World-Premiere of KIDNAP ROAD by Catherine Filloux Set for Spring at La MaMa

KIDNAP ROAD - a new play by Catherine Filloux, based on the real-life story of a female presidential candidate held in captivity for six years by terrorists in Colombia - will be given its world premiere production this spring, presented by La MaMa at its First Floor Theatre (74 E. 4 St.), with previews beginning April 27 prior to the official opening on April 30.

Directed by Elena Araoz, the cast of KIDNAP ROAD includes Kimber Riddle and Marco Antonio Rodriguez.

In KIDNAP ROAD, Filloux revisits the 2002 abduction of Ingrid Betancourt, a former senator and anti-corruption activist who, while running for President of Colombia, was kidnapped by the Marxist revolutionary terrorist organization, the FARC. The play depicts her ordeal through 'intrusive memory' (a form of PTSD) as her captors, her deceased father, her children, God and a fellow hostage who becomes her lover in captivity populate the kaleidoscope of her trauma.

The FARC, a Marxist, anti-imperialism organization who practiced deadly guerilla warfare tactics, recently signed a peace agreement with the Colombian government, participating in bringing an end to 50 years of conflict in that country. On February 18, 2017, the FARC began the process of disarming.

KIDNAP ROAD is the newest work by Catherine Filloux, who has been writing about human rights and social issues for 25 years, including such works as SELMA '65, LUZ, KILLING THE BOSS, LEMKIN'S HOUSE, EYES OF THE HEART and THE BEAUTY INSIDE.

In fact, Filloux is the recipient of the 2017 Otto Award for Political Theatre. Previous recipients include director Emily Mann and playwright Kia Corthron. Presented by Castillo Theatre, the Otto Awards recognize and connect theater artists engaged in creating political, experimental and community based theatre. To date the Otto has been awarded to nearly 100 such artists in the U.S., Canada, Jamaica, Pakistan, Serbia and elsewhere.

Betancourt was a woman of wealth who, despite her own financial means, ran on a platform to redirect embezzled funds from the corrupt government to the impoverished peoples of Colombia. According to director Elena Araoz, "She was silenced when she was kidnapped in the middle of her presidential campaign, and held hostage and tortured in the jungle for six years. Her shocking story conjures questions about corruption in our own government, and how we treat female politicians in the U.S."

Set design for KIDNAP ROAD is by Justin Townsend; lighting design by Michael McGee; sound design by Nathan Leigh; and costume design by Christopher Vergara.

Scheduled through May 14, KIDNAP ROAD is a one-act play running 70 minutes.

Performances April 27 to May 14 as follows: Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets are $20; $15 for students/seniors. Ten tickets are available for every performance at $10 each, advance sales only, as part of La MaMa's 10@$10 ticketing initiative. www.lamama.org

Catherine Filloux is an award-winning playwright who has been writing plays about human rights and social justice for twenty-five years. She is the librettist for three produced operas, and for Olga Neuwirth's new opera to premiere in 2019 at the Vienna State Opera. Filloux will be honored in New York City with the 2017 Otto René Castillo Award for Political Theatre, and received the 2015 Planet Activist Award due to her long career as an activist artist in the theater community. www.catherinefilloux.com

Elena Araoz is a stage director for theater and opera having directed Off-Broadway, internationally and regionally. NYC productions this past season include Octavio Solís's Prospect (Boundless Theatre Company), Dipika Guha's Mechanics of Love (To-by-For Productions), Virginia Grise's She-She-She (Ice Factory Festival, New Ohio Theatre), Hilary Bettis' Alligator (New Georges and The Sol Project) and Warren Leight's Union Square Incident (The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, American Airlines Theatre). www.elenaaraoz.com

Kimber Riddle is a graduate of New York University's Graduate Acting Program. She has appeared in film, television and off-Broadway. Kimber has worked extensively with Anna Deavere Smith. http://annadeaveresmithprojects.net/about-the-faculty/kimber-riddle/

Marco Antonio is an award-winning actor/writer. Recent acting credits include Person Of Interest and The Perfect Murder. Recent writing credits include the stage adaptation of best-seller In The Name Of Salomé and Our Voices competition winner Barceló On The Rocks. www.marcoantoniorodriguez.com

About La MaMa. La MaMa is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. The organization has a worldwide reputation for producing daring performance works that defy form and transcend barriers of ethnic and cultural identity. Founded in 1961 by award-winning theatre pioneer Ellen Stewart, La MaMa has presented more than 5,000 productions by 150,000 artists from more than 70 nations. A recipient of more than 30 Obie Awards and dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie, and Villager Awards, La MaMa has helped launch the careers of countless artists, many of whom have made important contributions to American and international arts milieus.

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