For Immediate Release
April 9, 2013
Media Contact: Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR
917-562-5670 / [email protected]

“soloNOVA brings back the art of storytelling.” – Back Stage

soloNOVA ARTS FESTIVAL 10th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

 RETURNING ARTISTS, WORLD PREMIERES & NYC FAVORITES

terraNOVA COLLECTIVE and Producing Artistic Director, Jennifer Conley Darling, is pleased to announce the 10TH Annual soloNOVA Arts Festival, the award-winning and longest-running solo performance festival in New York City. soloNOVA Arts Festival will play a limited engagement at IRT Theater (154 Christopher Street, inside the landmark Archive Building). Performances begin Thursday, May 23 and continue through Sunday, June 2.

Darling is “pleased to present a combination of soloNOVA alumni and new performances to NYC in the festival.” Darling prides herself on her acute curating process in which this year she involved previous performers on the selection committee. Darling picks “only projects with a strong story arc and a fusion of art forms that are not necessarily autobiographical.  This year is a huge celebration. Hitting our 10 year mark and having given platform to over 330 solo artists over the years is a huge source of pride for us.”

A complete list of the shows and their performance schedule is enclosed at the end of this document.

Tickets are $20 for individual shows; $30 for two shows; $80 festival pass (50% discount for all shows at IRT Theater)

Tickets on sale Monday, April 15th. For more information and tickets, please visit www.terranovacollective.org. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at Box Office ½ hour in advance of the performances.

Running Time:  All shows are 90 minutes (or less)

Website: http://www.terranovacollective.org

BIOGRAPHIES

 

soloNOVA Arts Festival (SAF) is now the longest-running solo performance festival in New York City. SAF began in 2004 as a vehicle to showcase innovative artists representing various disciplines and cultures, and whose solo performances reflect distinct perspectives. The festival hosts 8-10 performers annually, who perform three times each in repertory. SAF is specifically curated to showcase the best in puppetry, dance, magic, physical theater, multi-character monologues, multi-media, and other forms of storytelling, and aims to bring forth ideas and experiences from varying cultures. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards has presented SAF programming with 22 nominations and 6 awards over the past three years. 

terraNOVA is an ever-expanding collective of artists devoted to nurturing distinct and innovative theatrical voices. It is dedicated to cultivating environments where the art of storytelling thrives, and actively seeks stages for the new theatre it develops.

Since its inception, terraNOVA has staged 8 full-scale productions, over 20 plays within 7 new play workshop series, and 8 annual solo performance festivals that feature diverse artists of many disciplines. Over the past 8 years, terraNOVA has developed more than 80 plays through Groundbreakers and Groundworks, and has given a platform to approximately 320 solo artists in the annual soloNOVA Arts Festival.  

terraNOVA has been hosted within several artistic homes, including Performance Space 122, the DR2 Theatre and D-Lounge at the Daryl Roth Theatre (theatre-in-residence for two seasons), Barrow Street Theatre, HERE Arts Center and New Ohio Theatre.

terraNOVA Collective has received many accolades including 30 New York Innovative Theatre Award nominations, 8 of which were for the productions of ‘Feeder: A Love Story’ by James Carter and ‘Blue Before Morning’ by Kate McGovern. The remaining nominations have been for shows within the soloNOVA Arts Festival, of which 6 were awarded.

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MERCY KILLERS

Written & performed by Michael Milligan

Directed by Tom Oppenheim

Joe loves apple pie, Rush Limbaugh, the fourth of July and his wife Jane. But when his wife is diagnosed with cancer and loses her insurance, his patriotic feelings for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are turned upside down.

Thursday, May 23rd - 7pm
Saturday, May 25th - 1pm
Friday, May 31st - 9pm


HOW TO DO A ONE PERSON SHOW

Written & performed by Kelly Kinsella
Written & Directed by Padraic Lillis

World Premiere

Kelly is back! This time she will show us…wait…what is Kelly doing? In her own unique way, Kelly Kinsella will probably tell us how to do a one person show, but will no doubt reveal a lot more. Hysterical. Tangential. Insightful. Kelly Kinsella does Kelly Kinsella.

Thursday, May 23rd - 9pm
Saturday, May 25th - 3pm
Friday, May 31st - 7pm


Diana Oh is GOING ROGUE, the solo show

Songs written and performed by Diana Oh

Directed by Leta Tremblay

1/2 concert, 1/3 dance party, 1/3 playtime, 1/3 you're not gonna stay in your seats, 1/3 no bullshit. The math is right. Don't overthink it.  "You're the whole package. Song writing is amazing. Voice is out of this world. The most important thing to me is the live show and your show is electric and intimate and HUGE,” - Christopher Gabriel Nuñez.

Friday, May 24th - 7pm
Sunday, May 26th - 1pm
Thursday, May 30th - 9pm


DOS MUJERES

Written & performed by Desi Moreno-Penson

Directed by Jose Zayas

Two women. Two stories. One Actress.

Watch stereotypes get blown to smithereens as Desi Moreno-Penson gets even in the audition room and agrees to have a threesome.

Friday, May 24th - 9pm
Sunday, May 26th - 3pm
Thursday, May 30th - 7pm


THE F*CKING WORLD ACCORDING TO MOLLY

Written & Performed by Andrea Alton
Directed by Molly Marinik

Producer – Irwin Kroot

Choreography - John Paolillo

Costume Designer - Anthony Catanzaro

Sound Designer – David Crabb

Molly "Equality" Dykeman is a loveable, but barely lucid security guard at PS 339 who dabbles in a bit of poetry, a bit of Percocet and a lot of drink. She may be a foul mouthed, straight talking, lady kissing, mother lover, but she still needs to find a way to pull herself together, overcome bed bugs, love and sissy kids to perform in her first poetry show. Will she succeed? Only Molly can tell…

“A fucking riot!!! Like all good comedy, it makes you laugh and feel uncomfortable at the same time -- a real feat. Molly for Lez-ident!” - Village Voice, Michael Musto

Saturday, May 25th - 7pm
Tuesday, May 28th - 9pm
Saturday, June 1st - 3pm


WILL WORK FOR

Written  & performed by Dacyl Acevedo

Directed by Jo Cattell

Collaborator  Tamilla Woodard

Photographer, Illustrator, Costume Designer - Heather Anderson

World Premiere

Unemployment and the adventure begins! On a journey into the unknown, Dacyl Acevedo has to dodge through booby-trapped interviews, face demons of her employment past, hold tight to her dream while surviving the economic crash. Will Work For is a farcical and satirical journey into the new world of work and tells of how one person is surviving.

Saturday, May 25th - 9pm
Tuesday, May 28th - 7pm
Saturday, June 1st - 1pm


WIGGERLOVER [whiteboy+blackdad=greyareas]

Written & performed by James Anthony Zoccoli

Deejay & Sound Design by Gregor Mortis

Projections & Lighting Design by Elizabeth Boros-Kazai

NYC Premiere

Chicagoland, 1979: In this too-good-to-be-true story of one boy’s life in an interracial family, James Anthony Zoccoli recalls growing up as a half-Italian, half-Polish kid who wants to be Black when his White mom marries an African-American man.  Hilarity ensues!

“Deftly strikes a wonderful balance of hilarious-meets-poignant.”- Chicago Theatre Blog

Wednesday, May 29th - 7pm
Saturday, June 1st - 9pm
Sunday, June 2nd - 1pm


LAST LAUGH

Presented by The Movement Theatre Company

Written & performed by Eric Lockley

Directed by Jonathan McCrory

 “Think Spike Lee directing The Incredible Afro-Hulk from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, and you get a sense of the inner transformations and character mutations that Lockley performs in his 60 minutes on stage.” Says Daniel Lehman, Backstage, as Eric Lockley reprises his sold-out soloNOVA show exploring if laughter is the best medicine.

Wednesday, May 29th - 9pm
Saturday, June 1st - 7pm
Sunday, June 2nd - 3pm

A MAY SKY PICTURE
Proudly Presents

“My first experience of hearing Schuyler (Skye) Iona Press sing was one of those moments [being in the presence of greatness] and inspired me to share my appreciation for her remarkable talent.” – Rebekah Blu, Avalon Magazine Spring 2012

WHAT I’M FAILING TO LEARN
A mashup musical journey where truth holds hope

Music and Lyrics by 14-year-old SCHUYLER IONA PRESS

Starring SCHUYLER IONA PRESS

Choreography by JOEL HANNA

Music Arranged by JEB PATTON

Co-Directed by DARREN PRESS

Written and Co-Directed by C. FRASER PRESS

LIMITED OFF-BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT
MAY 15 – JUNE 15, 2013 AT THE 13th STREET REP

OPENING NIGHT IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 AT 7 P.M.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT 13THSTREETREP.ORG
 
A MAY SKY PICTURE is pleased to announce the workshop production of Schuyler Iona Press’ WHAT I’M FAILING TO LEARN, choreography by Joel Hanna, music arranged by Jeb Patton, co-directed by Darren Press, written and directed by C. Fraser Press. WHAT I’M FAILING TO LEARN will play a limited engagement at Off-Broadway’s 13th Street Rep (50 West 13th Street, NYC). Performances begin Wednesday, May 15 and continue through Saturday, June 15. Opening Night is Wednesday, May 29 (8 p.m.).
 
14-year-old singer songwriter Schuyler Iona Press, whose eclectic compositions include influences from modern folk, rock, and punk peppered with Latin grooves, is an outsider longing to be on the “inside”, simultaneously outraged by the implications—a kid entering adolescence and questioning her world. Accompanied by a live band, percussive modern Irish dancers and video, Schuyler brings us on a poetic imaginative quest into the depths of her emotions.
 
A mashup of theatrical drama/live concert/multimedia video, What I’m Failing To Learn takes us on a walking tour through the unpredictable streets of NYC and through the even more unpredictable mind of a young teenager.

What I’m Failing to Learn is a personal journey of a child colored by both positives and negatives of growing up unsheltered from certain truths of our human world.  As Schuyler learns, truth holds both comedy and tragedy, but most importantly, truth holds hope.

The production stars Schuyler Iona Press (Film: Theresa is a Mother) as herself. The ensemble/band includes Carlos Mena on bass, Annette Homann on violin and as the voice of Carol, Sardinian woman and Diner Lady, Henry Koperski on the piano/flute/sax and as the voice of Harvey, Matthew Gumley (Bdwy: Elf, Addams Family, Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast Film: Theresa is a Mother) on electric guitar and as the voice of the Tour Guide, Sam Wagner (The Brighton Beat) on the drums, Dominique Porter as the voice of Schuyler and Savior Lady, and Hannah Tobias as voice of Mother, Sardinian teenager and Phyllis.
 
The production features lighting design by Rob Belchere and sound design by MikeDeRosa. Liz Peak is the stage manager.

WHAT I’M FAILING TO LEARN plays the following schedule:
 
Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
Saturdays at 3 p.m.  

Tickets are $18-30 and are now available online at www.13thstreetrep.org or by calling 866-811-4111. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater ½ hour prior to performance.

Running Time: 90 minutes

Website: http://www.whatimfailingtolearn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WhatImFailingToLearn
www.schuylerionapress.com

Photos: http://bit.ly/WIFLPhotos

 

BIOGRAPHIES
 
SCHUYLER IONA PRESS (Music, Lyrics, Performer) is a 14-year old singer/songwriter guitarist and actress from NYC.  She is the youngest artist ever to play the singer/songwriter sessions at the Bitter End in NYC and has played numerous music festivals in the northeast throughout the summer of 2012 including Boston GreenFest, Block Island Music Festival, Black Potatoe Music Festival and more.
 
A prolific songwriter from an early age, at 12 years old Schuyler opened for award winning recording artist Ellis Paul. Schuyler composed the score to the independent feature film “Theresa is a Mother,” including recording “Summer Child” the main theme song. Theresa is a Mother is currently playing in film festivals around the country and has won numerous Best Film awards. Schuyler recently recorded a guitar/vocal for the music video to her 9/11 tribute song “Playground Museum.” This video premiered at the 2012 International Film Festival Manhattan and won in the music video category at the 2012 My HERO Film Festival in LA.  Schuyler was also nominated for a prestigious Ron Kovic Peace Prize.
 
As an actress, Schuyler was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Award from the 2012 Reel Independent Film Festival in Washington DC for her role in the film Theresa is a Mother.
 
A budding philanthropist, Schuyler is combining her talents and passions to create the I Am Today Project, an arts driven organization that works with children fighting serious illness helping them create personal and expressive projects in various artistic disciplines.

JOEL HANNA (Choreographer) is known for his athletic and boundary-breaking fusion of tap dance, musical percussion, Irish dance, and martial arts Joel Hanna has been called “one of the most exciting dancers to ever step on the World stage”.

Joel began his training at age 9 in Vancouver, B.C., achieving competitive success all over the world. Joel’s professional career took off after joining Riverdance: The Show in 1997, performing throughout Britain and North America. During this time he was selected to be the subject of a documentary, produced by CBC/Riverdance, called "The Badboy and the Hometown Girl", which is still broadcast today.

He has taught and choreographed award-winning pieces for schools and professional dance companies all over North and South America. His innovative style of teaching and performing has been sought-after all over the world, from Mexico City to as far North as Juneau, Alaska, and from Singapore to Warsaw, London and back! Joel also spent the summer of 2008 touring as Lead Tap Soloist in a UK tour of Magic of the Dance.

In 2007 Joel created Revolution: Sweat, Dance, Rock & Roll, which debuted in New York City at the world-famous Joyce Theater during its 25th anniversary season in Oct. 07'. Following the phenomenal success of its run, the production (partnered with Columbia Artists Management Inc. or "CAMI") performed a national tour sponsored by Gibson Guitars.

Recently, Joel performed for the delegates at the United Nations, opening the World Youth Assembly. He has performed as a soloist at the Jacob's Pillow Concert Series two years in a row, and has appeared with Grammy Award Nominee Dave Eggar at Lincoln Center in New York City. He will be seen choreographing in an upcoming Cirque du Soleil.

C. FRASER PRESS (writer, co-director) An Emmy nominated actress and writer (CBS Schoolbreak Special Stand Up 1995), C. Fraser Press began her professional career with the famed LaMama Theatre company in New York City where she performed in Andre Serban’s Fragments Of A Greek Trilogy both in NYC and on tour in the Middle East. She continued to act in theater in both Los Angeles and New York City. On stage nationally and on network and cable television, she has performed improvisation and stand-up comedy as well as three critically acclaimed one-woman shows. As a writer/director, her first film, the short, A Driving Lesson, was an official selection to over 30 film festivals worldwide and was nominated for and won numerous awards including the  Lou Costello Comedy award at the Garden State Film Festival.  A Driving Lesson also was also part of GlamourFilmFest.tv Glamour Magazine’s online film festival. Glamourfilmfest selects the best shorts by female directors chosen by Hollywood insiders. C. Fraser wrote, co-directed and starred in the award winning feature film Theresa is a Mother. Press received ‘Best Actress’, ‘Best Screenplay’ and
Best Director’ awards for her work on Theresa is a Mother. She is currently working on two new feature film scripts and a television pilot.

DARREN PRESS (co-director) Darren began writing, directing and producing in New York City’s off-off Broadway theater scene. Quickly moving to larger projects Off Broadway, Darren became the Managing Director of the Melting Pot Theatre Company, producing the highly acclaimed Outer Critics Circle Award nominee Woody Guthrie’s American Song and the Drama Desk Award winning Lee Blessing play Cobb, co-produced with Kevin Spacey. He produced the short film, A Driving Lesson, which was an official selection to over 30 film festivals and winner of numerous best short and comedy short categories including the Lou Costello Award at the Garden State Film Festival. Darren’s theatre directing credits include the critically acclaimed play Why We Don’t Bomb the Amish (St. Marks Studio Theatre, Gershwin Hotel); Checkpoint (Kraine Theatre, NYC); and Succulent (Pulse Ensemble Theatre, NYC). With his wife, C. Fraser Press, Darren co-directed and produced the feature film ‘Theresa is a Mother’ which is currently on the festival circuit and has already garnered many awards, including Best Picture and Best Director awards. Darren has also won awards for video and commercial direction for the United Way and the prestigious Dalton Pen Award for writing.

JEB PATTON (Music Arrangement) graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree with a major in music from Duke University, where he studied piano with Tibor Szasz, Douglas Buys, and Jane Hawkins. As a member of the Duke Jazz Ensemble under Paul Jeffrey, he performed with and/or arranged for more than 60 professional jazz artists, including 48 musicians from New York and more than 12 international jazz musicians from Italy, Monaco, and Portugal.

Studying under Sir Roland Hanna and Jimmy Heath, Jeb earned his Master of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in 1997 from the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, City University of New York, where he also received the Louis Armstrong Award for composition from the ASCAP Foundation. Since graduating, Jeb has toured throughout the United States and abroad with the Heath Brothers and with Jimmy Heath’s Generations Quintet, performing in theaters, festivals, concert halls, colleges, and clubs. Since moving to New York in 1996, Jeb has also played with Etta Jones, the Faddis/Hampton/Heath Sextet, Winard Harper’s group, and Antonio Hart’s Quintet, Paul West, Rufus Reid, Peter Washington, Lewis Nash, Steve Nelson, Ralph Peterson, John Ore, Jimmy Cobb, Lonnie Plaxico, Carl Allen, Kyoshi Kitigawa, Jackie Mclean, Frank Wess, James Moody, Terell Stafford, Sean Jones, Diego Urcola, Jeremy Pelt, Gerald Cannon, Willie Jones III, Steve Davis, Keter Betts, Eddie Locke, Marlene Verplank, among others.

Major national and international festival appearances with the Heath Brothers include Savannah Music Festival (2005), New Orleans Jazz and Heritage (2005), Tri C Festival (2005), Newport (Rhode Island, 2004), Mt. Hood (Oregon, 2004), Charlie Parker Festival (NYC 2004, 2002), Atlanta (Georgia, 2004), Baden-Baden Festival (Germany, 2003), 8th Salzburg Jazz Autumn Festival (Austria, 2003), 45th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival (California, 2002), 3rd Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival (California, 2001), North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland, 2000), Äarhus Jazz Festival (Denmark, 2000), the Pori Festival (Finland, 1999), Graz “Jazz-Sommer” (Switzerland, 1999), and Wiggin Jazz Festival (England, 1999),
Recent New York City metro area appearances with the Heath Brothers include “Birds of a Feather: A Charlie Parker Tribute,” at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, May 21, 2004, (also featuring the Roy Haynes Quintet), and the January 24, 2004, NEA Jazz Masters Award Concert.

Other notable New York City performances include the Opening Nights of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jimmy Heath’s 75th Birthday Celebration, October 19 and 20, 2001; and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Duo Series with Percy Heath in the Stanley Kaplan Penthouse, February 1 through 3, 2001.

Career highlights also include performing with Antonio Hart at the Kennedy Center in October 2003 at the National Visionary Leadership Project Gala and Awards Dinner. As protégés of Jimmy Heath, the duo performed a medley of all Jimmy Heath compositions in honor of Heath being named a Visionary in the Performing Arts.

Presently, when Jeb is not on the road with the Heath Brothers, he teaches musicianship and piano at Queensborough Communtiy College. Duties also include substituting for professors at Queensborough and Queens Colleges, giving lectures on jazz history, music appreciation, and coaching ensembles.

A MAY SKY PICTURE ENTERTAINMENT (AMSPE) is an entertainment production company founded by writers, producers and directors C. Fraser Press and Darren Press.  AMSPE’s first project was the short film A Driving Lesson – featured in over 30 film festivals worldwide and nominated for and winner of numerous film festival awards. A Driving Lesson was also a Glamour Magazine web film series official selection, which screened short films from up and coming female directors.
 
AMSPE’s latest project is the upcoming feature film Theresa is a Mother starring Edie McClurg, Matthew Gumley, and C. Fraser Press. Currently on the festival circuit, Theresa Is A Mother has already garnered many awards including Best Feature Film and Best Director, Orlando Film Festival; Best Feature Film and Best Actress, The Reel Independent Film Festival Washington DC; Best Feature Film; International Film Festival Manhattan; Best Screenplay and Best Actor, NYC Independent Film Festival.
 
AMSPE’s first music video, Playground Museum by Schuyler Iona Press, was screened at various film festivals and was a winner at the MY HERO film festival.
 
AMSPE is focused on developing artist-driven material for the Film, TV, Web, Live Entertainment and Music industries.


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For Immediate Release
March 20, 2013
Media Contact: Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR
917-562-5670 / [email protected]

the cell: A Twenty First Century Salon™

Proudly Presents the World Premiere of

PETER/WENDY

Adapted and Directed by

JEREMY BLOOM

from “Peter and Wendy” and “A Little White Bird”

by J.M. BARRIE

 

MAY 30 – JUNE 22

the cell, NYC

the cell: A Twenty First Century Salon™, Founding Artistic Director Nancy Manocherian, and Artistic Director Kira Simring, are pleased to announce the world premiere production of PETER/WENDY adapted and directed by Jeremy Bloom from J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan and Wendy” and “The Little White Bird” and scored by the indie band, The Books. PETER/WENDY will play a limited engagement utilizing the unique multi-level, indoor and outdoor space of the cell (338 W. 23rd St NYC). Performances begin Thursday, May 30 and continue through Saturday, June 22. Opening Night is Saturday, June 1 (8 p.m.). Press are invited to all performances starting Thursday, May 30th. Tickets are available at www.thecelltheatre.org

“Do you know why I come here, Wendy?  I come here to hear stories,” declares Peter Pan, the fearless boy who refuses to grow up and the protagonist of Peter/Wendy, a new adaptation of the fanciful childhood tale.

Conceived and directed by Jeremy Bloom (Leaves of Grass at the cell), a protégé of Tony Award winning Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses & The White Snake), the plight of Peter takes on new life in an anxiety-ridden, deadly adventurous world of love, fairy dust and twilight.  The pajama-clad performers, an exuberant ensemble of lost boys, pirates, fairies, and mermaids, explore familiar text compiled from the J.M. Barrie novels, “Peter Pan and Wendy” and “The Little White Bird.”  Featuring Bloom’s signature low-tech, inventive image staging, Peter/Wendy reveals the nuances of Neverland.  



"While researching Barrie’s novels for a different play," said Bloom, "I was struck by how deeply exhilarating and dark the text is on a psychological level, beyond the animatronic and animated portrayals of the story we grew up watching."

Press from the 2009 workshop production at Soho Rep's Walkerspace:

“For a story that seems likely to be dependent on elaborate effects—Flying! Pirate ships! Mermaids!—Peter/Wendy does a remarkable job of creating its atmosphere with the barest-bones of tools: no theatrical lighting, only table lamps and garden floodlights; all the performers in pajamas; a few pieces of fabric, two chairs, and a slatted window blind for a set. Its commitment to the purest elements of theatre is refreshing, and commendable.”

-nytheatre.com



“Some real magic. There were pirates, lost boys, fairies, and people flying all accomplished with practically no set in J.M.Barrie's Peter~Wendy. This type of work is often tried in Indie theatre, but frankly comes off looking cheap and under-developed in most instances. In this case however, very little was used to make something extraordinary. It takes a certain kind of magic to make that happen and the man behind the curtain who we should be paying attention to is a young theatrical alchemist by the name of Jeremy Bloom.”

-offoffbroadway.com

Video highlights from the workshop production: http://bit.ly/PeterWendyYouTube

A photo from the workshop production is here: http://bit.ly/PeterWendyPhotos

About the cell: A Twenty First Century Salon™

Since its inception in 2006, the cell: A Twenty 1st Century Salon™ (Nancy Manocherian, Founding Director; Kira Simring, Artistic Director) has been, and continues to be, an incubator for creative projects.  Through its strong commitment to cultivate undiscovered artists, the cell has created residencies for diverse groups including the Tandem Reading Series, Center for Contemporary Opera and The Blackboard Reading Series. the cell is located in the heart of Chelsea, New York City.  For more information, please visit www.thecelltheatre.org.

About director Jeremy Bloom

Jeremy is the artistic director of RADY&BLOOM Collective Playmaking, whose accolades include residencies at the Ice Factory Festival and the IRT Theater, and grants from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund (made possible by the New York State Department of Cultural Affairs). Favorite credits include LEAVES OF GRASS (NUDE) previously at the cell. Jeremy is a Drama League Directing Fellow, EST Resident Director, Soho Rep Lab Director, and participated in the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange at The Old Vic. Jeremy is Artistic Executive at Evenstar Films and an adjunct faculty member at Montclair State University Department of Theater. www.radyandbloom.com.

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For Immediate Release
March 6, 2013
Media Contact: Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR
917-562-5670 / [email protected]

humRumbleROAR Productions

Proudly Presents the World Premiere of

2010 GLAAD Award Winning playwright of She Like Girls

“Ms. Hutchinson, who has a sharp ear for dialogue…gets many things right…shows clearly the web of prejudice and hostility woven by peers and parents.” – New York Times, She Like Girls

“The rare important play that counts as a joy to watch.” – Flavorpill, She Like Girls

ALONDRA WAS HERE

How many wrongs does it take to make a right?

Written by

CHISA HUTCHINSON

Directed by JADE KING CARROLL

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

MAY 4 – 18, 2013 AT THE WILD PROJECT

OPENING NIGHT IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 AT 7 P.M.


TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT THEWILDPROJECT.COM

humRumbleROAR Productions is pleased to announce the world premiere production of Chisa Hutchinson’s ALONDRA WAS HERE, directed by Jade King Carroll. ALONDRA WAS HERE will play a limited engagement at The Wild Project (195 East 3rd Street, NYC). Performances begin Saturday, May 4 and continue through Saturday, May 18. Opening Night is Wednesday, May 8 (7 p.m.). Press are invited Saturday May 4 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday May 5 at 2 p.m, and Tuesday May 7.

Sisters Alondra and Anise have had enough.  People in their town are disappearing; young women are being brutalized and the perpetrators are rewarded with political power.  So they decide they're going to do something about it—something dangerous and rebellious and probably very stupid, but something nonetheless.  When their plan goes awry, and Alondra disappears, Anise is left to drift in a veritable ocean of guilt and indecision.

Until, that is, she meets Dusty, a suggestible nice guy whom she prods into doing increasingly violent things on her behalf.  Bolstered by her newfound powers of manipulation but haunted by the ghost of her sister, Anise must decide: should she push Dusty to commit the ultimate subversive act, or should she prove her autonomy by following through by herself?

Through a wild amalgamation of theatre, graffiti and audience participation, ALONDRA WAS HERE tells the story of a young woman who loses her sister—and finds courage—in a brutal police-state.

The production stars Joniece Abbott-Pratt* as Anise, Nicole Aiken* as Drunk Woman/Elvis, Lolita Foster* as Alondra, Rey Lucas* as Dusty, Jared McNeill* as Man1/Boy1, Christopher Myers* as Man3/Drunk Man/Intense Evangelist, and Mike Rosete* as Man2/Boy2. *Performing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association. AEA approved showcase.

The production produced features scenic design and tech direction by James Hunting, costume design by Becky Bodurtha, and lighting design by Mike Riggs. Christopher Loar is the sound designer and Toni Goldberg is the stage manager.

Alondra Was Here plays the following schedule:

 Tuesday at 7 p.m.

 Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

 Thursdays at 7 p.m.

 Fridays at 8 p.m.

 Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

 Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $18 and are now available online at www.thewildproject.com or by calling 1-866-811-4111. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater ½ hour prior to the performance.

Running Time: 95 minutes

Website: http://www.thewildproject.com/performances/2013-ALONDRA-WAS-HERE.shtml

 

BIOGRAPHIES

 

Chisa Hutchinson (Playwright) (B.A. Vassar College, M.F.A. NYU-Tisch School of the Arts) has been commissioned and presented by such venues as the Lark Play Development Center, Atlantic Theater Company, City Parks’ SummerStage, Working Man’s Clothes, Victory Gardens Theater, Mad Dog Theater Company, The BE Company and Partial Comfort Productions.  Her works, which include She Like Girls (2010 GLAAD Award), Dirt Rich (2010 Lilly Award), Mama’s Gonna Buy You, Sex on Sunday, This Is Not the Play (2012 New York Innovative Theater Award), Tunde’s Trumpet, The Subject, Somebody’s Daughter, and Dead and Breathing, tend to probe social issues and depict folks who don’t ordinarily get to see themselves on stage.  She has been a Dramatists’ Guild Fellow, a resident at the William Inge Center for the Arts, and a New York NeoFuturist.  Currently, Chisa writes for the Blue Man Group, is a Fellow at the Lark Play Development Center, and is working on a film adaptation of her play, The Subject, for an upstart, Australian filmmaker.

Jade King Carroll (Director) directing credits include Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun, Juilliard Drama; Mat Smart’s Samuel J And K; Amber Kain’s The Summer House; David White’s White Baby, Passage Theatre; Nicole Thompson-Adams’ Black Girl You’ve Been Gentrified, Joe’s Pub at The Public; Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptation of The Persians; Scott Kaiser’s Splittin’ the Raft, People's Light & Theatre; Christina Hamm’s After Adam, Playpenn; Nisherah Green’s Contents of a Book; Sarah McKnight’s Life as a Balloon, McCarter Youth Ink Festival; Chisa Hutchinson’s Sex on Sunday, BE Company at Urban Stages; Zakiyyah Alexander’s The Etymology of Bird, City Parks’ SummerStage; James McManus’ Cherry Smoke, Clockwork Theatre at Theatre Row; Mikyo Reed’s Like Father, Producer's Club; Catherine Filloux’s White Trash, Players Theatre. She has developed works by playwrights such as Kia Corthron, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Chisa Hutchinson, Joshua Allen, Zakiyyah Alexander, Dominique Morriseau, Sarah Hammond, James McManus, Josh Koenigsberg, Clare Drobot and others culminating with readings and workshops at New York Theatre Workshop, McCarter Theatre, Two River Theatre Company, New Dramatists, Second Stage Theatre, Primary Stages, Playwright’s Realm, Time Warner New Play Festival, 24 Hour Plays, Chocolate Theatre, New Jersey Rep & Joe’s Pub. Jade is currently a TCG New Generations Future Leader Award recipient, through which she is the Artistic Associate at Second Stage Theatre where Carole Rothman is mentoring her in Artistic Direction. In 2010 Jade was presented with the Paul Green Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Professional from the National Theatre Conference and The Estate of August Wilson.

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For Immediate Release
March 4, 2013
Media Contact: Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR
917-562-5670 / [email protected]
 
CAT ON MY HEAD PRODUCTIONS
Proudly Presents the World Premiere of

BLEACHED BLONDE BETTY
What would YOU do for love?

Written by TOM KELLY

Original Music by ALLISON LEYTON-BROWN

Directed by DAN PATRICK BRADY

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
MARCH 14 – 24, 2013 AT THE WORKSHOP THEATER

OPENING NIGHT IS THURSDAY, MARCH 14 AT 8 P.M.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT WORKSHOPTHEATER.ORG
 
CAT ON MY HEAD PRODUCTIONS is pleased to announce the world premiere production of Tom Kelly’s BLEACHED BLONDE BETTY, with original music by the award-winning Allison Leyton-Brown and directed by Dan Patrick Brady. BLEACHED BLONDE BETTY play a limited engagement at the Workshop Theater (316 West 35th Street, 4th Fl.). Performances begin Thursday, March 14 and continue until Sunday, March 24. Opening Night is Thursday, March 14 (8 p.m.). Press are invited to all performances.
 
Betty is a writer rapidly going nowhere but to work as a waitress.  Betty likes Sammy, the security guard at the New Modern Museum of Art.  Mystic is Betty’s stripper roommate.  She introduces Betty to her new boyfriend, Bobby.  Betty LOVES Bobby.  Bobby is suddenly interested in Betty.  He suggests to Betty a way for them to realize the life they want:  use Sammy to steal a painting from the Museum.  Along the way they will have to battle the Jersey Mob, a serial killer, an ex-con art thief, and the general chaos of their own conscience.  BLEACHED BLONDE BETTY asks the one major question in life:  what would you do for love? 
 
 
The production stars Karen Stanion (Reasons to Live, Provincetown Theatre) as Betty, Joe Diomede (award-winning actor for the film Sharp Love, Sharp Kittens) as Bobby, Kristen Lazzarini  as Mystic, John Lenartz (Bdwy: Inherit the Wind) as Sammy, Stacy Ann Strang as Anna/Denise, Ryan Lee (Side Man, EST) as Nathaniel, Gregory Kostal as Harold and Richard Kent Green as Frank.
 
The production features scenic and lighting design by Lauren Parrish, and costume design by Lucy Goldberg. Lauren Parrish is the production manager, DeLisa White is the sound designer and Laura Hirschberg is the production stage manager.
 
BLEACHED BLONDE BETTY plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, March 24: 

 Thursdays at 8 p.m. 
 Fridays at 8 p.m. 
 Saturdays at 8 p.m. 
 Sundays at 2 p.m. 
 
There are two additional performances: Tuesday 3/19 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday 3/20 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are 18 and are now available online at workshoptheater.org. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the theater 30 minutes prior to performance. 

Running Time: 90 minutes, one intermission

Website: workshoptheater.org

BIOGRAPHIES
  
DAN PATRICK BRADY (Director) has never directed a play in his life.  However, he has over 30 years’ experience as a professional actor.  He has worked opposite Kathy Bates, Frances Sternhagen, Phoebe Cates, Bill Pullman, and Bradley Whitford.  His Off-Broadway credits include Women and Football (Vinnie) and Curse of the Starving Class (Wesley).  Among his NYC credits are critically-acclaimed revivals of The Norman Conquests (Norman), Journey of the Fifth Horse (Zoditch), and The Lover (Richard), and new plays Fubar (DC) and Purple Hearts (Spooner).  Regionally his favorite roles have been Ray in Blackbird, Tom Joad in The Grapes of, and the title role in The Elephant Man.  In television and film, Dan enjoyed long-running roles on ABC’s Loving and All My Children, was featured in the TV movie Shoot first: A Cop’s Vengeance, performed in a truly beautiful movie called Paradise Falls, and is appropriately embarrassed by being in more than one dubious horror flick, none of which he will mention.  As a producer he has mounted critically acclaimed productions of The Norman Conquests, Journey of the Fifth Horse and Two Intimate, and evening combining Harold Pinter’s The Lover and Eugene O’Brien’s Eden.

ALLISON LEYTON-BROWN (Composer) is an award-winning composer, pianist, and Musical Director based in New York City. With a passion for composition in a dramatic context, Allison’s scores have been described as cinematic, haunting, and fearlessly imaginative. As a performer, she is equally comfortable behind a keyboard or in front of a band, in literally any style of music. Above all, Allison is passionate about collaboration and loves to work with other musicians and artists from all walks of life.

TOM KELLY (Playwright) has a MFA from the Playwriting program at Brooklyn College. This is his first produced play.  He refuses to divulge any more information.
 
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Listings Information:
Who: Cat on My Head Productions
What: BLEACHED BLONDE BETTY
Where: WorkShop Theater, 312 West 36th Street, 4th Fl
When: March 14-24, 2013
How: www.WorkshopTheater.org

BLEACHED BLONDE BETTY asks the one major question in life:  what would you do for love? 

For Immediate Release
January 24, 2013
Media Contact: Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR
917-562-5670 / [email protected]

WORKSHOP THEATER COMPANY

in conjunction with JEM THEATRICALS

Proudly Presents the New York Premiere of

MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE

A new family musical

Book by KATE FEIFFER & M.J. BRUDER-MUNAFO

Music by PAUL JACOBS

Lyrics by SARAH DURKEE

Based on the acclaimed children’s book by

KATE FEIFFER and illustrated by DIANE GOODE

Starring

MICHAEL BERNARDI*, MADDIE GLASS, ANDREW HUBACHER*, KAYLA KING, CLAIRE KWON, NOAH MARLOWE*, SHELLY MCPHERSON*, SYDNEY RYAN ROBLES, MADISYN SHIPMAN*, GARIELLE SMITH-GOLDSON, RYAN BAUER WALSH*, LAUREN WEINTRAUB*, ASHTON WOERZ*

*Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association. AEA approved showcase.

Choreographed by DANYELLE DEMCHOCK

Directed by DEBBI KATZ

FOUR-WEEK LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

FEBRUARY 16-MARCH 10, 2012 AT THE WORKSHOP THEATER

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT WORKSHOPTHEATER.ORG

WORKSHOP THEATER COMPANY in conjunction with JEM THEATRICALS is presenting the New York premiere production of MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE, a new family musical comedy. The musical, with book by Kate Feiffer and MJ Bruder Munafo, music by Paul Jacobs, lyrics by Sarah Durkee, is based on the acclaimed picture book MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE, by Kate Feiffer with illustrations by Diane Goode (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books). The musical will be directed by Debbi Katz and choreographed by Danyelle Demchock of the Young Performers Dance Academy. MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE will play a four-week limited engagement at the WorkShop Theater (312 West 36th Street). Performances begin Saturday, February 16 at 12 pm and continue through Sunday, March 10 at 3 pm. Press are invited to all performances.

If Emma’s mom is so great, why is she trying to ruin her daughter’s life? She talks too loudly, worries about everything and kisses Emma in front of her friends. It wouldn’t be that bad if she just gave her one kiss on top of the head, but no, she kisses Emma all over her face. Can Emma stop her mom before she ruins the rest of her life? A heartwarming coming of age story with spectacular original music, MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE will have audiences laughing and singing.


The first workshop production of MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE played to sold out audiences at The Vineyard Playhouse on Martha's Vineyard in 2010. In 2011, MJ Bruder Munafo (Artistic Director of the Vineyard Playhouse) and Kate Feiffer teamed up with multiple Emmy Award-winning songwriters Paul Jacobs and Sarah Durkee to turn the play into a musical. The Vineyard Playhouse presented the first staged reading of the musical in the summer of 2012. WorkShop Theater Company’s Educational Wing presented a second reading in late 2012.


In keeping with the WorkShop Theater Company’s overall mission, the Educational Wing is dedicated to providing a creative home for young actors to hone their talents and cultivate projects from inception through finished productions.

“We work with children of diverse backgrounds to introduce the process of synthesizing new works through Page to Stage adaptations and the collaborative relationships between writers, directors, actors and designers. We pair professional teaching artists and guide young actors through the process of creating new works,” says Marie Mascia-Mancl, General Manager of Workshop Theater Company. “We have found that many professional kids are looking for a setting in which to work during the “tween” years when they can’t find continuous employment. This program allows them that home and gives us the opportunity to teach college level skills and techniques. We are very excited to bring to life this wonderful piece as we combine this amazing cast with an incredibly talented creative team. Everyone involved is helping to fulfill our mission.”

The production stars Michael Bernardi* (Surflight’s Once Upon a Time in New Jersey) as Officer Smith, Maddie Glass as Isabelle, Andrew Hubacher* (WorkShop’s Life on the Mississippi) as Dad, Kayla King as Mom, Claire Kwon as Julie, Noah Marlowe* (Bdwy: Mary Poppins) as Tommy, Shelly McPherson* as Tommy’s Mom/Officer O’Dooley, Sydney Ryan Robles as Danielle, Madisyn Shipman* (Bdwy: Enron; Off-Bdwy: Pippi Longstockings) as Christina/Lulu the dog, Garielle Smith-Goldson as Malika, Ryan Bauer Walsh* (Nat’l Tour: Billy Elliot) as Mr. Lucky/Officer Ortiz, Lauren Weintraub* (North Shore’s Annie) as Emma, and Ashton Woerz* (Bdwy: Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Nat’l Tour: Radio City Christmas Spectacular) as Andrew.

The production features scenic design by Dana Kenn and lighting design by Diana Duecker. Joe Marquet is the sound designer, Zach Rand is the production assistant, Evan Bernardin is the associate producer, Marie Mascia-Mancl is the general manager and Sierra Garland is the stage manager.

MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE plays the following schedule:

Saturday, February 16 at 12 pm and 3 pm      
Sunday, February 17 at 12 pm
Monday, February 18 at 12 pm and 3 pm (President’s Day)
Saturday, February 23 at 12 pm and 3 pm      
Sunday, February 24 at 12 pm
Monday, February 25 at 7 (Special Simon & Schuster Performance)
Saturday, March 2 at 12 pm and 3 pm      
Sunday, March 3 at 12 pm
Saturday, March 9 at 12 pm and 3 pm      
Sunday, March 9 at 12 pm and 3 pm      

Tickets are $15–18 and are now available online at workshoptheater.org. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the theater 30 minutes prior to performance. For special packages and donations please go to www.m3atyourservice.com.

Running Time: 70 minutes

Website: workshoptheater.org

Photos: http://bit.ly/MyMomPhotos

**Illustration by Diane Goode used by permission of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing**

BIOGRAPHIES

KATE FEIFFER (Book Writer) is the author of eleven highly acclaimed books for children. Her first book, Double Pink, illustrated by Bruce Ingman, was published by Simon & Schuster (S&S) in 2005. Her books Which Puppy? (S&S), Henry the Dog with No Tail (S&S), and My Side of The Car (Candlewick Press) are illustrated by her father, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer. Other books include President Pennybaker (S&S) and My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life (S&S), illustrated by Caldecott award honoree Diane Goode. A former Boston-based television producer, Kate produced and wrote the award-winning documentary Matzo & Mistletoe.

MJ BRUDER MUNAFO (Book Writer) is the Artistic and Executive Director of The Vineyard Playhouse on Martha’s Vineyard, where MY MOM began its life as a play in 2010. MJ has written dozens of children’s plays over the years in addition to directing many shows and premieres on the Playhouse mainstage. Her most recent was an all-female cast production of Romeo & Juliet outdoors at the Tisbury Amphitheater.

PAUL JACOBS (Composer) is a two-time Emmy-winning composer whose songs, co-written with lyricist Sarah Durkee, have been recorded by artists as diverse as Meatloaf, Mel Torme, Faith Hill, Brian McKnight, Roger Daltry, India Arie, Tricia Yearwood, Kermit the Frog, John Hiatt, and the London Philharmonic. Starting out as a classical pianist, he entered Juilliard at age eight and was soon performing Carnegie Hall and Radio Free Europe concerts. When the teen years and the guitar and rock world beckoned, he co-wrote the music for National Lampoon's Lemmings starring John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Christopher Guest, and for The National Lampoon Show with Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Richard Belzer and Harold Ramis. Paul was Meatloaf’s musical director, keyboard player and guitarist for many years and also played with Edgar Winter and Roy Buchanan. Back to his classical roots once again, he won the 2000 Van Cliburn Institute Amateur Concerto Competition, and performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Paul’s songs have been featured on over twenty years of Sesame Street, and he’s currently the musical director of the PBS reading show Between The Lions. 

SARAH DURKEE (Lyricist), since her days of performing, writing comedy for National Lampoon, and writing platinum-earning songs for Meat Loaf, Sarah has enjoyed a successful career writing scripts and songs for children’s television for over 25 years.  With composer Paul Jacobs, she’s written Emmy-winning songs for Sesame Street, performed by artists as diverse as Mel Torme, Kermit the Frog, Brian McKnight and Trisha Yearwood. Her scripts and songwriting have been regularly featured on Between the Lions, Dora the Explorer, Arthur, Wonder Pets, Peep and the Big Wide World and others, and she recently won her fifth Emmy award for her writing for Between the Lions. Her scriptwriting for the claymation series Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures is also featured on Sesame Street and in the preschool music-based series Lomax: The Hound of Music. Sarah co-authored the adult satire The Book of Sequels with her fellow Lampoon alumni, and is the author of a middle grade novel The Fruit Bowl Project, a favorite of Writer’s Workshop teachers. In addition to My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life, this year’s projects include songwriting for a musical adaptation of the Leo Lionni classic Frederick, a children’s book series with an anti-bullying theme called Captain McFinn and Friends, and an educational video series for Curious George.

DEBBI KATZ (Director) is an equity actress, having performed in many Off-Broadway and regional shows, and seasoned director and producer. With more than 75 productions ranging from workshops to main-stage performances, Debbi has directed small-scale to full-ensemble productions.  Recently, She spent six years at the Bendheim Performing Arts Center in Scarsdale as the Producing Director where she oversaw a thriving cultural arts center inclusive of a theater school, outside performance series, music school and camp.  She ran large and small events, including the opening ceremonies for the JCC Maccabi Games at Madison Square Garden. She also developed and directed unique programs that combined the students of the theater school with top-notch Broadway talent as well as charitable groups that "gave back" to the community via musical performance around the tri-state area. Debbi has been an associate producer for Rockers on Broadway for four years, an organization that combines Broadway and Rock super star talent in order to raise money for Equity Fights Aids, as well as theatrical education companies. Debbi holds a BA in communications and theatre and a Masters in Special Education.  The messaging in My Mom Is Ruining My Life provides a wonderful platform for her greatest passion, which is using theatre as a bridge for connecting kids and their families.  

About WorkShop Theater Company

WorkShop Theater Company’s mission is to provide a creative home for a diverse group of playwrights, directors, and actors.  WorkShop has developed hundreds of plays, among them Eddie Antar’s NY Times Critics’ Pick, Drama Desk–nominated, and NY Innovative Theatre Award–winning hit The Navigator (“cruises in entertainingly high gear” – NY Times) and Ken Jaworowski’s Interchange (NY Times Critics’ Pick). Another WorkShop play, Allan Knee’s The Man Who Was Peter Pan, became the acclaimed film Finding Neverland, which received an Academy Award nomination for its screenplay by David Magee and was produced by Nellie Bellflower – both of whom are WorkShop Theater Company alumni.

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Listings Information:
Who: WorkShop Theater Company
What: MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE
Where: Main Stage at WorkShop Theater (312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor).
When: February 14 – March 10, 2013
How: workshoptheater.org

If Emma’s mom is so great, why is she trying to ruin her daughter’s life? A heartwarming coming of age story with spectacular original music, MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE will have audiences laughing and singing.

For Immediate Release
January 10, 2013
Media Contact: Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR
917-562-5670 / [email protected]

WORKSHOP THEATER COMPANY

Proudly Presents the New York Premiere of

LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN
The love story behind Doctor Zhivago

"Mr. Sickles’s zingy dialogue sparkled." – The New York Times review of Intellectuals

“Under Thomas Coté’s brisk direction, swift scene changes — no small feat for a play with so many — allow the momentum to build as the audience puts the pieces of the plot’s puzzle together.” – The New York Times review of Interchange

“Playwright Scott C. Sickles creates an intriguing, surprisingly believable study of human behavior. ... Just about any audience member will find something with which to connect." – Back Stage’s review of Moonlight & Love Songs

“A good cast under Thomas Coté’s direction brings each of the characters to life.” – The New York Times review of Never Missed a Day

Written by Award-Winning playwright SCOTT C. SICKLES

Starring MARY RUTH BAGGOTT, MICK BLEYER*, ETHAN CADOFF*, JED DICKSON*, BOB MANUS*, DAVID M. MEAD*, KARI SWENSON RIELY*, MICHAEL SELKIRK*, CHRISTINE VERLENY, DUSTYE WINNIFORD*
*Performing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.  AEA approved showcase.

Directed by THOMAS COTÉ

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

FEBRUARY 14 – MARCH 9, 2013 AT THE WORKSHOP THEATER

OPENING NIGHT IS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, AT 8 PM

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT WORKSHOPTHEATER.ORG

WORKSHOP THEATER COMPANY is pleased to announce the New York premiere production of LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN by WorkShop Theater Company Artistic Director and award-winning playwright Scott C. Sickles’s, LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN, directed by Thomas Coté. LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN will play a limited engagement on the Main Stage at WorkShop Theater (312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor). Performances of this love story begin on Valentine’s Day Thursday, February 14 and continue through Saturday, March 9. Opening Night is Saturday, February 16 (8 pm). Press performances: Thursday, February 14, at 8 pm; Friday, February 15, at 8 pm; Saturday, February 16, at 3 pm; Saturday, February 16, at 8 pm.

Before the classic film and the celebrated novel Doctor Zhivago, there were poet Boris Pasternak, his muse Olga Ivinskaya, and the Soviet government’s attempt to silence their story. After Pasternak’s death in 1960 Olga, his lover of fourteen years, was arrested by the KGB. LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN chronicles Olga's subsequent interrogation and trial, while depicting her and Pasternak's struggle to complete and publish Doctor Zhivago despite determined Soviet efforts to stop them.

The production stars WorkShop Theater Company members: Mary Ruth Baggott as Olga’s daughter, Irina, Mick Bleyer* as Vladilen Alexanochkin, Ethan Cadoff* as Semionov, Jed Dickson* as Boris Pasternak, Bob Manus* as Kosachevski, David M. Mead* as the judge, Kari Swenson Riely* as Olga Ivinskaya, Michael Selkirk* as Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Christine Verleny as Pasternak’s wife, Zinaida, and Dustye Winniford* as the prosecutor.

The production features scenic design by Craig Napoliello, costume coordination by Joanie Schumacher, and lighting design by Diana Duecker. Ryan Lee is the sound designer, makeup is by Jade DaRu, and Jason Healy is the stage manager.

LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN plays the following regular schedule through Saturday, March 9:

 Thursdays at 7 pm
 Fridays at 8 pm
 Saturdays at 8 pm
 Sundays at 3 pm

There is an additional performance on Monday, March 4, at 7 pm

Tickets are $15–18 and are now available online at workshoptheater.org. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the theater 30 minutes prior to performance.

Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 10-minute intermission

Website: workshoptheater.org

Earlier incarnations of LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN have been performed at the Red Barn Theatre near Pittsburgh, PA, in 1999, directed by William C. Kovacsik; and at The Hartt School in West Hartford, CT, directed by Michael Montel.

In January 2013, Smith & Kraus selected one of the speeches from LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN to include in BEST MEN'S STAGE MONOLOGUES OF 2013!

BIOGRAPHIES

SCOTT C. SICKLES (Playwright) received the 1999 Beverly Hills Theater Guild Julie Harris Playwriting Award for Lightning from Heaven. His plays have been performed across the United Stares, as well as in Canada, Australia, the UK, and Lebanon. Smith & Kraus included his full-length comedy Intellectuals in New Playwrights: The Best Plays of 2007. Other published works include the short plays murmurs (Samuel French) and Beautiful Noises (also S&K). In addition to serving as Artistic Director of the WorkShop, Mr. Sickles has received three WGA Award nominations with the writing team of One Life to Live, and currently is a scriptwriter for General Hospital.

THOMAS COTÉ (Director) For the Workshop Theater, Ken Jaworowski’s Interchange and Never Missed a Day, Allan Knee’s The Jazz Age and The Last Seder, and Levy Lee Simon’s Audelco Award–winning play, The Guest at Central Park West. For Algonquin Productions, the critically acclaimed production of Shel Silverstein’s The Devil and Billy Markham.  For the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, National Pastime by Tony Sportiello.

About WorkShop Theater Company

WorkShop Theater Company’s mission is to provide a creative home for a diverse group of playwrights, directors, and actors.  WorkShop has developed hundreds of plays, among them Eddie Antar’s NY Times Critics’ Pick, Drama Desk–nominated, and NY Innovative Theatre Award–winning hit The Navigator (“cruises in entertainingly high gear” – NY Times) and Ken Jaworowski’s Interchange (NY Times Critics’ Pick). Another WorkShop play, Allan Knee’s The Man Who Was Peter Pan, became the acclaimed film Finding Neverland, which received an Academy Award nomination for its screenplay by David Magee and was produced by Nellie Bellflower – both of whom are WorkShop Theater Company alumni.

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Listings Information:

Who: WorkShop Theater Company

What: LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN

Where: Main Stage at WorkShop Theater (312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor).

When: February 14 – March 9, 2013

How: workshoptheater.org

Before the classic film and the celebrated novel Doctor Zhivago, there were poet Boris Pasternak, his muse, Olga Ivinskaya, and the government that did not want their story to be told.

 

REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL’S ANNOUNCES THE INSTALLATION OF FIGARO’S SIMULTEXT® CAPTIONING AND TRANSLATION SYSTEM AT ITS GRAMERCY ARTS THEATER. 
Audiences can now enjoy the quality of the same system that is used at major opera houses throughout the world including Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, The Royal Opera House in London, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL is pleased to announce the installation of Figaro’s Simultext® Captioning System at Repertorio’s Gramercy Arts Theater (138 East 27th Street in Manhattan, NY). With the new system, every seat in the theatre will have a display screen showing the dialogue of the performance in English and Spanish. The system will debut at Repertorio's upcoming show, Probation. The installation was made possible by public funds secured by New York State Senator Liz Krueger. 
 
The Simultext® System’s screens are installed on the back of each seat and act like subtitles for live performance displaying the translated words at the moment they are spoken. As the performance progresses the dialogue is displayed in a timely manner, a brief glance down and reading of the text and look back to the performance “with an action as natural and comfortable as checking the instruments in your car,” says Geoff Webb, Figaro’s President, CEO, and Co-Founder.  

This system will replace the current infra-red audio translation headsets and will allow the hard of hearing to enjoy Repertorio’s productions. Its use will be free of cost. 

The first plays to be available on the Simultext® Captioning System will be Carmen Rivera’s “La gringa”; Yoshvanni Medina’s “Probation” beginning with its premiere on July 13th and Caridad Svich’s adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera” directed by José Zayas beginning with its premiere on October 13th, 2012. 

Caridad Svich’s adaptation of Julia Álvarez’s “En el tiempo de las mariposas” will be the first production in the company’s repertory to be added to the system beginning on June 23rd, 2012. Other productions such as “The House of Bernarda Alba,” “El Quijote,” “Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands” and “Mariela in the Dessert” will be added to the system by the end of 2012. 

José Antonio Cruz, Repertorio’s Associate Producer, excitedly reports, “We are thrilled to be able to open up our theater to a slew of new multi-lingual audiences. An important part of our mission is to bring the best theater from Latin America, Spain and plays written by Hispanic Americans to non-Spanish speaking audiences. This system will allow us to better serve these audiences while maintaining the rhythm and poetry of the work as well as the author’s original passion and meaning.”

Geoff Webb added that “we are delighted that our Simultext® System has found another home in New York, our systems are used in leading opera houses around the world where audiences follow a live performance in the language most comfortable to them. We trust to you will find our Simultext® System a valuable companion as you attend future Repertorio Español performances.”

ABOUT SIMULTEXT® SYSTEM: 
The Simultext® System supports up to eight different languages displayed simultaneously, initially Spanish and English will be presented and other languages will be added as needed. Operation of the system is simple and straightforward, when seated, touch the display screen once and choose one of the available languages. Once selected, the following text will be shown in that language. At any time touch the screen to select a different language or turn the display off. If no selection is made or the seat in front is empty then those screens will turn off automatically when the performance begins. 

The Simultext® display screens feature a special optical filter that limits viewing to directly in front—preventing distraction from adjacent screens. The captions are presented in a crisp high contrast font for effortless reading. Figaro's In-Ovation® software driving the system allows for text to be presented at exactly the right instant and always synchronized to the action on stage.

ABOUT REPERTORIO ESPANOL: 
Repertorio Español (René Buch, Artistic Director; Robert Federico, Executive Director; José Antonio Cruz, Associate Producer) was founded in 1968 by René Buch and Gilberto Zaldívar, to present the best of Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American theatre in distinctive, quality productions, and to bring theatre to a broad audience in New York City and across the country, including seniors, students and Hispanics of all national backgrounds. The organization has been awarded Drama Desk, OBIE and New York State Governor's Awards. www.repertorio.org