Hey all you beautiful theatre people. This will probably be the most brief piece I ever write, and if you want to know why then you have to go see District 798 at the Think Tank Gallery in DTLA before it closes this weekend. If you're not going to see it, that's a shame, and you can just call me or email me and I'll tell you why. Unless you plan on seeing it in another city, then don't ask me.
I was totally blessed to watch this show with Nardeep Khurmi, one of LA's most promising theatre/cinema artists. It was an honor just to talk with him and digest the performance afterwards. Even though he considers himself more of a filmmaker, he has already become a very present and important voice in the LA Theatre community. And I'm not the only one that has noticed that; a number of other patrons, fellow collaborators and theatre artists greeted him during our time at the gallery, asking about his latest projects. The accomplishments he's made in such a short amount of time are astonishing, but in a good way. His progress has certainly inspired me (while equally intimidating me simultaneously). He's one of those people you're flattered would even take the time to talk to you. Yeah ok, I'll stop swooning before this becomes a sonnet praising the artistic achievements and philosophies of Nardeep...
ANYWAY, the Think Tank Gallery is known for pushing innovative, current content in many different forms, from visual art, to theatre to performance art and beyond. I had been there once before a year ago for a workshop on theatre of the oppressed put up by Emerging Arts Leaders Los Angeles (which is also an organization that I am a part of). For District 798 devised by Christopher Chen with Firefly Theatre & Films, even though it was still a visual art gallery set up in essence, the space looked completely different than the way I had seen it before. I will say that you need to go see this show in its final weekend, Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30PM through December 10, and I apologize that this doesn't leave you much notice or time. "Apply" for tickets here and you will receive a message and survey as they become available.
But that's about all I can say. Have fun, keep an open mind and let me know what you think. Oh, and don't forget to wear black and white.