Looking Glass Theatre, celebrating almost 20 years of productions strengthening the voice of women in theater and the arts, will present the world premiere production of Bella Poynton’s The Angel Play, directed by Amanda Thompson. The Angel Play opens Friday, March 16 and continues through Sunday, April 1 with performances Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at Looking Glass Theatre, located at 422 West 57th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues. Tickets are $18, general admission ($15 students/seniors) and available at www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com. Group tickets also available. Running time is approximately 100 minutes with one intermission.
ABOUT THE SHOW
We all know the story: Gabriel announces the coming of a child and Mary is stunned but welcoming of her Lord’s will. But did it really happen this way? How could the players in this immortal tale live through those nine months of waiting? We examine the humanity of Gabriel, the divinity of young Mary, and the blindness of the community around them. What effect did these two beings of light have on each other, and was their connection deeper than we might suspect?
This is the story of the Angel Gabriel and Mary of Nazareth's strange and convoluted love affair. They meet, fall in love, and are forced to part ways. Of course, because her family and community fail to understand what's happened, Mary is shunned and looked as a criminal. Gabriel is then given the task of converting Mary’s future husband, Joseph into believing she holds a pivotal place in human history. As the play moves forward, we watch Mary’s transformation from frightened young girl into powerful prophetess as she takes control of her own destiny, and the destiny of her unborn child.
The production features Julie Ek as Mary, Dan Lovley as Joseph, Joey Lozada as Gabriel, with Margie Ferris (Ann/Elisheva), Rebecca Nerz (Shepherd) and Zachary Zimbler (Joachim/Priest).
Creative team includes: Meg Dowling (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Arielle Parkas (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Taylor Reynolds (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Elle Kunnos de Voss (Scenic Design), Libby Jensen (Light Design), Steve Buechler (Costume Design) and Lucas Segall (Sound Design).
BELLA POYNTON holds a BFA in Acting from the Boston University School of Theater and is currently an MFA Playwriting candidate at the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. She is the winner of the Amelia Bassano Lanier Short Play Competition at Manhattan Theater Source in 2009, and was nominated for the Christopher Brian Wolk Playwriting Award in 2010. Her playPope Joan was a regional finalist at the American College Theater Festival, and was later produced Off-Broadway at New World Stages. Other productions include: Unpopular Devotion (New Perspectives Theater Company), Advanced Program System (American Globe Theater), The Age (Barrow Group FAB Women Project), Who is Dan Schiller? (Looking Glass Forum) and A House Full of Dust (Wings Theater Co.) A House Full of Dust will also be published later this year by Heartland Plays.
Director AMANDA THOMPSON is a New York City based director and acting teacher. At Looking Glass Theatre, she most recently directed the popular children’s show Betsy is Bored… She has also directed numerous Looking Glass Forum productions including Badger and Maddy, Potato Girl, and Ampersand: a Romeo & Juliet Story Acts One and Two (winning Best Direction and Best Production among other Forum awards). NYC credits include Fate Fury and Musical Theatre (Frigid Festival), Baldy (Abingdon Theatre), Hatching (NYC Fringe), Dismemberment (Player’s Theatre), Life is a Dream and Impostor Striketh Back (Festival of Fools), Dismissing Robert Fink and Litmus (Manhattan Rep Theatre). Ms. Thompson has assisted for directors Lear Desbessonet and Rachel Dickstein, and playwright (and Obie-winning actor) Heidi Schreck.
Looking Glass Theatre’s mission is to theatrically and truthfully reflect a female vision on the stage while creating a community of artistic freedom. We fulfill this by presenting female directors' visions of original works or the classics and by staging new plays either written or directed by women. This includes children’s shows and educational programming as well as our semi-annual festival of new works, featuring emerging women playwrights and directors, each season.www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com
