by Daniel Keleher

directed by Tom Burmester

World Premiere

JOEY......Stephen Rider

ALAN......James Jordan

GUARD...Nino Mancuso, Trevor Algatt,

              Lovensky Jean-Baptiste, Greg Myhre

ALAN (understudy)...Greg Myhre

"A presentation of KINDRED by the new Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble has already been getting serious raves, especially for its fresh voice, wicked smart dialogue , and the two actors who convey it." -- City Beat

Kindred Background
Daniel Keleher began work on Kindred in the Fall of 2003 as a student in the UCLA School of Theater Film and Television’s MFA Playwright program. Kindred started out as an assignment in Professor Hanay Geiogamah’s Full Length Play class. Daniel sat down and wrote the first draft of Kindred in 36 hours without sleep after being inspired by a idea he encountered in a book by Susan Faludi. Faludi’s book Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Male described the story of a successful aeronautic engineer who lost everything and wound up in prison. After earning his freedom, the engineer found that was not needed on the “outside” so intentionally violated his parole in order to return to prison where he felt “useful.” Daniel was also fascinated by the idea of what it would be like to know the precise moment and method of one’s death and while being helpless to control the outcome. After the initial draft was complete, Daniel took Kindred to respected playwright and dramaturge Leon Katz. Under Leon’s guidance, Daniel explored the idea of a contraposition to the depiction of manhood as the rugged individual -- the lone hardened cowboy in need of no human contact. He began crafting in Kindred a redefinition of manhood, exploring the idea a man finds his most authentic presence when he nurtures others and not when he retreats into the Hollywood vision of manhood.

Kindred entered its next stage of development when director Tom Burmester first encountered the script in a development workshop he and Daniel Keleher took together under the instruction of Boston Court Artistic Director Jessica Kubzansky. Burmester moved by the text and petitioned the UCLA Department of Theater to allow him to direct Kindred as his MFA Directing thesis project. Burmester cast Rider and Jordan in the principle roles, rounding out the development ensemble.  Tom, Daniel, Stephen, and James worked together to fine tune the text and conceive of an aesthetic and staging to compliment the tone of the piece. The play was performed at UCLA as Tom’s thesis project and as a part of the New Play Festival. Although the play received virtually no funding or departmental support, Kindred was perceived by many to be the highlight of the UCLA theatre season and was received with full house standing ovations in all of its performances. Burmester then arranged for the show to workshop in Northern California as part of the Ghostlight Project where it was received in a similar manner.

Kindred was then chosen as the flagship production for the newly formed Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble.  The Ensemble's Studio/Stage and Ivar production of Kindred -- considered by all of its participating artists to be a completed work worthy of the World Premiere title -- built on the previous themes to explore the idea of heroism.