A Stunner Debut Production for The Ekteló Theatre Group

2 min read

THE PILLOWMAN a Black Comedy by Martin McDonagh

In 2023, after an incredible 17-week run of Bill W. and Dr. Bob directed by Ronnie Marmo at Theatre 68, four cast members came together with the intention to build upon the artistic connections they had created. The Ekteló Theatre Group was born and THE PILLOWMAN is their debut production. The blackest of dark comedies, Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Banshees of the Inisherin, In Bruges) does not hold back on the horror in this electrifying and savagely funny Olivier award-winning play. The production, directed by Brian Allman (Director of Education & Community Engagement at the Geffen Playhouse), opens April 4th at The Broadwater LA Main Stage (1076 Lillian Way, Los Angeles, CA. 90038).

This show is a stunner of a play. In a totalitarian state a writer is interrogated by the authorities about a series of murders that bear a striking similarity to his work. Is this life imitating art or something more sinister? When the writer’s mentally impaired sibling is also brought in for questioning this police procedural takes spellbinding twists and turns.

This black comedy, widely regarded as one of the greatest plays of the past 25 years, examines the role of the artist in society and asks, what price do we pay for freedom of expression? A hypnotic blend of savagery, suspense, macabre fairytale, and the blackest of gallows humor, THE PILLOWMAN is a powerful, potent, and provocative tour de force.

The play originally opened at the Royal National Theatre in London, in 2005 it debuted on Broadway, and in 2023, it was revived in London’s West End. It has received numerous awards and outstanding critical acclaim.

CREATIVE TEAM: Playwright – Martin McDonagh; Director – Brian Allman; Producer – Ekteló Theatre Group; Set Design – Daniel T. McCann; Lighting Designer – Noah Hammett

CAST: Steven R. O’Brien – Katurian;;Daniel T. McCann – Tupolsk; Paul Ian Stanley – Ariel; Kimberly Demarse – Michal

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: Thursday, April 4, Friday, April 5, Saturday, April 6 at 8pm; Sunday, April 7 at 3pm; Thursday, April 11, Friday, April 12, Saturday, April 13 at 8pm; Sunday, April 14 at 3pm