The Echo Theater Company presents the world premiere of F**king Strangers, a deliciously off-kilter dark comedy by Erik Patterson, commissioned by the company and directed by artistic director Chris Fields. Performances run July 18 through August 24 at Atwater Village Theatre. Three Pay-What-You-Want preview performances are set for July 15, 16 and 17.
F**king Strangers is a twisted, hilarious and unexpectedly moving story about loneliness, desire, family secrets and the strange ways people try to save one another.
Ru hasn’t left his bedroom in six years. Mick can’t stop paying for affection. Julianne mourns the life she never pursued. Dylan sells companionship to anyone who can afford him. As real-life and online obsessions blur into genuine intimacy, long-buried truths begin to surface. What starts as role-playing and fantasy spirals into a wildly unpredictable collision of sex, secrecy, family and redemption — with consequences that are both shocking and wickedly funny.
“Erik Patterson has one of the most distinctive comic voices in American theater,” says Fields. His writing is fearless, razor-sharp, and deeply compassionate. F**king Strangers constantly surprises you — every time you think you know what kind of play you’re watching, it transforms into something richer, stranger and more moving.”
F**king Strangers opens on Saturday, July 18, with performances continuing on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 4 p.m.; and Mondays at 8 p.m. through August 24. Three preview performances are set for Wednesday, July 15; Thursday, July 16; and Friday, July 17, each at 8 p.m.
Tickets range from $15 to $42.75. Tickets to previews and all Monday night performances are Pay-What-You-Want starting at $15 if paying cash at the door plus an additional $1.50 per ticket fee if purchasing online or at the door with a credit card. Early Bird tickets to Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances are available through July 3 (online only) for $20 plus a $1.75 per ticket fee. Tickets to Friday, Saturday or Sunday performances purchased after July 3: $40 cash with an additional $2.75 fee per ticket if using a credit card.
Content warning: F**King Strangers contains mature sexual themes and is recommended for ages 18 and up.
Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Ave in Los Angeles, CA 90039. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (747) 350-8066 or go to EchoTheaterCompany.com.
