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January 30, 2003
DH-03 TK 007
Contact: Thomas Knox
(310) 243-3367
Email: tknox@csudh.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California State University, Dominguez Hills
Stages Auditions for "Dinner With Friends"

CARSON, Calif: - California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) ushers in another season of full theatre productions with the 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama, "Dinner with Friends," to be presented on three weekends between April 25 and May 10. Auditions for this contemporary comedy will be held on Feb. 24 and 25 in the university's Edison Studio Theatre at 7 p.m.

Directed by Sydell Weiner, Cal State Dominguez Hills professor of theatre, "Dinner with Friends" has been called "a deceptively simple suburban comedy about marriage and relationships." What appears to be a glimpse of the perils of breaking up becomes an original take on the terrors of staying together.

"This play takes a humorous look into two contemporary marriages and the challenges that face them," Weiner said. "While one couple is going through the process of a divorce, the other couple begins to examine why they are still together." Weiner said the play teaches us to take stock in our marriages and consider the things that are important and add value to our lives.

The auditions are open to the public with the requirement that hopeful actors must be able to play the role of someone between the ages of 25 - 40. The production company has casting needs for two women and two men. For audition information, please call (310) 243-3588 or 243-3534.

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), the CSUDH Department of Theatre Arts participates regularly in the American College Theatre Festival. The University is a member of both the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) and the Southern California Educational Theatre Association (SCETA). Moreover, our actors vie each year for national recognition by auditioning for both the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) and the League of Professional Theatres.

Profile on the Director

Sydell Weiner, Ph.D., is a director and actress from New York. She received her acting training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Yale School of Drama, and has performed professionally in both New York and Los Angeles. As a director, she has staged "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Gypsy," "A Chorus Line", "Uncommon Women and Others," "Crimes of the Heart, "A Shayna Maidel," and many others. She teaches Acting, Directing, Creative Dramatics, Speech and Play Analysis.

Dr. Weiner has published articles in both The American Journal of Psychotherapy and the Journal of Clinical Psychology comparing the art of theatre to the practice of psychotherapy. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a private practice in Torrance. Dr. Weiner is also listed in Who's Who in Entertainment, Who's Who Among American Women, and Who's Who in the World. She is a recipient of the Lyle Gibson Distinguished Professor Award for excellence in teaching. Dr. Weiner embodies the maxim of "giving back to the community" as she is an alumna who received her master's degree in marriage and family counseling from CSUDH in 1996.
California State University, Dominguez Hills takes pride in offering a "World of Opportunity" to everyone who desires a quality higher education. Please visit the university website at www.csudh.edu for information on campus curriculum and activities. Learn more about upcoming events presented by the Department of Theatre Arts at www.csudh.edu/theatre/index.html.

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