| Life Jacket Theatre Company Presents the World Premiere Production of AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 05:52 pm EST 01/02/18 | |
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| Life Jacket Theatre Company PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE A NEW PLAY WITH MUSIC WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY TRAVIS RUSS MUSIC AND LYRICS BY PRISCILLA HOLBROOK WITH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BY TRAVIS RUSS, ANTHONY DVARSKAS, & AMELIA PARENTEAU PREVIEWS BEGIN JANUARY 30, 2018 OPENING NIGHT IS FEBRUARY 2, 2018 THROUGH FEBRUARY 24, 2018 AT HERE MAINSTAGE Life Jacket Theatre Company (Travis Russ, Artistic Director) is proud to announce the world premiere production of America is Hard to See, a new play with music written and directed by Travis Russ (Gorey: The Secret Lives Of Edward Gorey) with music and lyrics by Priscilla Holbrook (from the band, Susan Jane). Performances begin January 30, 2018 at HERE (145 6th Avenue). Opening night is set for February 2, 2018, with a limited run through February 24, 2018. Using a blend of interviews, archival research, Methodist hymns, and original songs, America is Hard to See investigates the lives in and around Miracle Village, a rural community for sex offenders buried deep in Florida's sugarcane fields. During late fall in 2015, members of Life Jacket travelled to southern Florida to interview the marginalized residents of Miracle Village. The team has transformed their academic field research into a moving and unflinching play about darkness, uncertainty, and the painful process of healing in small-town America. Research and development for America is Hard to See is by Travis Russ, Anthony Dvarskas and Amelia Parenteau. Lighting design is by Solomon Weisbard, costume design is by Andrea Hood, and scenic design is by Travis Russ. Tickets for America is Hard to See range from $35 to $45 and are available by visiting www.lifejackettheatre.org or calling 212-352-3101.Tickets are also available at the HERE box office (145 6th Avenue). The performance schedule for America is Hard to See is Wednesday through Saturday at 8:30pm. Please note: there is a performance on Tuesday, January 30th at 7:30pm, and no performance on Wednesday, February 14. ABOUT LIFE JACKET THEATRE COMPANY Established in 2014 by Artistic Director, Travis Russ, Life Jacket Theatre Company is an award-winning theatre company based in New York City. Utilizing field interviews and archival research, they share real stories about diverse human experiences, particularly those of people living on the margins — the outsiders and outcasts. They produce investigative works based on real-life stories, often engaging with the people whose stories they tell. Life Jacket Theatre Company experiments with new theatrical languages and forms in pursuit of visually inventive and lyrically rich work. Their inaugural production, Gorey: The Secret Lives Of Edward Gorey, quickly transferred Off-Broadway, was a two-time Critic's Pick by the New York Times and Time Out New York (★★★★), and was nominated for a 2017 Drama Desk Award, seven 2016 New York Innovative Theatre Awards, and two Henry Hewes Design Awards (granted by the American Theatre Wing). They are the recipients of a 2017 Drama League Artist Residency and have completed artistic residencies at the Sheen Center, the Tank, IRT Theater, One Company, Fordham University, and Stony Brook University. FOR MORE INFORMATION www.lifejackettheatre.org/ # # # BIOS TRAVIS RUSS (Playwright & Director) is the award winning writer, director, and founding Artistic Director of Life Jacket Theatre Company. His recent Off-Broadway play (writer, director, scenic designer) Gorey: The Secret Lives Of Edward Gorey, was a Critic's Pick by the New York Times and Time Out New York and was nominated for a 2017 Drama Desk Award and seven 2016 New York Innovative Theater Awards including Outstanding Director, Outstanding Production of a Play, and Outstanding Set Design. He is the director of The Storytelling Project, an initiative designed to teach participants how to tell true, bold, and compelling stories on stage in front of a live audience (winner of Fordham's 2016 Innovative Teaching Award). Travis is a former member of the Civilians' Field Research Team where he contributed material for The Way They Live (Metropolitan Museum of Art, TEDx Talk). He was a 2017 Resident Artist at the Drama League. He has developed work at Fordham University, Stony Brook University, One Company, The Tank, IRT, Sheen Center, and Make Room on Governor's Island. He is also a tenured Associate Professor at Fordham University where he teaches performance and communication. His doctoral degree is from Rutgers University. He is also the author of the upcoming book, From Nothing To Something: Thirty Interviews With Leaders Of American Start-Up Theatre Companies (2018). PRISCILLA HOLBROOK (Music & Lyrics) After studying music and linguistics at UNC-Chapel Hill, Priscilla returned to her native NYC to study acting. She fell into 90's experimental theatre, toured Europe with the legendary Reza Abdoh in The Law of Remains, and performed at all the esteemed Downtown venues with the likes of Pavol Liska, Tony Torn, and 3LD. She works closely with the playwright/director Cara Scarmack, devising highly theatrical plays with songs, which have enjoyed runs at HERE, JACK, Dixon Place (2016 Residency), and Off-Center, VT. Their multi-media operetta The Turtle Pond Was a Fail is currently in development. Priscilla is also an award-winning audiobook narrator, most recently heard on Wally Lamb's latest bestseller I'll Take You There, alongside Kathleen Turner, Jeremy Sisto, and Laura Benanti. Her band, Susan Jane, recently released their debut album, Growing Wild, available on Spotify. |
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