Between Us Productions to Stage THE FAIRER SEX at Theatre Row This July

Between Us Productions will present the World Premiere of Sander Gusinow's The Fairer Sex, directed by Samantha Lee Manas. It begins performances on July 27th and will celebrate its opening night on July 28 and run through August 2nd at Theatre Row Studio Theatre. Tickets are $18 and available at www.Telecharge.com. For mature audiences only.

In The Fairer Sex the battle of the sexes has become an all-out war. The women of the world, fed up with subjugation and sexual violence, have cast off the chains of oppression and staged a global revolution. But all is not well in the New World Order, as the brutal pro-male insurgency has swelled under the grip of a terrifying new leader.

Police interrogators Kristen and Lena apprehend a seemingly innocent young man when the resistance tries to smuggle him out of the hospital. As the secret to his identity unravels, Lena and Kristen clash over the proper course of action. Tensions rise, loyalty is tested, all leading to a climactic, bloody showdown.

A brash dark comedy about passion, vengeance, and sexual politics, The Fairer Sex is certain to shock, inflame, and delight with visceral glee. For mature audiences only.

Cast includes: Erica Becker (Uprising, Bunny and Tai), Billy Giacci (The Real Inspector Hound, Reefer Madness), Chauncey Johnson (Blood of Innocence, Hotel Lucky), Michelle Liu Coughlin* (A New Brain, Damn Yankees), Michael Markham* (Mother Courage, Macbeth), and Josephine Wheelwright (Into the Heart of the Forrest).

THE FAIRER SEX begins performances on July 29th and runs through August 2nd, 2015. Theatre Row Studio Theatre is located at 410 West 42nd Street. Tickets are $18 and available at www.Telecharge.com. Schedule: July 29th-31st - 8pm; August 1st - 2pm & 8pm; August 2nd - 3pm. For mature audiences only. For more information about Between Us Productions, go to betweenusproductions.wix.com/betweenusprod.

WHO'S WHO:

Josephine Wheelwright (Kristen) is an actor from New York City. She played the role of the Abbess in the Healthy Oyster Collective's debut, When the Saints Arrive in Germany, and recently received the Best Actress award at Between Us Production's Take 10 Festival for her role as Baba Yaga in Towards the Heart of the Forest. Recent credits include 7 Against Thebes and Jason and the Argonauts (Faux Real Theater) and Scenes of Ascending (The Healthy Oyster Collective). Josephine got her B.A. in Russian Language and Literature and went on to study acting at the William Esper Studio.

Erica Becker (Lena) is about to celebrate two years in NYC, and has been blessed with many opportunities in the industry! Most recently she starred in a SAG short film with Volume Studios, played Mrs.Cratchit and the Ghost of Christmas Past in Sundog Theatre's musical version of "A Christmas Carol", and portrayed Puck the fairie in a short film/photo shoot series based on "A Midsummer Night's Dream". This summer she has kept busy with cabaret performances at the Duplex and The West End Lounge, filming a webseries with SusTainable Productions, and several other short film projects and photo shoots. She enjoys margaritas, dance parties, and baking chocolate chip cookies. Much love to her extremely supportive family and friends! www.ericabecker.com

Billy Giacci (Elam) is a New York City based actor, born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. After earning his bachelor's degree from Ohio University, Billy moved to NYC to study at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Since moving to New York Billy has performed off-Broadway in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Inspector Hound", Steve Gooch's "Female Transport" and many others. His classical voice training has also given him the chance to play the lovable yet manic Jimmy Harper in the musical "Reefer Madness".

Michelle Liu Coughlin (Gwen) recently finished production on a short film titled 2B which she starred in and produced through the support of the Asian American Film Lab's 72 Hour Shootout. She has also appeared in the films, It's Complicated, Unintended Consequences, Seeds, Jane! and on various television programs, including "Allegiance" (NBC), "Hostages" (CBS), "Off Duty" (NBC), and "One Life to Live" (ABC). She was last seen onstage as Christmas Eve in Avenue Q at the Human Race Theatre. Other stage credits include: NYC: Train to Chicago (NAAP), Rodgers and... (Lyrics & Lyricists), Sheldon Harnick's The Phantom Tollbooth, Victor Woo (FringeNYC), and Take Me America (Midtown Theatre Festival). National Tours and Regional: Barrio Grrrl! (Kennedy Center), The King and I (Nat'l Tour), Flower Drum Song (Mei Li), Miss Saigon (Kim), and Camelot (Nimue). www.michelleliucoughlin.com @michelleliuc

Michael Markham (Mark) New York credits: "Mother Courage" and "Macbeth" at the Delacorte. "I Like to Be Here" (Theatre 167, The New Ohio) "Platonov" and "This is the Only Thing That Has Ever Happened" (Shapiro Studio), "Short Life of Trouble" and "Christopher Marlowe's Chloroform Dreams" (Lunar Energy), "The Corn Maiden" (NY Fringe Festival), "Giants" (HERE). Film and TV: Law and Order, Fumes, Lies, Home Office, When Things Fall Apart, Coda to a Forgotten Tale, Unearthed, Game Theory, Blind Date. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School Drama Division.

Chauncey Johnson (Sean/Soldier) is from Detroit, MI and has been living in New York City for 5 years now. With a background in radio broadcasting and sketch comedy, Chauncey has been studying acting with acting coach Anthony Abeson and has been a student of improv for a few years now studying at one of the best improv schools in New York City The Upright Citizens Brigade. Chauncey can also been seen around the city performing Stand up and improv with his team Reverse Circles, he can also been seen in a new comedy web series "Yes and..." and you can hear a monthly podcast from Chauncey as well on Soundest.fm under the name TIPS or The Imperfectly Perfect Strangers.

Sander Gusinow's (Playwright) plays include Ruth and Naomi, (Signature Theatre, Roy Arias Studios) Hell-Bent, (The Director's Studio) Cinderella, (Silver Sparrow Productions, Theatre 54) and Philoctetes. (Secret Theatre, Core Artist Ensemble, Manhattan Repertory Theatre). His play Ruth & Naomi received the 2014 TENT-DIY grant for Jewish artists. His short play Hansen & Greta was the winner of Between Us Production's Short Play Competition. He is now working on the upcoming webseries Nerd Love. Sander is a graduate of Columbia University's 2014 MFA in Playwriting Program. He is a proud member of the American Renaissance Theatre Company.

Samantha Lee Manas (Director/Co-Artistic Director) has directed several plays in New York City including:, Uprising (Shetler's Theatre 54), Parables for the One Percent (Theatre Row), Marisol (the Secret Theater), Measure for Measure (the Access Theater) , Sweet Prince (Manhattan Repertory Theater), Strangers in the Night (Underground Theater Festival), Orion (Where Eagles Dare), Invasion of the Parasites: An Inadvertent Allegory (Margerie S. Deane Little Theater), Rodwarts World (The Cheruchin Theater), and many more. She is the winner of best director at the Underground Theater Festival and a two-time nominee for best director at the Strawberry One Act Festival. She also has assistant directed on a production of Richard III with the Kaos Theater in London. She is an emerging playwright. Her plays include: Uprising (Co-writer, Theatre 54), Inalienable Rights (Roy Arias Theater II), and Pushing 40 (The Director's Studio). She received her BFA in theater design and technology from SUNY Purchase College's Conservatory of Theater Arts and Film. http://samanthamanas.wix.com/samanthaleemanas

Jasmine Brown (Producer/Co-Artistic Director) has been writing, acting and directing her whole life. She has a BFA in Dramatic Writing from SUNY Purchase. Some favorite original works include: Uprising (Co-writer, Theatre 54), Ships, Sweet Prince (Manhattan Repertory Theatre's Winterfest), Orion (Signature Theatre) and Bromance (Semi-Finalist in the Strawberry One-Act Festival) and Three Bites from the Underworld (Roy Arias Theatre II).

Between Us Productions is committed to bringing daring and compelling theater about socio- political issues while supporting emerging artists. Born in March 2010, this company is the result of two long time collaborators, director, Samantha Lee Manas, and writer, Jasmine Brown. Their first production, Sweet Prince, written by Co-Artistic Director Jasmine Brown and directed by Co-Artistic Director Samantha Lee Manas, was a modern reconstruction of Hamlet, confronting the audience with the struggles of a teenage boy amidst mental illness, murder, and abuse. It was a rousing success at Manhattan Repertory Theater's Winterfest 2010. In 2013 the company began its annual Take Ten festival of ten-minute plays from playwrights around the country.

*appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

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