Skylight Theatre Company set for Hungry Ghost

Skylight Theatre presents the spellbinding new play Hungry Ghost, written by Lisa Sanaye Dring. Directed by Jessica Hanna, this third installment of the season's enthralling lineup, by female playwrights and directors, keeps focus on "Her Vision, Her Voice," the theme for Skylight's 40th anniversary.

Breaking barriers for female voices in theatre, phenom playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring will have two simultaneous world premiere productions gracing our stages in Southern California. While Hungry Ghost is playing at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles, renowned for championing emerging playwrights, SUMO debuts at the La Jolla Playhouse in mid-September.

Hungry-Ghost-Judith-1000-x-1000.jpg"I came across an interview with Christopher Thomas Knight, an infamous hermit who lived in the forest for 27 years without conversing with another human, and I thought -- how did this man find freedom in solitude while the rest of us feel alienation, especially during the pandemic? The story grew from there to include those parts of ourselves that chase us around whether we want them to or not. It's those forces beyond our consciousness that keep breaking in," says playwright Dring.

Bringing together an exceptional cast and creative team, this thought-provoking story delves into the lives of Dean and Amanda who are ready to start a family. Dean's estranged mother has left her a secluded house in the woods where the couple have decided to settle. Their plans suddenly take a twisted turn when the new home is burglarized by a mysterious hermit-a Stevie Nicks worshiping, hot Cheetos eating trickster-who haunts the forest. Hungry Ghost is a chillingly humorous meditation on identity and isolation, seeing and being seen, and the insatiable hunger in us all to be truly free.

"Our theatrical season proudly shines a spotlight on the powerful voices of women - on the page and presentation, on the direction, and on the exceptional ensemble of actors we've worked with this year. With each new play we celebrate the diversity of perspectives and the strength of these storytellers," says Skylight's Producing Artistic Director Gary Grossman.