A scene from “Blood,” from left, Kazumi Aihara, James Kyson, Glenne Headly. (Photo by Ed Krieger)
“Blood,” political thriller based on Japan’s true story, playing at The Complex, Hollywood, Oct. 14 – Dec. 18
Glenne Headly (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dick Tracy, Mr. Holland’s Opus) and James Kyson (NBC’s Heroes, voted one of “Hollywood’s 25 Hottest” by TV Guide) join the cast when The Garage (productions) re-opens its acclaimed world premiere production of BLOOD.
Written and directed by five-time Emmy Award nominee Robert Allan Ackerman, BLOOD returns to the The Complex in Hollywood beginning Oct. 14 and running through Dec. 18.
Inspired by true events, BLOOD is a political thriller with music about the 1980s ‘Japanese Tainted Blood Scandal’ in which 2,000 people died of AIDS after the U.S. knowingly sold contaminated blood to Japan.
Over a dozen rave reviews for the production when it premiered last spring include the Los Angeles Times (“dazzling… a formidable display of small-theater invention”), Stage Raw (”lively, haunting, provocative and funny”), BroadwayWorld (“smart, involving, totally wrenching”) and ArtsMeme (“heady Stuff… a witty treatment of a subject that matters so much”).
For this return engagement after the premiere took place from Feb. 26 – April 17, 2016, Headly will take on the role of the American reporter who uncovers a conspiracy to cover up the Japanese government-sanctioned sale of HIV-contaminated blood products, and Kyson will portray the Korean-Japanese lawyer who heads up the investigation.
Also in the cast are Kazumi Aihara, Miho Ando, Takuma Anzai, Peter Chung, Andrew Dits, Anthony Gros, Takaaki Hirakawa, Tomoko Karina, Andrew Nakajima, Daryl L. Padilla, Mika Santoh, Shinichiro Shimizu and Michael Yama.
BLOOD features original music and songs by “The Virgins” bassist Nick Ackerman and “Jet” drummer/vocalist Chris Cester. The creative team includes set and costume designer Dona Granata, projections designer Hana S. Kim, lighting designer Donny Jackson and sound designer Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski.
Performances of BLOOD take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., Oct. 14 through Dec. 18. General admission is $35; students with valid ID are $25. The Complex is located at 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038.
To purchase tickets, call (323) 960-7745 or go to www.plays411.com/blood