(Info from press release)
City Garage is proud to present the west coast premieres of two plays dealing with displaced people. Though one play is from Sicily, the other from Greece, both speak to not just the worldwide crisis of unwanted refugees and vilified immigrants, but to the hunger, here as elsewhere, for a more just, humane, and compassionate society. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, these two plays are a profound reflection of what we feel in our hearts. They two will run in repertory, with “Bounds” on Thursdays and Fridays, and “I Want a Country” on Saturdays and Sundays.
“Bounds” by Tino Caspanello
Translated by Haun Saussy
February 6 – March 14, 2025; Thursdays, Fridays 8:00pm
Five women are stranded on a beach in an unknown country. They might be displaced persons, refugees, unhoused, undocumented immigrants. What we do know is that they are unwanted. They pass the time by playing games and singing songs, they fantasize about belonging, and they compete. One of them, they know, will be selected. But who will that be? While they wait, bonds are created, ties of affection. “Bounds” is a story about us, about the truths we take for granted, and about a society unable to exist without bonds. It is also about “the others,” about those to whom we open our doors—or refuse. It is a story about cages, violence, dreams, a story that reflects our time, a time when we struggle with the rules, obligations, and prejudices that keep us from looking in the eyes of our neighbors.
“I Want a Country” by Andreas Flourakis
Translated by Eleni Drivas
February 8 – March 16, 2925; Saturdays 8:00pm, Sundays 4:00pm
A group of people huddle in the darkness, clutching suitcases and umbrellas. They have lost their country. Where did it go? They wander in search of a new one. They complain, argue, debate, talk about what makes a place feel like home. Together, they imagine what the country of their dreams would be like: a place where they could find peace, justice, and kindness at last. Though written by Flourakis about the Greek financial crisis of the early 2010s, this haunting and poetic text speaks just as powerfully to our own political moment here in the United States where so many long to replace division and enmity with connection and understanding.
Links for Tickets:
“Bounds”ticketleap.events/tickets/city-garage/bounds
“I Want a Country”ticketleap.events/tickets/city-garage/i-want-a-country
Q&A, Sunday, March 2, 2025
There will be an informal Q&A about both plays with cast and crew after the 4:00pm show, Sunday, March 2nd.
Production Title: Bounds
Author: Tino Caspanello
Translator: Haun Saussy
Director: Frédérique Michel
Producer/Production Designer: Charles A. Duncombe
Preview: Thursday, February 6, 2025 8:00pm
Opening: Friday, February 7, 2025 8:00pm
Performances: Thursdays, Fridays, 8:00pm
Closes: Friday, March 14, 2025
Production Title: I Want a Country
Author: Andreas Flourakis
Translator: Eleni Drivas
Director: Frédérique Michel
Producer/Production Designer: Charles A. Duncombe
Opening: Saturday February 8, 2025 8:00pm
Performances: Saturdays, 8:00pm; Sundays 4:00pm
Closes: Friday, March 16, 2025
TicketsGeneral Admission $30; Students/Seniors w/ID $25
Sundays, “Pay-What-You-Can” at the door only (or full price for advance reservations)
Box Office/Information:(310) 453-9939
citygarage.org
Performance Address: City Garage 2525 Michigan Ave. Building T1, Santa Monica, Ca. 90404
Directions: City Garage is located at Bergamot Station Arts Center. Take the 10 West to Cloverfield Exit. Turn right (north) on Cloverfield to Michigan Ave. Right on Michigan (east) to the end of the street and enter the main gate to Bergamot. Building T1 is at the west end of the parking lot across from the Metro station.
This project is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and by the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission
