Elephant Theatre Company
The Elephant Theatre Company was a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Theatre company based in Hollywood. The company "built a reputation for championing new American plays" and ceased operation in September 2015. History. The Elephant Theatre Company was created in 1995 by David Fofi, Lindsay Allbaugh and classmates from the California State University, Long Beach Theatre Arts program. They moved into a space at the Angel City Brewery artist complex. The space doubled as a Studio Theater and the loft apartment for the original founders. Focused on their desire to continue their craft after graduation they renovated the space  creating a small theatre and living quarters and gave it the name of "Elephant Off Main". The loft was 110 degrees, the tech booth was in a bedroom and audiences sat on couches and beanbags. The mission of the company and its founders was to produce a new brand of quality original theatre in Los Angeles. In the summer of 1997, the small 45-seat theater could no longer accommodate the advancing production needs or the increasing audience attendance. The Company then moved to Hollywood (and dropped the “Off Main”). David Fofi along with founding member Don Cesario continued to  produce Elephant productions in various Hollywood venues. During their 1998/1999 season, the company moved into its long-term home, located at 6322 Santa Monica Boulevard, in Los Angeles' Theatre Row District. This created five performance spaces (the Lillian Theatre, the Elephant Space, the Elephant Studio, the Elephant ASYLUM, and the ASYLUM Lab), known as The Elephant Stages. With these additions came the necessity to form the business/producing entity called Elephant Stageworks, overseeing both venue operations and Theatre Company endeavors. In 2015, the theatre building was sold by its landlord to a neighboring school. The last produced show in the  Lillian ("The Great Divide" by Lyle Kessler) closed on August 23, 2015. The Elephant Theatre was left without a permanent space, and as of September 2015 was determining whether to continue on as a company. Name. As the founders geared up for the first production, an evening of early Sam Shepard shorts, the question arose: “What should we call this thing we have created, this group, this space?” Over a few beers and many terrible suggestions, one of the directors came across this quote: "“When Sam (Shepard) was first starting to write plays, he was writing little, almost chamber plays . Sam was working on something and we were sitting and talking about some scene he wanted to do, and he said, ‘I don’t think that could be done anyway on the stage. There’s no point to doing it.’ And I said, ‘Look, Sam if you want an Elephant to appear on the stage without walking on from the wings, you should just write it and see what happens from it, and then see if there’s a way to do it, or a way to make it.’” -Jacques Levy" This idea spoke to the founding members. The challenge  of “The Elephant.” Hence the name, one that conjures theatrical daring, invention and imagination. In that loft the company's seed was planted. Staff. Founding Artistic Director: David Fofi Co-Artistic Director: Lindsay Allbaugh Founding Managing Director: Don Cesario Producing Director: Greg Borrud Managing Director: Rick Bernstein General Manager: Tony Foster Literary Director: Cheryl Huggins Elephant Cabinet Members: Brendan Farrell, Tara Norris, Laura Harman, Tom Stanczyk, & Ben Belack Head House Manager: Caryl West Awards and honors. Featured Actor in a Play, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": Ovation nominee, 2011 Featured Performance, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": LADCC Award Winner, 2011 Performance in  a Play, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": Garland Award Winner, 2011 Supporting Female Performance, Winner, Agatha Nowicki "Parasite Drag": 2011 LA Weekly Awards Supporting Male Performance, Nominee, Boyd Kestner "Parasite Drag": 2011 LA Weekly Awards Production of the Year "Block Nine" by Tom Stanczyk: LA Weekly Awards, 2010 Best Direction of a Comedy "Block Nine": LA Weekly Awards, 2010 Best Male Comedy Performance, Jeremy Glazer "Block Nine": LA Weekly Awards, 2010 Playwriting, Nominee, Timothy McNeil "Supernova": LA Weekly Awards, 2010 Ensemble, Nominee "Supernova": LA Weekly Awards, 2010 Best New Play, Kevin King, " Idea Man " Ovation Awards L.A. Best Direction nominee, David  Fofi " Idea Man" Ovation Awards L.A. featured Actor in a play, Kerry Carney " Idea Man " Ovation nominee 2010/ Best Production nominee, Lindsay Allbaugh "Idea Man " Ovation Awards L.A.. Best Direction, David Fofi "Anything " Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards 2008/2009. Best Actor Louis Douglas Jacobs "Anything" Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, 2008/2009. Best New play nominee "Timothy NcNeil "Anything" Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, 2008/2009. Best Production "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" by Stephen Adly Guirgis LA Drama Critics Circle Awards 2007/2008. Playwright, Stephen Adly Guirgis "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" LA Drama Critics  Circle Awards 2007/2008. Best Set and Lighting Design, Joel Daavid, "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" LA Drama Critics Circle Awards 2007/2008. Director, David Fofi "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" Garland Awards/ Ensemble, "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" Garland Awards. Supporting Actor, Tim Starks "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" Garland Awards. Best Ensemble Nominee, " One World" by Robert J. Litz NAACP Theatre Awards. Best New play, Robert J. Litz, and Production nominee " One World " NAACP Theatre Awards. Voted Best Theatre Company: MyFoxLA.com, 2009 Voted Favorite Theatre Company to See: Backstage West, 2009 Voted  Favorite Theatre Company to Work With: Backstage West, 2009 Voted Favorite Theatre Company to See: Backstage West, 2008 Voted Favorite Theatre Company to Work With: Backstage West, 2008 Notable Productions. The Elephant Theatre Company presented many world premieres and LA premieres including, Block Nine, The Idea Man, Asleep on a Bicycle, Tooth and Nail, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings, Los Muertos, 7 Redneck Cheerleaders, One Fell Swoop, Never Tell, The Sandstorm (with Operation Truth and Mark Seabrooks), Dearboys War, King of Clubs, The Puppet & Muppet Maiden, Love Bites, Holding Cell and Princess and the Peon in addition to  published works and restagings that include, Search and Destroy, Serenading Louie and Sam Shepard's 4-H Club & Red Cross. Chronology of Plays. Summer 2015 The Great Divide (World Premiere) Written by: Lyle Kessler Directed by: David Fofi Produced by: Bren Coombs and Shannon McManus Spring 2015 7 Redneck Cheerleaders (4th Remount) Written by: Louis Douglas Jacobs Directed by: David Fofi Produced by: Bren Coombs Winter 2014 Hell Cab (Remount) Written by: Will Kern Directed by: David Fofi Fall 2014 Scene Workshop Showcase of various company members Fall 2014 Elephant Short Play Fest Short plays written and directed by various  company members Summer 2014 Le Butte 1 One acts written and directed by various company members Summer 2014 Unorganized Crime (World Premiere, Ovation Recommended) ft. Elizabeth Rodriguez (Motherf**cker with a Hat, Orange is the New Black) and Chazz Palminteri (Bronx Tale) written by: Kenny D'Aquila Directed by: David Fofi Spring 2014 Derby Day (West Coast Premiere, LA Times Critic Pick ) written by: Samuel Brett Williams Directed by: David Fofi Winter 2014 Twilight of Schlomo (LA Premiere, LA Times Critic Pick, With Camisade Theater Company NYC) written by: Timothy McNeil (Anything, Supernova) Directed by: David Fofi Summer 2013 Revelation (West Coast  Premiere) written by: Samueal Brett Williams (Derby Day, Woodpecker) Directed by: David Fofi Spring 2013 The North Plan (West Coast Premiere, Huffington Post's Top 10 LA Productions of the year. ) written by: Jason Wells Directed by: David Fofi 2012 7 Redneck Cheerleaders (Remount) written by: Louis Douglas Jacobs Original Staging by: Amy French Re-staged by: David Fofi & Louis Jacobs 2012 Collision (East Coast premiere, Rattlestick NYC) written by: Lyle Kessler Directed by: David Fofi June, 2011 Lovesick (World premiere, with New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company) written by: Kristina Poe Directed by: David Fofi June, 2011 100  Saints You Should Know (West Coast premiere) written by: Kate Fodor Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh Feb - March, 2011 The 10th Anniversary of Love Bites: 10 Years Together & Still No Ring (world premiere) Annual shorts written and directed by various company members August - Sept, 2010 Parasite Drag (world premiere) written by: Mark Roberts Directed by: David Fofi May - June, 2010 Supernova (world premiere) written by: Tim McNeil Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh Feb - March, 2010 Love Bites Vol. 9 (world premiere) Annual shorts written and directed by various company members August, 2009 - Sept, 2009 Block Nine (world premiere) written by: Tom Stanczk  Directed by: Emilie Beck (Dames) & Pete Uribe (Fellas) May, 2009 - June, 2009 The Idea Man (world premiere) written by: Kevin King Directed by: David Fofi Feb - March, 2009 Love Bites Vol. 8.0 (world premiere) Annual shorts written and directed by various company members 2008 7 Redneck Cheerleaders (Remount) written by: Louis Douglas Jacobs Directed by: Amy French July, 2008 - Oct, 2008 Asleep on a Bicycle (world premiere) written by: Tony Foster Directed by: David Fofi May, 2008 - June, 2008 Tooth and Nail (world premiere) written by: Gena Acosta Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh Feb - March, 2008 Love Bites VI & VII (world  premiere) Annual shorts written and directed by various company members Nov, 2007 - Feb, 2008 Anything (world premiere) written by: Tim McNeil Directed by: David Fofi August 2007 One Fell Swoop written by: Robert J. Litz Directed by: Christopher Game March 7-April 7 Love Bites Vol. V Annual shorts written and directed by various company members Jan 07-April 7 In Arabia We’d All Be Kings Written by: Stephen Adly Guirgis Directed by: David Fofi Dec 06 365 Days/Plays (week 4: Los Angeles) Written by: Suzan-Lori Parks Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh, David Fofi, and Christopher Game August -Oct 06 Seven Redneck Cheerleaders (Revival) Written by: Louis Jacobs Original Staging by: Amy French Re-staged by: David Fofi & Louis Jacobs March 6 Love Bites Annual shorts written and directed by various company members Nov 05-Jan 06 Los Muertos Written by: Tim McNeil Directed by: David Fofi August 5 Seven Redneck Cheerleaders Written by: Louis Jacobs Directed by: Amy French May 5 Never Tell Written by: James Christy Directed by: Lindsay Allbaugh Dec 04 Underwear For Christmas Written by: Tony Foster Directed by: Daniel McCoy Oct 04 Love Bites Harder Annual shorts written and directed by various company  members June 4 One World Written by Robert J. Litz Directed by David Fofi April 4 21 Stories Written by: G.W. Stevens Directed by: Yuval Hadid Oct 03 One Act Festival All Men are Whores, and Bobby Gould in Hell written by David Mamet Not Enough Rope, and Hotline written by Elaine May Desire, Desire, Desire, ‘Dentiy Crisis and 1-900-Desperate by Christopher Durang Aug 03 Robbers Written by Lyle Kessler Directed by David Fofi Workshop Production with Lyle Kessler, not submitted for review April 3 Some Strings Attached Written by: Amy French and Alexandra Hoover Directed by: Gina  Soto March 3 King of Clubs Written and Directed by: David Fofi Oct 02 Zzyxx Written by: Don Cesario Directed by: Kimberly Brooks Aug 02 Serenading Louie Written by: Lanford Wilson Directed by: Christopher Game and Gina Soto April 2 Love Bites Series of one acts written and directed by various company members Dec 01 Red Cross and 4H-Club Written by: Sam Shepard Directed by: Chris Game & Dave Fofi Nov 01 Greystone Written by: Tony Foster Directed by: Kristin Hanggi June 1 Dearboy's War Written by: Mike Ambrose Directed by: Danny LaClair Dec 00 Underwear for Christmas Written  and Directed by: Tony Foster Oct 00 The Insanity of Mary Girard Written by: Lanie Robertson Directed by: Pat McLoy and David Brown April 00 Elephant Shorts, a Collection of Vignettes Written by: Tony Foster Directed by: E.O.M. Directors Nov 99 Search & Destroy Written by: Howard Korder Directed by: David Fofi & Anthony Roman May 99 The Actors Nightmare Written by: Christopher Durang Directed by: Christopher Game May 99 Gecko Chestnut Genius Written by: Jimmie D. Hudson III Directed by: Don Cesario April 99 Line Written by Israel Horowitz Directed by: Gary Blumsack Shooting Gallery Written by Israel Horowitz Directed by : Andrea C. Robbins Stage Directions Written by Israel Horowitz Directed by: Pat McLoy March 99 Indian Summer of Our Despondency Written by: Kelly Wand Directed by: David Fofi Aug 98 Halfway There Written by: Michael Vaez Directed by: Christopher Game at the Hollywood Court Theater, Hollywood July 97 Warmth and Doubt Written by: David Fofi Directed by: David Fofi & Andrea Robins The Princess and the Peon Written by: Jimmie D. Hudson, Directed by: Christopher Game Candlefish Theatre, Los Angeles Feb 97 The Love of Nechron Written and Directed by: Pat McLoy Elephant Off Main Theatre, Los Angeles Nov 96 Criminal  Written by: David Canales Directed by: Jeff Walsh Sept 96 Holding Cell Written by: Mike Vaez Directed By: Joe Matthews May 96 Solitary Ping Pong Written by: Jimmie D. Hudson Directed by: Lori Lee Bush My Only Hopeless Written by: Jackie Apodaca Directed by: Christopher Game March 96 King Of Clubs Written and Directed by: Dave Fofi Adam and Rhonda Written by: Matthew Jones Nov 95 The Galaxy Lily Written and Directed by: Don Cesario July 95 Sam Shepard Tribute Red Cross Directed by: Christopher Game 4-H Club Directed by David Fofi Fourteen Hundred Thousand Directed by: Kimberly Brooks