29th Street Playwrights Collective Hosts Staged Reading of THE DIAMOND EATER

The 29th Street Playwrights Collective NEW WORKS SERIES 2018 presents a staged reading of THE DIAMOND EATER, by award-winning designer/playwright Carrie Robbins, for one night only on Monday, May 14, at 7:30pm at the Bernie Wohl Center.

THE DIAMOND EATER begins in 1980 when an old man walks into a proctologist's office. No, it's not the set-up for a bad joke. The old man's complaints date back 35 years, and the proctologist is amazed by the story he reveals: a harrowing tale of three men in a German concentration camp - a surgeon, a jeweler, and a Nazi squad leader who fancies himself a medical innovator. THE DIAMOND EATER, an astonishing story of two Jews who outfox the Nazis, is a breathtaking tale of desperation, determination, and survival, based on true events told to R.D. Robbins, MD.

THE DIAMOND EATER, along with its companion piece SAWBONES, was a semi-finalist in the Theater at the 14th Street Y's 2018 - 2019 season's juried competition themed WAR + PEACE.

Robbins is the author of LE WEDDING DRESS, which reached the semi-finals in NYNewWorks Festival 2015, and her play THE ACTRESS was a finalist in 2016's Summerfest Theater Festival. An earlier version of THE DIAMOND EATER (HERE Theater) received six NY Innovative Theatre Award (NYITA) nominations, more than any other production in 2014. The play has since been revised and expanded.

The staged reading of THE DIAMOND EATER is directed by Paul Dobie, who was the Associate Director of Broadway and National tours of Tony award-winning THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, as well as of MARTIN SHORT - FAME BECOMES ME. He has also been the assistant director of several musicals on Broadway, including ONCE, CABARET, and WICKED.

The jeweler Avraham Millstein is played by Eric Kuttner who appeared in THE BAKER'S WIFE by Stephen Schwartz at the Mint Theatre. Eric also appeared in several plays with The Jewish Theater of New York, including LIKE TWO EAGLES, and in the Yiddish musical THE MAIDEN OF LUDMIR at the Folksbiene Theatre. He is also a GILBERT & SULLIVAN expert.

Tim Roselle takes the role of Dr. Samual Kuttermann, the prisoner surgeon. Tim is a New York based actor who works in film, television and the stage. A member of Actors Equity, he has produced, directed and/or performed in over 90 productions in New York and regionally. As a member of SAG-AFTRA, Roselle has appeared in television (LAW AND ORDER, LAW AND ORDER SVU, 30 ROCK, THE CITY, LOVING, LIFT OFF), in features (BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY, SUDDEN DEATH, BLIND SPOT, CANVAS), and in over 25 shorts. He has been recognized for his work on stage and on film including Best Actor in a Short Narrative Film at the Toronto International Film Festival for FATER.

Nazi squad leader Oberschaarfuhrer Dietz is played by Tony Naumovski (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK). Among his Off-Broadway credits are THE BIRDS and WIDE AWAKE HEARTS, both at the 59E59 Theaters, and FINAL ANALYSIS at the Signature Theatre. Tony has over 100 theatre, film, and TV roles to his credit including LAW & ORDER SVU, PERSON OF INTEREST, and the European reboot of HBO's award-winning IN TREATMENT.

THE DIAMOND EATER will receive a single staged reading on Monday, May 14, 2018.

29th Street Playwright Collective is dedicated to developing the voices of emerging, mature playwrights through weekly craft discussions and to fostering new work for the stage, with a commitment to gender parity in theatre.

Funding for NEW WORKS SERIES 2018 is made possible by the Puffin Foundation and the friends and members of the Collective.

THE DIAMOND EATER is produced in cooperation with Days of the Giants LLC.

Special thanks to Susan Macaluso and the Dramatist Guild Foundation.

The event is Free; $10 Donations are appreciated.

Refreshments served.

Please RSVP at Brown Paper Tickets https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3415260

Bernie Wohl Center is located at 647 Columbus Avenue between 91st and 92nd.

For more information contact: 29thStPlaywrightsCollective@gmail.com

Or go online to www.29thStreetPlaywrightsCollective.org