World premiere comedy "The Cruise" kicks off 2017 season at LATC

LOS ANGELES - Feb. 28, 2017 - PRLog -- The Cruise is a new socio-political comedy set on board a luxury ocean liner on a decadent Caribbean cruise obliviously sailing through waters bloodied by the region's dark Colonial history, becoming a metaphor for the fractured political, cultural and sexual identities of its passengers. Ric Salinas (Culture Clash) heads the cast as enrichment lecturer Ramón, who may not be exactly who he seems — to us, or to himself. Kenneth Miles Ellington Lopez (Latino Theater Company's A Mexican Trilogy) plays James, Ramón's aspiring writer son, long estranged from his father and from his Latino heritage. Carolyn Almos (Sacred Fools, Burglars of Hamm) portrays the nouveau riche Judith, intent on using her newly inherited wealth to further a conservative political agenda, while Gary Lamb (Coeurage Theatre Company's Urinetown) is Howard, Judith's hedonistic second husband. Rounding out the cast, Brian Wallace (Cash on Delivery at the El Portal) takes on flamboyant Boyd Mathiessen, the cruise director who threatens to reveal secrets from Ramón's past. Heath Cullens (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)directs.

"I wanted to explore the sense of dislocation that so many of us feel in today's society," explains Ceniceroz. "Ramón and James are third and fourth generation Latinos who have lost touch with their heritage. We don't usually see the immigrant experience from that perspective – the assimilated, 'pocho' point of view. But I don't think that a sense of fractured identity is limited to any one demographic. It's a universal issue that everyone can relate to. And it all takes on a new resonance in the age of Trump."

"Jonathan tackles a lot of big issues in this play, like politics and identity, but it's all wrapped up in a very simple story about a father and son," says Cullens. "The reason The Cruise is so effective is because its core is so human, emotional and true. Plus… it's very funny!"

Jonathan Ceniceroz, a unique voice among Latino writers with themes investigating the point of view of the "pocho," or assimilated, Latino in U.S. culture. Born and raised in a comfortable and Anglo-dominant suburb of Los Angeles, Jonathan's worldview is one of "otherness" within exclusivity. His theater work has been produced and developed by the Mark Taper Forum, New York Theatre Workshop, South Coast Rep, the Drama League, Company of Angels, Odyssey Theatre and Chalk Repertory, among others. For film, he has written the Swiss/U.S. shorts Mousy Brown and Der Fisch. He is a former Van Lier Fellow at New Dramatists and a participant in the CTG Writers Group and the Playwrights Union, an LA writers collective. Jonathan is also an alum of the National Hispanic Media Coalition TV Writers Program, where he wrote a popular episode of Castle and the original Latino drama 7 Mares. He holds writing degrees from UCLA and Brown University.

Heath Cullens recently directed the first season (15 episodes) of Great Minds with Dan Harmon where he had the opportunity to work with Jack Black, Nick Kroll, Sarah Silverman and Jason Sudeikis among other comedy luminaries. Prior to that, he directed half of the 11th Season (five episodes) of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and several episodes of Deadbeat for Hulu. Along with his work in TV, Cullens produced and had a supporting role in the Lionsgate-released feature Armed Response with Cary Elwes, Ethan Embry, Michael Gladis and Alan Arkin. Cullens wrote, directed and starred in an award-winning short, Well Enough Alone, as well as several popular sketches for the website "Funny Or Die

Running March 16 through April 9 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., with one additional performance on Monday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. There will be four preview performances, on Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, March 12 at 3 p.m.; Tuesday, March 14 at 8 p.m.; and Wednesday, March 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $22 – $38. The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013.For more information and to purchase tickets, call (866) 811-4111 or go to http://thelatc.org/.