DOMICILE (or) Norman is dead, pass the cookies, please

The Anarchist. The Conformist. The Free Spirit. The Narcissist. The Agoraphobe. Norman brought out the best, and worst, in them all. Now he’s dead, and the residents of the Domicile are forced to come face to face with their personal demons. As they lay Norman to rest, can they re-awaken their own humanity and move forward, or will they be stuck in a never-ending cycle of accusations, recriminations, and self-loathing? In a dynamic amalgam of physical theatre, vocal percussion, text and poetry, DOMICILE dives full force into the ocean of self-esteem (or the lack thereof) to scrutinize, dismember and ogle a world of bizarre realism and hilarious fantasy, a world not so very different from the one we inhabit every day. Bombarded as we are, every moment of our lives, with reports of death, disaster and destruction, fires, floods and famines, both global and personal, how do we break through the inevitable wall of protection that shields our hearts and minds from total meltdown. And how do we regain our sense of self and find our unique spotlight in a city as vast as Los Angeles?

Supported in part by a grant from the County of Los Angeles through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, by Playhouse PALS and by US Bank, DOMICILE is a ShortBurst® Theatre Collaboration in which professional artists, tyro performers and members of  the community at large have pooled their resources, their time, and their concerns, resulting in a sometimes tantalizing, sometimes terrifying exploration of the way we look at ourselves and the world around us and how our efforts to bolster our own egos may bring out about the very emotional disconnect we try so hard to avoid.

Helmed by Playhouse co-artistic director Chris DeCarlo, renowned worldwide for his professional artist/community member ShortBurst® Theatre productions, written by Playhouse Playwright-in-Residence Evelyn Rudie, DOMICILE is crafted and performed by Michele Davis, Curtis Churn, Linda Kohn, Patrick Migliazzo and Berkeley Sanjay (doing double duty as assistant director). Participants include artists and community members from Los Angeles, Agoura Hills, Hollywood, La Canada and Santa Monica.