Award-Winning Play TIGER BY THE TAIL Begins March 24th at Wings Theatre

When a middle-aged therapist starts a correspondence with a young state prisoner, the therapist gets far more than he bargained for in Frawley Becker's new play Tiger by the Tail, opening March 24th (8PM) at downtown's Wings Theatre (154 Christopher Street). Directed by Jules Ochoa, the play which recently garnered best play from the 2005 Firehouse Theatre Project's Festival of New American Plays, is part of the acclaimed Wings Theatre Gay Plays Series, which offers new plays by American Playwrights with gay themes. Preview performances begin Friday, March 24th at 8PM.

With a therapist located in California and a young state prisoner in Florida, Tiger by the Tail tells the compelling story of the unlikely relationship of two men who meet through a personal ad. The young man's letters are unexpectedly eloquent, articulate, and full of heartfelt emotion and real poetry. The two men manage a meeting and suddenly a life together seems possible--- until prison guards and brutality challenge their chances and their hopes.

The nine member cast includes: The nine member cast includes: Steven Hauck, Matthew Wilkas, Christian Rummel, John Leonard Thompson, Terrence Michael McCrossan, Franklin John Westbrooks and Nick Marcotti.

During his 17 years in Paris, playwright Frawley Becker established several theatre companies, including The Harlequin Guild in 1959, the first African-American company within the U.S. military, and Paris Playhouse, a professional English-speaking troupe that produced the first Edward Albee plays in France in 1963. He worked 10 years as a bilingual film dialogue coach, tutoring Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Rex Harrison, Jean-Louis Trintignant, and others. He is the author of "And the Stars Spoke Back," a book of memoirs that chronicles these years and several published short stories, a published, prize-winning play, 411 Joseph in additional to several screenplays.

Director Jules Ochoa has served as the assistant director to Jonathan Kent on the Broadway revival of Man of La Mancha, Chris Ashley on The Rocky Horror Show, Communicating Doors and Bunny Bunny, John Tillinger on Tea at Five, Hotel Suite and The Exact Center of the Universe, Lynne Meadow on Boy Gets Girl and Blur, Gene Saks on Mr. Goldwyn and Tennessee Williams Remembered, Chris Renshaw and Des McAnuff on High Society and as the assistant resident director on The Lion King. NYC directing credits include Michael Murphy's St. Vincent Design and Steve Salinaro's Leprechauns both for the Wings Theatre Company, Craig Lucas' If Columbus Does Not Figure in Your Travel Plans (Theatre Four), Suzanne Bradbeer's Lone Star Grace (Stamford Center), Lanford Wilson's The Great Nebula in Orion (HERE) and four plays by Daniel Reitz for the HB Playwrights Foundation.

Tiger by the Tail will feature scenery designed by Josh Zangen, lighting designed by Rachel Eichorn and sound designed by Di Drago.

With performances slated through April 22nd, Tiger by the Tail will play Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and at 8PM, with matinees on Sundays at 3:30PM. (There will be no performances on April 14th or 16th). All tickets are $19 and can be arranged by phoning (212) 627-2961.