James Cromwell and Ed Harris in Being Harold Pinter at LATC
On Friday, February 25, 2011 at 7:30 p.m., the Global Theatre Project will present a staged reading of a play, "Being Harold Pinter" at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, in support of the Belarus Free Theatre. The cast of "Being Harold Pinter" is toplined by famed actors James Cromwell and Ed Harris. It will be directed by Artistic Director Bari Hochwald
"Being Harold Pinter" is a collage of selected writings by the late Nobel laureate, who was a passionate supporter of Belarus Free Theatre until his death in December 2008, combined with testimonials by political prisoners who have been arrested, assaulted, imprisoned and in some cases abducted by the KGB in Minsk, Belarus, during the peaceful protests of the disputed re-election of Alexandr Lukashenko.
Since December 19, Lukashenko's government has arrested and/or assaulted students, teachers, rival political candidates, journalists and artists---including members of Belarus Free Theater, an independent theater company based in Minsk that since 2005 has been fighting for democracy in their country, called "the last dictatorship in Europe."
The Belarus Free Theater, whose work is called "a matter of life and death" by playwright Tony Kushner, is a company currently in exile from their home country for fear of facing 15 years imprisonment upon their return. The BFT is a living example of the cost of insisting on freedom of expression and human dignity in the face of a tyrannous dictatorship.
Proceeds of "Being Harold Pinter" will be used to benefit the Belarus Free Theatre; establish a collaborative project between them, American theatre artists, and students; and allow the Global Theatre Project to continue its ongoing process of developing projects which connect our artists and students to communities abroad in ways which affect cultural and social impact. Contributions to the event establish attendees as Lifetime Founding Members of Global Theatre Project.
The February 25 event begins with a brief presentation by Amnesty International on the situation in Belarus followed by the performance of "Being Harold Pinter" with a reception, catered by downtown's Church & State Bistro, to follow.
Reservations for this event are available through suggested donation. More information can be found at www.theglobaltheatreproject.org or by calling 818 823 0891. It is recommended that reservations be made by February 22.