Male Matriarch created and starring Amir Levi, Directed by Shauna Horn March 6, 2012

Tuesday, March 6- Wednesday, March 7th @ 8pm

Gay Mexican-Israeli American Jew Amir Levi Brings His Coming-of-Age Tale, MALE MATRIARCH to the West Coast
Following a Critically Acclaimed Run at the
New York International Fringe Festival

Male Matriarch - the autobiographical story of its star and creator Amir Levi - challenges postmodern gay identity through his cultural desire to create a nuclear family based on traditional values. Strongly influenced by the love stories of his mother and grandmother, Amir shares his Builla's rhythm, his mother's taste in curly-haired men, and thinks he's destined to be the next matriarch of his Mexican Jewish American family. When his first relationship crumbles, dashing his boyhood dreams, he quickly finds that the fairy tale courtships of his beloved matriarchs seem nowhere to be found.

The show will be directed by Shauna Horn with choreography by Megan Sipe and original music by Jesse Soursourian. Following a run at the New York International Fringe Festival in August, Male Matriarch is making its West Coast debut at the Long Beach Playhouse's Studio Theatre in Long Beach, CA.

Levi wrote Male Matriarch (formerly titled Te Busco) under the guidance of playwrights Rachel Sheinkin (Tony Award, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Lucy Thurber (Scarcity, 13P) and Adam Bock (A Small Fire, The Drunken City) while Levi was studying at the O'Neill National Theater Institute. Ms. Sheinkin wrote to Amir, "I was very impressed with the commitment and passion you brought to [Male Matriarch], and the observant, nuanced writing...I hope it's a project you'll continue." Since then, Male Matriarch has been developed by directors Portia Krieger and Shauna Horn at Manhattan Theater Source, Emerging Artists Theatre, The Tank, and in 2010 enjoyed its Off-Broadway debut at 45 Bleecker Theatre in New York. For more information on Amir and the show, check out: www.malematriarch.com.

Official Website: http://lbplayhouse.org