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 Two-time Golden Globe and five-time Emmy Award nominee Robert Allan Ackerman writes and directs the world premiere of a political thriller with music about the “Japanese Tainted Blood Scandal,” in which thousands of people died of AIDS after U.S. companies knowingly sold contaminated blood to Japan.
“RECOMMENDED… STAGE RAW TOP 10… lively, haunting, provocative and funny… Performances are uniformly impressive under Ackerman’s fine direction.” — Lovell Estell, Stage Raw
“SMART… involving, totally wrenching… expert direction…powerful performances.” —Gil Kaan, BroadwayWorld
FIVE STARS… thoroughly gripping, deeply dark yet highly entertaining… … clearly one of the most unique theater pieces ever created.” —Ron Irwin, Examiner.com
“HEADY STUFF. The show’s first half nearly splits its seams so bursting is the creativity it flings at its audience… a witty treatment of a subject that matters so much… RECOMMENDED.” — Debra Levine, ArtsMeme
“ACHIEVES AN UNQUESTIONABLE POWER… Harmoniously sung and enthusiastically performed… terrific” — Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes
“MASTERFUL… Intelligent, thoughtful, powerful and impactful… highly entertaining story telling at its absolute finest. – Suzanne Birrell, Discover Hollywood
“DEEPLY AFFECTING, CATHARTIC AND REDEMPTIVE, Blood holds your interest from beginning to end… it’s a gift to see such powerful themes and such varied theatrical discipline poured into this absorbing tale.” — Eric Gordon, People’s World
“DAZZLING… utterly theatrical… brimming with ideas and nuance” — David Macdowell Blue, The World Through Night-Tinted Glasses
“ENTERTAINING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED… beauty, music, rhythm, heart-wrenching performances, and courageous, triumphant, stylized drama.” — Carol Edger-Germain, ColoradoBoulevard.net
“BRILLIANT… RIVETING… an evening of unforgettable theatre” — Beverly Cohn, Santa Monica Mirror and LA West Media
A Jewish-American reporter in Japan uncovers a conspiracy to cover up the government-sanctioned sale of HIV-contaminated blood products in a new political thriller with music inspired by true events. BLOOD gets a five-week run beginning March 5 at The Complex on Hollywood’s Theater Row. Featuring original music and songs by “The Virgins” bassist Nick Ackerman and “Jet” drummer/vocalist Chris Cester, BLOOD marks the debut production of L.A.’s newest theater company, The Garage.
In the early 1980s, nearly 2,000 people, most of them hemophiliacs, died of AIDS after U.S. companies knowingly sold contaminated blood to Japan, where pharmaceutical companies continued to distribute non-heat-treated blood products despite the existence of heat treatments proven to prevent the spread of infection. The scandal triggered public outrage against the drug industry and the Japanese government officials charged with regulating it. Charges were filed against high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Health and Welfare, executives of the manufacturing company involved and a leading doctor in the field of hemophilia. The trial lasted over a decade. It wasn’t until Feb. 25, 2000 that the Los Angeles Times reported “In a landmark decision that raises the standard for corporate accountability in Japan, an Osaka court Thursday sentenced three former pharmaceutical executives to prison for continuing to sell blood products they knew could be tainted with the AIDS virus even after safer substitutes were available.”
“One of the reasons this case took so long to unfold is that none of the victims or their families were willing to come forward,” explains Ackerman, who lived and worked in Tokyo for nearly two decades. “Being polite, softspoken and deferential to authority is ingrained in the culture. To be sick with AIDS was a source of great shame. Even when the case finally went to trial, the plaintiffs testified from behind black curtains. In the end, it was a young boy who broke the silence, although even he did not publicly reveal his name for another 10 years. Today, Ryuhei Kawada, who miraculously survived, serves as a member of the Japanese Parliament.”
Presenter / Producer: The Garage
Listed Categories
Theater > Drama
Event Phone: 323-960-7745
Venue
The Complex
6476 Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood CA 90038
Regions:
LA - Hollywood / Westside
Performance Dates: 3/5/2016 - 4/17/2016
Saturday, 03/05/2016
Sunday, 03/06/2016
Friday, 03/11/2016
Saturday, 03/12/2016
Sunday, 03/13/2016
Friday, 03/18/2016
Saturday, 03/19/2016
Sunday, 03/20/2016
Friday, 03/25/2016
Saturday, 03/26/2016
Sunday, 03/27/2016
Friday, 04/01/2016
Saturday, 04/02/2016
Sunday, 04/03/2016
Friday, 04/08/2016
Saturday, 04/09/2016
Sunday, 04/10/2016
Friday, 04/15/2016
Saturday, 04/16/2016
Sunday, 04/17/2016
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Performance Times
Continues through April 17:
• Friday at 8 p.m.: March 25 April 1, 8, 15
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March 26 April 2, 16
• Sundays at 3 p.m.: March 27 April 3, 17
Ticket Information:
• Fridays and Saturdays: $30
• Sundays: $25
Websites:
Event Information
Social Media or other Links:
www.facebook.com/TheGarage.Sawtell
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