creates world-class live theater productions. Whether it&#8217;s an original new play, a bold reimagining of a classic, or something new from the International Theatre Circuit, the Odyssey strives to be provocative, dizzying and emotionally powerful. The theater is distinctive in both its mission and its operations, serving the remarkably diverse ethnic mix of the LA community. Learn more about the legacy of the <a href=\"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/eternal-1883-what-is-remembered-about-the-golden-age-of-hollywood\">Golden Age of Hollywood<\/a>. Continue reading at <a href=\"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\">los-angeles-trend<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a04edaf96344\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a04edaf96344\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/eternal-2043-a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la\/#HOLLYWOOD_BLVD\" >HOLLYWOOD BLVD<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/eternal-2043-a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la\/#PARTNERSHIP_WITH_OTHER_THEATERS\" >PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER THEATERS&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/eternal-2043-a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la\/#LOOKING_FOR_NEW_TALENT\" >LOOKING FOR NEW TALENT&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/eternal-2043-a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la\/#COMMUNITY_OF_PLAYWRIGHTS\" >COMMUNITY OF PLAYWRIGHTS<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/eternal-2043-a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la\/#DANCE_FESTIVAL\" >DANCE FESTIVAL<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"HOLLYWOOD_BLVD\"><\/span>HOLLYWOOD BLVD<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1969, Ron Sossi and a group of actors, including Norbert Weisser, Susan Gelb and Alan Abelew, established the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in a former storefront church at the less desirable end of Hollywood Blvd. Despite the eerie atmosphere and the raucous sounds of the nearby porn theater, the Odyssey launched its first shows, including Brecht&#8217;s A Man&#8217;s A Man, The Serpent and The Bacchae. The plays ran for a long time\u2014three to eight months each\u2014putting the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble on the theatrical radar Unfortunately, the company later lost its lease.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following an extensive search, the Odyssey discovered a bigger location, a warehouse in West LA. Board President Frank Gruber, Associate Artistic Director Frank Condon, Production Manager Lucy Pollack, Literary Manager Jan Lewis and Technical Director Leonard Felix, along with a committed committee of volunteer artists, directors and audience members, played a crucial role in this achievement. As a result, the founders successfully established a performance venue that evolved into a theater complex over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.los-angeles-trend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/07\/ad_4nxe0jttvniiigxprqhda-4bh4bs_dfbixrb3q1kd1ywc_1ojjqwsyufwcomshvapexfpn-i9rjalmtehu8cldxulk9m185qmnxhgwjmktiqsfr6fbmwaqcrbzsr1vuurzynpfvhd7hbcgc9sjy2ldgdsvbiukeyfzbidbey271icl05bakaqg.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The theater debuted in 1973 with a large experimental performance of Peer Gynt. Over the next sixteen years, it presented highly praised productions like Woyzeck, White Marriage, The Adolf Hitler Show, The Chicago Conspiracy Trial, Nightclub Cantata and more. Unfortunately, there was a setback even in this case. The theater building was sold in 1989 and transformed into the Blockbuster Video store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s when the Odyssey started searching for a new location all over again. Thanks to the assistance of former Board President Dan Attias and Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, the current building was secured &#8211; a city-owned property that was previously utilized for manufacturing gas tanks. Through the quick efforts of volunteers led by new Technical Director Duncan Mahoney and the support of donors, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble managed to open one of its three spaces with Faith Healer in 1990. This was made possible under the leadership of Artistic Director Ron Sossi, Associate Artistic Director Beth Hogan, Production Managers Jason Lovitt and Lucy Pollack, Literary Manager Sally Essex-Lopresti and Board President Sol Rabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the notable productions that have been staged include Speed-the-Plow, The Madwoman of Chaillot,&nbsp; Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Awake and Sing!, Tea, Road to Nirvana, Kokoro, Rhinoceros, The Greeks, Bremen Freedom Taking Sides and many more. Among the productions that have been showcased are Desire Under the Elms, Times Like These, Tartuffe (with Circus Theatricals), Far Away, Among the Thugs, two revivals of The Threepenny Opera, Fences, A Man&#8217;s a Man, The Arsonists, A Song at Twilight and The Brig.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.los-angeles-trend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/07\/ad_4nxeq4qn5ggju8yxqd-p9wuwrwqnhuu-2taefqoq4wpebkg1c38coeuejzbwnxjmgli7lpogv-2shef4enlldsa0da2kztivvd5qc2kzmsqv0yc6p2yb8ixizevrpy4q0nja03iosftmk42opg1q2su_m7aekeyfzbidbey271icl05bakaqg.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble offers three distinct performance spaces, each with a capacity of 99 seats. These spaces are well-suited for a variety of events, including theatrical productions, dance performances, concerts, film screenings and special occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"PARTNERSHIP_WITH_OTHER_THEATERS\"><\/span>PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER THEATERS&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, the theater has established strong partnerships with The Goethe Institut, Padua Hills Playwrights, New York&#8217;s New Federal Theatre, the New American Theatre and Bart DeLorenzo&#8217;s Evidence Room. The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble has introduced groundbreaking works that have become iconic in American Theatre, including pieces by Lisa Loomer, Mark Medoff, Wally Shawn, L. Trey Wilson, Raymond Barry, Velina Hasu Houston, Charlayne Woodard, John O&#8217;Keefe, Robert Coover, Suzan Lori-Parks, Garry Trudeau and Elizabeth Swados, David Mamet, John Difusco, Frank Condon and Ron Soss as well as numerous world premieres by Steven Berkoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ron Sossi, Sally Essex-Lopresti and Beth Hogan are still going strong, bringing audiences the best of new American plays, cutting-edge projects from the international theater scene and fresh, creative takes on world classics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.los-angeles-trend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/07\/ad_4nxfkbwqrgi_bnke6hcm8fegs3pk9utqxj7h72hojow-evnmdyl5mzvltf1eyfrnaqyaojnehssbx6zsvmwlhcd-yjja5kgx3b3hw7c_y3lksx6g0bhtblcqpldvxodecnihpxzomtxdbzhsoprsc15dl5ezqkeyfzbidbey271icl05bakaqg.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"LOOKING_FOR_NEW_TALENT\"><\/span>LOOKING FOR NEW TALENT&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Odyssey is constantly seeking out fresh talent. They are dedicated to fairness, diversity and inclusivity in every aspect of their work, including casting for their productions. The team encourages individuals from marginalized communities and varied backgrounds to try out for auditions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The artistic team of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble invites individual actors to audition for roles in particular productions. These auditions take place in LA throughout the year, but only by invitation. The Odyssey holds open calls and general auditions at various times during the year, providing a special chance for the artistic team to connect with local actors. Audition dates are revealed at least a month in advance through Actors Access. The theater meticulously maintains records of actors, including a collection of headshots and resumes from those who have auditioned or performed at the theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble works closely with writers to develop fresh productions. The theater is devoted to finding new perspectives and searching for plays that are varied, inclusive, thought-provoking and daring. The theater welcomes full-length scripts from literary agents and theater experts all year round. Additionally, unrepresented writers are encouraged to send in a query, including a short biography, synopsis, character breakdown and ten pages of dialogue samples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.los-angeles-trend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/07\/ad_4nxelkxgctg_4xzaox2a3xbprn8h5en3caqaqd7our_clv_rmvtbcxcjxpn07vosaqtj8oowxpp0eqjeqte9xsabwekkz4smkun5x3efmalqgalbl19etv2spjt0_8pgkgornd24jlfgc751ezh6a7upsw2o8keyfzbidbey271icl05bakaqg.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"COMMUNITY_OF_PLAYWRIGHTS\"><\/span>COMMUNITY OF PLAYWRIGHTS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is proud to introduce Writer&#8217;s Odyssey, a distinctive community of playwrights established by literary manager Sally Essex-Lopresti and playwright Velina Hasu Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The community offers a nurturing space for creating fresh plays that address the issues facing our ever-changing and diverse community. What sets Writer&#8217;s Odyssey apart is the incorporation of mindfulness practices and a focus on social impact with the development of new work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The playwrights involved in this project are Paula L. Cizmar, Boni B. Alvarez, Jennifer Maisel, Diana Burbano, Donald Jolly, Carlos Lac\u00e1mara, Lina Patel, Elizabeth Wong and L. Trey Wilson. Each will contribute to the creation of impactful new plays for the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.los-angeles-trend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/07\/ad_4nxc8o9pp0l-b3sy7mme1s3ybvzfocgzjdevdjwajiyetmrqg19evombuaz5leddveecza4hucy7lr6eraf1ykbc9lyyd6cydnkzvbriuqub_qmsoa73i-ixcyhl2dowlgoey3vfbnv4elc_v6ndc7rs0j0knkeyfzbidbey271icl05bakaqg.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DANCE_FESTIVAL\"><\/span>DANCE FESTIVAL<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dance at the Odyssey was founded in 2017 by Producer and Curator Barbara Mueller-Wittmann and Odyssey Associate Artistic Director Beth Hogan. The organization is dedicated to providing fresh platforms for contemporary dance artists and promoting a variety of perspectives in the field. The inaugural season showcased four companies presenting their work over three weeks, eventually evolving into what is now recognized as the largest independent dance festival in LA. By cooperating with artists from different locations, Dance at the Odyssey serves as a crucial bridge between contemporary dance creators and viewers, facilitating the creation of full-length performances and debut shows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With over half a century of history as one of LA&#8217;s most adventurous companies and a pioneer of the chamber theater movement, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble creates world-class live theater productions. Whether it&#8217;s an original new play, a bold reimagining of a classic, or something new from the International Theatre Circuit, the Odyssey strives to be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":296,"featured_media":1947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[156],"tags":[1534,1532,1543,1541,1538,1533,1542,1536,1544,1540,1537,1539,1535],"motype":[160],"moformat":[24],"moimportance":[32,35],"class_list":{"0":"post-2043","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-teatrs","8":"tag-a-bold-reimagining-of-a-classic","9":"tag-a-history-of-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-in-la","10":"tag-associate-artistic-director-frank-condon","11":"tag-board-president-frank-gruber","12":"tag-dizzying-and-emotionally-powerful","13":"tag-hollywood-blvd","14":"tag-literary-manager-jan-lewis-and-technical-director-leonard-felix","15":"tag-or-something-new-from-the-international-theatre-circuit","16":"tag-production-manager-lucy-pollack","17":"tag-the-company-later-lost-its-lease","18":"tag-the-odyssey-strives-to-be-provocative","19":"tag-the-plays-ran-for-a-long-time-three-to-eight-months-each-putting-the-odyssey-theatre-ensemble-on-the-theatrical-radar-unfortunately","20":"tag-whether-its-an-original-new-play","21":"motype-eternal","22":"moformat-longrid-korotka","23":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","24":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/296"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2043"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2059,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2043\/revisions\/2059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2043"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2043"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2043"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/los-angeles-trend.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}