[News Release] Los Angeles – October – New York’s critically acclaimed National Comedy Theatre is coming to Morgantown for a ONE NIGHT ONLY Benefit performance on Friday, November 9th, and they’re inviting you to be a part of the fun! All proceeds from the event will benefit Angel’s Perch, a feature film being produced by J.T. Arbogast and Kimberly Dilts aimed at raising awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease and shining a positive light on the state of West Virginia. Along with the ages comedy show, the evening will alos include a ticket auction and an exclusive sneak peek at the film!
Similar in performance style to “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” the National Comedy Theatre is madeup of some of New York’s best and brightest improv comedians who will perform a series of games and scenes based on audience suggestions, and even invite audience members up on state to be a part of the show. The high-energy and highly interactive show has received unanimous acclaim all across the country and around the globe. And, it’s appropriate for all ages. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to bring this show home to Morgantown,” Arbogast says. “I spent six years in New York working alongside these talented comedians and to have the chance to perform in front of a hometown crows and raise awareness about our film…it’s going to be a great night.”
The inspiration for Angel’s Perch came from the Arbogast’s own roots in West Virginia and his family’s experiences with Alzheimer’s, a disease that currently affects over 5.4 million Americans. “It’s a story that is not dissimilar from the millions of people who have watched this disease slowly take away a loved one and felt powerless to stop it,” said Dilts. “We struggle to find an answer to the question, ‘What can I do?’ For us, the answer came in the form of making a film.”
Arbogast was also tired of seeing the state he loved misrepresented on the big screen. “West Virginia is so often depicted in films as a place where terrifying hillbillies come down out of the mountains to kill college kids– but that’s not the West Virginia that I know,” Arbogast says. “It’s a state full of beautiful landscapes, small towns and proud, hardworking people. In a lot of ways, this film is a love letter to the entire state and all those who have a connection to it.”
Angel’s Perch wrapped production on September 22nd and has moved into post production editing, and the filmmakers are already prepping to submit the film to high profile festivals like Sundance, SXSW and Berlin, while also planning the WV premiere. “We have made it a lot further that most films. We’ve got it in the can, and we are thrilled with what we’ve got. Now, we just have to get it in front of the right people… and that get’s expensive,” says Arbogast. “But, through fun events like this, we can chip away at it all and inch closer to bringing it home for folks to see.”
Angel’s Perch is the story of Jack, a successful young architecht living in Pittsburgh, who must make the trip to his tiny hometown of Cass, WV to move his grandmother into an assisted-care facility after she is found wandering outside her home. But what was intended to be a two day, under-the-radar trip becomes more complicated when Jack is unable to move her into an assisted living facility nearby. Torn between the career opportunity of a lifetime, caring for his last living relative and running from his own painful memories, Jack is forced to choose between standing still or facing the pain of his past, so that he can finally move forward. The film stars Joyce Van Patten (Grown Ups), Ally Walker (Sons of Anarchy, The Profiler), Ashley Jones (True Blood, The Bold and the Beautiful), Arbogast, and Ellen Crawford (ER).
“We have always believed that this was a film that our community would embrace, and ultimately, help us to make,” Dilts says. “We were truly humbled by the number of people who came out during production to give of their time and energy to make our film a great success. We hope folks in Morgantown will join us for a night of laughter and help us get the rest of the way there!”
The ONE NIGHT ONLY “Comedy For a Cause” Benefit will take place at 6:30PM on Friday, November 9th at Monongalia Arts Center, 107 High Street (Cash Bar/Chinese Auction from 6:30- 7:30, performance at 7:30PM). Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.angelsperch.com or by calling 800-838-3006. If you have any questions, please email info@angelsperch.com or call 646-823-3043.
For details on Angel’s Perch and info on how you can make a 100% tax-deductible donation through the WV Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, please visit: www.angelsperch.com