Ensemble Studio Theatre LA presents the world premiere of Watching O.J., a new play by David McMillan and directed by Keith Szarabajka. The production opens Saturday, October 3, 2015 and will run until November 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA at the Atwater Village Theater.
From the Ensemble Studio website:
In an urban neighborhood of Los Angeles, on the morning of October 3, 1995, tension and anxiety ran high as people across a wide cross-section of L.A.’s diverse population awaited the verdicts in the O.J. Simpson murder case. No matter what you thought about the verdicts, or what your feelings were regarding O.J.’s guilt or innocence, they will be represented here, as people come in and out of the Perfect Fit Cleaners and its environs during the course of that fateful day. No, O.J. Simpson himself does not appear in the play, but the effects of his presence are felt far and wide among the people whom we do meet in the course of the play. Black , white and Asian, everybody had an opinion , and everybody let it be known, sometimes putting the course of their own lives in jeopardy.
The show stars Angela Bullock, Kareem Ferguson, Kelly Wolf, Robert Gossett, Tony Pasqualini, Lisa Renee Pitts, Tarah Pollock, Eve Sigall, and Roy Vongtama.
The play is premiering exactly 20 years from the actual trial date, which is no coincidence. Playwright David McMillan recalls his thoughts and feelings about the trial as a young Black teen living in LA, finding the reactions perplexing and using that to drive his new work. “Twenty years later, if the trial can force us to look at our friends, neighbors, co-workers and, most of all, at ourselves and our own prejudices and biases — perhaps some good can come from Nicole and Ron’s tragic deaths. Maybe in remembering, we’ll appreciate how much race relations have improved since 1995, or how much they haven’t.” The timing couldn’t be any more relevant as much of 2015 has been filled with racial tensions and questions about the fairness of our justice system.
David McMillan is a Los Angeles playwright, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writing credits include Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow,” the upcoming Fox show “Lucifer,” and a new pilot that he is developing with producer Will Packer for NBC. David has received several awards for his work, including USC’s top prize for screenwriting.
Watching O.J. opens on Saturday, October 3rd and runs at 8pm Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm Sundays, through November 8, 2015 at Atwater Village Theater, located at 3269 Casitas Ave. LA, CA 90039. Tickets can be purchased at 818-858-0440 or by visiting watchingoj.brownpapertickets.com.
