Jon Lawrence Rivera to Direct World Premiere of Leonard Manzella’s Cages
The world premiere of Cages, by Leonard Manzella and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, will be held at the Stella Adler Theatre, on the Gilbert Stage, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., 2nd floor.
Cages tells the story of Dr. Thomas Morri, a disgraced prison psychologist. Given one more chance to redeem himself, he re-emerges into the prison system to work with the most deeply disturbed inmates held in Administrative Segregation in a California state prison. Under the supervision of a beautiful, younger psychologist in charge of this unit, Morri is sent daily to the inmates’ cages to treat them and he never imagines the professional and personal consequences that his interactions will cause.
The cast will include Steve Apostolina, William Stanford Davis, Daniel V. Graulau, Matt Kirkwood, Jemal McNeil, John Nielsen, Wiley B. Oscar and Arlene Santana.
Manzella first enjoyed a career in the Italian film industry from 1968 to 1983. He earned a Master’s Degree in social work from USC in 1989 and has since been a practicing psychotherapist. Cages is based upon his work treating mentally ill inmates in a California penal facility.
Rivera is the founding artistic director of Playwrights’ Arena. His work includes Bonded (2012 GLAAD Award nominee). He has been nominated five times for the Ovation Award.
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