Leap of Faith: Amazing

A very good performance can turn a so-so show into a very good show.  Leap of Faith is a good show that is transformed into an excellent show by a few of the best performances I have seen this season.

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The premise of Leap of Faith, based on a little seen movie of the same name, is wafer thin and runs like this:  A for-profit tent revival minister and his troop of chorus “angels” are stuck in a backwater town in the middle of nowhere.  The town is out of money, out of hope and out of rain - and the revivalist is here to take the last of their money and hope.  It gives nothing away to say that miracles happen, faith is restored and hope comes back to Sweetwater.

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It is a clunky premise that hums like a Ferrari because the cast is amazing.  Raul Esparza plays Jonas Nightingale, flim-flam preacher extraordinaire.  He wears the preacher’s cadence and magnetism so effortlessly that it is a shock when he drops them outside the pulpit.  Mr. Esparza reveals the huckster underneath the preacher, and then the damaged man underneath the huckster.  He is winning on nearly all levels, even when caught in the middle of a lie.  And his voice, caged a bit in the gospels numbers, is left to soar or whisper in the other songs, always appropriately.

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Jessica Phillips plays Marla, the Sheriff that is both Jonas’ love interest and his antagonist as he works to bilk the town.   She sees right through the revival, but has a son who is a true believer.  Ms. Phillips projects a weary sadness that brings unexpected depth to the thin story.  She can also turn on a dime to flirt with Jonas, or to raise her hackles as a mother protector who knows things are going to end badly. 

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One the singing front, Kecia Lewis-Evans plays Ida Mae, mother hen to the chorus and bookkeeper to the revival.  The character has to walk a fine line between believing in the Lord and believing in Jonas.  Ms. Lewis-Evans does this, while belting out songs that raise the roof.  Her larger than life character is a bit of a stereotype (as are most characters in this show), but she effortlessly transcends that.  Particularly as Ida-Mae deals with her two children, Isaiah and Orenlla – played by Leslie Odom Jr. and Krystal Joy Brown respectively.  And these two carry their parts easily.   In particular Ms. Brown can take control of a scene with a simple look and swagger.

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Kendra Kassebaum as Jonas’ sister is very good, but outmatched vocally.  However she brings a bracing bit of backstage honesty to the play.  She stage manages the lies and keeps the team ready to go.  Rounding out the cast is Talon Ackerman as Marla’s son, in need of a miracle.  He is admirably reserved in a role that many a child actor would ham up.

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The songs, by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater range from serviceable to fantastic.  To be honest, gospel music isn’t my favorite genre; and so the second half, built on a more traditional musical theater dynamic, worked much better for me.  But I can appreciate the craftsmanship, particularly mixed with the vocal talent onstage.

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As for the direction, by Christopher Ashly, it is masterful.  Mr. Ashly has provided the right touch in this show.   If you are interested in going to see Leap of Faith, do so now, while this cast is in place.  You would be hard pressed to find a better one.

Leap of Faith at the St. James Theater

Music & Lyrics: Alan Menken & Glenn Slater

Book: Janus Cercone & Warren Leight

Director: Christopher Ashly

Cast: Raul Esparza, Jessica Phillips, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Leslie Odom Jr., Krystal Joy Brown, Talon Ackerman

website

The Ash Girl

It is hard to reimagine Cinderella successfully, but The Ash Girl proves it isn’t impossible.  The Ash Girl moves the traditional Cinderella story to the forest.  A forest that is haunted possessed by the seven deadly sins.

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The Ash Girl takes off from the traditional launching pad, two terrible step-sisters who make life miserable for Ashgirl.  Her father has abandoned the family leaving the stepmother poor, the stepsisters unsupervised and Ashy a sad and shy outcast.  And the forest outside the house, throughout the land, is the home of the seven deadly sins.  These spirits exist only to foil the hopes and dreams of man, feeding on their corruption.

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So in this telling, good and kind people can lose their way in the forest, overcome by envy, pride or lust.  It takes a strong will to overcome the challenges of the forest, with the temptations they bring.  This adds a layer of understanding and depth to the story we all know so well.

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Unfortunately, the playwright introduced Sadness as vice, even going so far as to call it the eighth deadly sin.  The problem here is that sadness, as portrayed as the whisper of death, is a pretty dull character.  And Ashy struggles with Sadness … repeatedly.  The final time seems to drag on interminably.   The struggle between Sadness and Ashgirl works against the dynamic and ideas that are expressed so well in the rest of the show.

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The acting is quite good, particularly Ian Lassiter as Prince Amir and Sam Chapin as Otter.  Meagan Kensil, as Ashgirl is very good when not having to fight-to-the-sleep with Sadness.  The dance scene between Prince Amir and Ashgirl is wonderful.  The writing flows, and you feel the attraction, new and strange, for both of these characters.  It is a magical moment.

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The piece is staged beautifully with the lighting from Jeffrey Toombs.  Finally, The Ash Girl benefits from some excellent costumes, by Abbey Steere.  Ms. Steere brings the perfect pitch to these characters, both before and during the Prince’s Ball.  It is the most believable set of costumes I have ever seen used in the telling of the story.

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The Ash Girl by the Pipeline Theatre Company

Playwright: Timberlake Wertenbaker

Director: Jessika Doyel

Cast: Megan Kensil, Ian Lassiter, Nicole Spiezio, Sam Chapin, Shane O’Grady, Jenny Donheiser, Rebecca Schoffer, Zachary Zimbler

website 

"Vatican Falls" Benefit for SNAP

Lucia Grillo added to the cast of “VATICAN FALLS” 

A Benefit for SNAP

                        

Lucia Grillo

New York, NY (April 23, 2012) Impetus Ensemble is proud to add Lucia Grillo to the cast of this special presentation of an ambitious new play, Vatican Falls, written by Frank J. Avella (author of “Consent”) and set against the backdrop of the Catholic sex abuse scandal. The staged reading will be presented May 15, 2012 at 6:45PM at the National Comedy Theatre. All proceeds from the play will benefit SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests). 

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On April 11, 2012, the Center for Constitutional Rights, on behalf of SNAP, filed a supplemental complaint with more evidence and many new developments since the September lawsuit (link). 

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Based on factual material, “VATICAN FALLS” follows the life of one survivor who struggles with understanding how those closest to him could damage him the deepest. The multi-genre, non-linear play probes the conflicting feelings involved in most sexual abuse situations and dares to confront the truth about the ever-growing scandal and the Church’s complicity in it. 

degeneration x - Loss of Living Color

Perf Productions has mounted its new multimedia play, degeneration x, at the Living Theater in the Lower East Side.  It is obviously a labor of love, and has a lot to recommend it to an audience.  Micah B. Chartrand stars as Xavier, a young illustrator overwhelmed by circumstances, in this innovative piece.

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When the audience is introduced to Xavier, he thinks he is having a mental breakdown.  Xavier is experiencing recurring hallucinations and migraines.  After some initial trepidation where he questions his own mental stability, he starts the search for answers.  Xavier discovers his symptoms are due to a loss of vision and a rare condition associated with it.  Charles Bonnet Syndrome occurs occasionally with severe loss of vision and is manifest by the brain creating visual stimuli to compensate.  It turns out that Xavier is suffering from C.B.S. induced visual hallucinations.  Despite understanding what is happening, Xavier’s hallucinations become more real.  He begins to see the same attractive young woman, Simone.  He even interacts with her, knowing full well that she is an illusion.

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degeneration x uses multimedia within the play to explore and illustrate Xavier’s reality.  The sets consist of Xavier’s living room, bedroom and a doctor’s office.  But physical spaces in between are  explored through video, as are some of Xavier's hallucinations.  Multimedia can overwhelm a show, but in the case of degeneration x they serve the story.  The audience experiences the world as Xavier does, moving between clarity and divergence with reality.

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Micah Chartrand as Xavier, with Meredith Edwards as Simone - on screen, in degeneration x

An excellent use of the multi-media form is used in conjunction with Xavier’s attempt at illustration.  The video shows his perspective as he draws on the page.  While drawing, the objects he has previously sketched begin to move and morph.  It is outrageously effective in showing Xavier’s world slipping away – and his reaction to it.

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Most of the supporting cast exists to help define Xavier or his condition.  Leah Bachar, as Xavier’s sister Isis, brings the only other real character and story into the piece.  Isis and Xavier's lives don't intersect often, but she is drawn to New York to be with her brother by something she doesn’t quite understand.  Isis is a self-centered character, but Ms. Bacher brings out the humanity when displaying Isis’ feelings towards her brother.

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As Xavier, Mr. Chartrand is onstage or on screen nearly all of the time.  The transition between mediums is excellently handled by him; anger, paranoia and resignation register equally and concurrently in both the live and in the prerecorded pieces.  He is excellent.

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There are some problems with the show, primarily the length of the play.  It runs too long and could use some trimming.  The production team has done a good job of balancing the video sequences against the live action sequences, but both would benefit from some tightening up.

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Director Mereidth Edwards has done a very good job of integrating the media and the live action into a cohesive whole.  degeneration x promises a bright future for Perf Productions as a group of talented storytellers.

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degeneration x

Multimedia Creation Team: Leah Bachar & Meredith Edwards

Director: Meredith Edwards

Perf Productions: Maria Aparo, Leah Bachar, Meredith Edwards and Lin Laurin

Cast: Micah B. Chartrand, Gordon Gray, Lauren Hennessy

wesbsite

Claybourne Park: A Neighborhood You Cannot Miss

Claybourne Park has taken a long road to Broadway since premiering in 2010 off-Broadway at Playwright’s Horizon.  It has been well worth the wait.  Since leaving New York, the show was won the Olivier Award for Best New Play in London and a Pulitzer Prize, which naturally raises expectations.  This is a show that meets all those expectations and more.

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Shows which deal with race and race relations have to walk a delicate line between engaging an audience without offending them.  Claybourne Park maneuvers this territory expertly without pulling punches or lessening the issues we all face.

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They show takes place in 1959 in Act 1 and in the present in Act 2.  In both acts, the same house in the Claybourne Park neighborhood of Chicago is being purchased by outsiders.  In 1959, the first black family is moving into the white suburb.  In Act 2, gentrification by white yuppies is overtaking the now African American neighborhood.  Bruce Norris, the playwright, explores the limits of language to underscore our difficulties in discussing race.  These people are all smart, well-spoken and have good intentions, but still can’t go five minutes without offending each other.

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Frank Wood, Damon Gupton & Crystal Dickson
A trio of amazing performances in Claybourne Park

But this show isn’t just about race, it also investigates the meaning of community and belonging.  It manages to be both funny and intelligent, while also being a bit uncomfortable.  Many of these characters, their assumptions, and their comments will hit close to home.  We all have friends or families who have said something that makes us cringe.  No matter how cautious we are our conversations about race and neighborhoods are complicated and prickly.

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In Act 1, the unseen black family is moving into the neighborhood for a better life.   Russ and Bev are in the process of moving, helped by the maid, Francine.  They are visited by the local minister, Jim, and self-appointed block savior, Karl.  Tempers begin to rise, as Jim tries to get Russ to talk about his emotional issues.  Emotions boil over when Karl confronts Russ about the sale of the house to a black family.  A major reason Russ is moving is because he feels ostracized by the community.  Jim and Karl’s pleas to keep the neighborhood white offend Russ.  All of this plays out in front of the maid, Francine, and her husband Albert.  Francine just wants to get out of the house, but Albert is a little trapped by an offer to help Bev with some moving.  Karl’s questioning of Francine and Albert as surrogates for all black people is both misguided and offensive, particularly to contemporary sensibilities.

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In Act 2, contemporary sensibilities are assuaged, but the language is just as tortured.  In the present day a yuppie couple, Steve and Lindsey, navigate the process of buying and upgrading the same house fifty years later.  They are working within community association where both sides have lawyers, hammering out the rules for upgrading the home.  Just as the community of whites in 1959 worried about the new black residents, the African American residents of 2009 worry what gentrification will do to their neighborhood.

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The acting is amazing.  The original off-Broadway cast is back and their portrayals are dead-on, without ever seeming stale.  Each one is exceptional in this piece; bringing the disparate parts into a cohesive whole.  In particular Crystal Dickson, as Francine / Lena, smolders on stage – a slow steady burn of anger that is betrayed only by being contained.   She is amazing even within this group of excellent actors. 

Bredan Griffith, Frank Wood, Jeremy Shamos, Annie Parisse & Christina Kirk on moving day

 Director Pam MacKinnon brings this story to life organically.  Despite the difficult topics, this show doesn’t feel false or forced.  Claybourne Park does what a play does best; it entertains your thoroughly, raises questions about your own life, and stays with you long after you leave the theater.

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Claybourne Park

Playwright: Bruce Norris

Director: Pam McKinnon

Cast: Crystal Dickson, Brendan Griffith, Damon Gupton, Christina Kirk, Annie, Parisse, Jeremy Shamos, Frank Wood

Website

One Man, Two Guvnors - One Very Funny Show

One Man, Two Guvnors, now playing at the Music Box, is a throwback in the best of the broad comic tradition.  It is a mixture of British Panto, Vaudeville, and Music Hall, with just a pinch of the Carol Burnett Show thrown in.  The play is brought to wondrous life by a team of skilled actors, including a perfect turn by James Corden.  I laughed my ass off.

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Perhaps that isn’t the most subtle of reviews, but it is undoubtedly true and it fits.  One Man, Two Guvnors is not a subtle show.  It beats you over the head with jokes, schtick and mistaken identities.  Puns, double entendrees and pratfalls are thrown at the audience constantly, if one or two (or ten) miss, no problem – more are on the way.  And once you succumb to the show, each successive joke is that much funnier.

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James Croden and Oliver Chris on stage in One Man, Two Guvnors
Photo: Tristram Kenton

James Croden plays Francis Henshall, manservant to a Gangster, Crabbe.  Gangster Crabbe, by the way, is actually dead, but being impersonated by his twin sister Rachael.  That isn’t much of a spoiler, as it is obvious Gangster Crabbe is a girl the moment she walks on stage – even though no one in the cast spots it.  Low on funds, but with an insatiable hunger, Henshall picks up a second Guvnor while settling Gangster Crabbe into the local Pub (with food).  This man, Stanley Stubbers, is a criminal on the lamb trying to find his beloved so they can sail away.  Henshall must work overtime to keep his two Guvnors apart, while appearing to cater to them both.

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The plot is a complicated stew consisting of a dead, gay Gangster extorting money and the promise of marriage – in name only, from a small time hustler and his daughter, while Stanley Stubbers searches Brighton for his girlfriend and everyone tries to avoid the police.  The play gives Olivier Criss free reign to wildly overact as Stanley Stubbers, and he does so with abandon.   Mr. Criss is excellent.

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In a small role as The Actor Boyfriend, Daniel Rigby is effortlessly hilarious.  His role, Alan, is the spurned fiancé of the Gay Dead Gangster’s betrothed.  And Alan emotes!  For this character, no thought goes unsaid, no slight unmentioned, and no gesture is contained.   Alan lives in a world of CAPS.   Mr. Rigby stands out in a great cast.   The ladies in the show are all very good, but are stuck with much less showy roles.

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James Croden and the wonderful Suzanne Toase

In the end however, as good as the rest of the cast is, the show belongs to Mr. Croden.  His Henshall conveys both blithering idiocy, and a sense of street smarts.  And the character breaks the fourth wall repeatedly, to exhilarating affect. Director Nicholas Hytner keeps the chaos contained within the story, which is quite a feat.  The show seems totally loose and improvised, which belies the skill with which it is presented.

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Playwright: Richard Bean

Director: Nicolas Hytner

Cast: James Corden, Oliver Chris, Jemima Roper, Tom Edden, Martyn Ellis, Trevor Laird, Daniel Rigby, Suzanne Toase

Website LINK

New York Musical Festival Alumni News in LA

"They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"...Well, more like LA.  Fellowship! The Musical Parody of the Fellowship of the Ring (NYMF '10) begins an eleven-week run on April 13th, performing two shows (8pm & 11pm) every Friday night at the Trepany House at the Steve Allen Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.  You won't want to miss the winner of NYMF Award for Excellence: Best Ensemble.  Tickets are now on sale for shows through May 18th.
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This show was hilarious.  If you are in Los Angeles you might really like it.

Slow Air: The Moving Tale of an Estranged Brother and Sister

Slow Air @ 59 E59 Theaters

The Scottish Week Theater celebration, at 59E59 Theaters, has brought in an unexpected and wonderful play, Slow Air.  It is a two person, story-telling play – where the actors address the audience directly instead of each other.  The device allows the characters to open up about emotions and insecurities, which they can’t do face to face with others.  It allows the audience to share their introspection and, in this case, builds tension for what will ensue.

Susan Vidler as Morna, and Lewis Howden as her brother, Athol in SLOW AIR

The two characters here are Athol and Morna, adult siblings who haven’t spoken in 14 years.  Athol, played by Lewis Howden, is the stable brother.  He has grown up, built a floor tiling business and raised a family with his wife.  They have moved to Glasgow, made friends with their neighbors and settled into a comfortable life.  Mr. Howden beautifully brings to life the pleasant and unassuming Athol.  A man perfectly suited to his current situation, but uneasy when his emotional boundaries are tested.

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And his sister, Morna, excels in testing Athol’s boundaries.  Susan Vidler brings the hyperkinetic Morna to life, demanding attention even when sitting still.  Morna hasn’t traveled far from home, living in Dalry with her son, Joshua.  It is the unseen Joshua who provides the catalyst for Morna and Athol’s story.  On his 21^st birthday, Joshua goes to visit the Aunt and Uncle he hasn’t seen in 14 years.

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Slow Air explores the ties of family and community, and how seemingly random coincidences affect those ties.  Ultimately, Slow Air is wistful and hopeful story.  It is not so much a tale of “love wins out”,but a more truthful “love gives us a chance”.

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David Shea handles the lighting design expertly, always critical in a show where the focus transitions between monologues.  David Harrower, the writer and director, brings the story to life gently and slowly, opening up the story in bits to make a satisfying whole.  It is a tentatively happy tale – which is the perfect tone, without ever becoming saccharine.  

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Slow Air at 59E59 Theaters

Playwright: David Harrower

Director: David Harrower

Cast: Lewis Howden, Susan Vidler

Through April 29th (website)

Upcoming: Medieval Play @ Signature Theater

The Signature Theater has amazing shows for $25.
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Link for Tickets
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Federer Versus Murray: An Emotional Match at 59E59

The title of the new show at 59E59 Theaters, Federer Versus Murray, isn’t truly indicative of the content.  True, you will see a match of wills - complete with volleys, pot shots and the occasional smash, but this is an emotional match between Jimmy and Flo, a long married Scottish couple.

Dave Anderson plays Jimmy and Gerda Stevenson plays Flo, and both actors have a real feel for these middle aged characters.  The play opens with Jimmy having recently been laid off, and deciding to watch Wimbledon before looking for a new job.  Jimmy’s decision upsets the marital dynamic, which has been carefully developed after the loss of their son in the Afghanistan war.  Since their loss, and possibly before that, Jimmy and Flo have lived a quiet life.  They have studiously avoided certain topics that would cause conflict, but now Jimmy’s constant presence at home forces some uncomfortable conversations.

Ms. Stevenson, as Flo, manages to organically convey exasperation, annoyance, longing and love towards her husband – common in marriage.  But she finds that the reality of Jimmy wears on her patience.  She has settled into a household rhythm and Jimmy has upset it.  Even more frustrating, her husband now wants to discuss the loss of their son.

Federer Versus Murray is a quick show, about an hour long, but packs quite an emotional punch into that time.  There is a fair amount of biting wit - a sign of affection in Scotland, but sometimes harsh to American sensibilities.  In other moments, quiet things, like the emotion Roger Federer brings out in Jimmy, are quite moving.

The Scottish brogue here is quite dense and sometimes difficult to understand.  It is a choice of the playwright (Ms. Stevenson), as it is the language of the working class in Scotland.  Jimmy and Flo are definitely working class, struggling to make ends meet.  This adds a layer of complexity to the characters, but it is a tough choice for American ears.

Gerda Stevenson wrote and directed this show, and her mastery of the material shines through.  The cast comes with the show from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year.  It is a wonderful chance to see a show that presents a different viewpoint on the war, loss and bereavement.

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Federer Versus Murray @ 59E59 Theater

Playwright: Gerda Stevenson

Director: Gerda Stevenson

Cast: Dave Anderson, Ben Bryden, Gerda Stevenson

Plays Through: April 22 (website)

Upcoming: Title and Deed @ Signature

The new shows at the Signature Theater have been announced.  It is an amazing space.
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Select here for tickets.

Upcoming: Harold & Maude Musical (in progress)

York’s acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances has presented over 80 shows from the past in simply-staged concert format.  Mufti means: “in street clothes,” without the trappings associated with the original productions.

Harold and Maude. with Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones and Music by Joseph Thalken (Was, Songs from an Unmade Bed), based on the screenplay by Colin Higgins.  Directed by Carl Andress, the cast will feature original Harold and Maude cast members Donna Lynne Champlin (Billy Elliot) and Donna English (Lend Me a Tenor) with Matt Dengler(A Little Night Music) as Harold, Cass Morgan (Memphis) as Maude and Steve Routman (Le Bete). The musical adaptation of the 1971 cult-classic film Harold and Maude comes to life on the York stage in a new version by Jones and Thalken. In what some call the quintessential May-December romance, death-obsessed teenager, Harold, meets Maude, 79, at a funeral and thus begins one of the most unusual, yet truly touching romantic sagas in American pop-culture history. Harold and Maude, featuring Estelle Parsons in the title role, received its world premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2005. The limited engagement will play 5 performances April 13 -15.

Cass Morgan 

Matt Dengler

York Theatre Company will host a special one-night only event, Story by Story: A Conversation with Tom Jones, onWednesday evening, April 4^th at 7:00 p.m.

All performances will take place at The York Theatre at Saint Peter’s on 54^th St, just east of Lexington Avenue.  Musicals in Mufti will continue with Colette Collage (April 27-29), and conclude with The Game of Love (May 11-13). Casting for these two shows will be announced shortly.

The performance schedule for each presentation is:  Fridays at 8:00 p.m., *Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and *Sundays at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. (*Talkbacks follow all matinee performances). 

Tickets are priced at  $39.50 and are available online at www.yorktheatre.org, by calling (212) 935-5820, or in person at the box office at the York Theatre at Saint Peter’s (enter on 54^th Street, just East of Lexington), Monday through Friday (12-6 PM). A special $150 5-show package is still available and will include the remaining four Muftis and the conversation with Tom Jones, Story by Story on April 4^th.

Upcoming: Welcome Mat Reading Series

As I have noted before, New York offers some great chances to interact early with playwrights and actors as they progress works.  This company, Partial Comfort Productions, has mounted some amazing plays.  Here is a chance to see some works in progress.

Partial Comfort presents 8th Annual

WELCOME MAT READING SERIES

April 16 - May 7 at Atlantic Theater Company’s Studio Theater

Partial Comfort Productions will present its 8th annual WELCOME MAT

READING SERIES of new plays. The four-week series will be staged at Atlantic Theater

Company’s Studio Theater (330 W 16th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues) beginning April 16. Admission is free. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis with no advance reservation required.

The schedule for the  WELCOME MAT READING SERIES is:

Monday, April 16 @ 7:30 pm

TREVOR

Written by Nick Jones (The Coward, Jollyship the Whiz-Bang, and The Nosemaker's Apprentice with Rachel Shukert). Directed by Lila Neugebauer (The Aliens - West Coast Premiere, SF Playhouse), Nick Jones' Grizzly  at Joe's Pub).

Monday, April 23 @ 7:30 pm

THE OLD MASTERS

Written by Sam Marks (The Old Masters--Steppenwolf's First Look, The Joke--Studio Dante, Nelson--Partial Comfort). Directed by Daniel Aukin (4000 Miles at Lincoln Center, The Ugly One  at Soho Rep and THIS at Center Theatre Group).

Sunday, April 29 @ 7:30 pm

THE WHAT?

Written by Chad Beckim (After., The Maine Play, nami). Directed by Davis McCallum (A Bright New Boise - Drama Desk Nominations for Best Play and Best Director; Upcoming: February  House at Public Theater and Sam Hunter’s The Whale at Playwrights Horizons.)

Monday, May 7 @ 7:30 pm

THE MORNING THE SUN FELL DOWN

Written by Jonathan Caren (The Recommendation - Old Globe; 2011-12 Dramatist Guild Fellow, The 2011 New York Stage and Film Founder’s Award Winner; Most Outstanding Play, 2007 New York Fringe Fest for Catch the Fish.) Directed by Mia Rovegno (We Play For The Gods at The Women’s Project; Burnt Umber by Erik Ehn at LaMaMa); Underland by Alexandra Collier (The New Ohio).

Partial Comfort Productions is a collaborative ensemble devoted to the development and presentation of original new theater. The company was co-founded in 2002 by Chad Beckim and Molly Pearson. Past productions include Samuel D. Hunter’s A Bright New Boise (Best of 2010, New York Magazine), Thomas Bradshaw's The Bereaved (Best of 2009, Time Out New

York), a quartet of acclaimed works by Beckim (After., nami, The Maine Play and ...a matter of choice), Ross Maxwell’s Open House (Best Ensemble Award winner at FringeNYC 2006); Craft and Nelson by Sam Marks; Kidstuff by Edith Freni, Booty Candy by Robert O’Hara; and Play by OHara, Chay Yew, Kia Corthron, Eddie Sanchez, Keith Adkins and Tracey Scott Wilson. For more information visit www.partialcomfort.org.