ANTIOCH Opens 2/18 at 13th Street Repertory

Cheryl King of Stage Left Studio directs Antioch, a daring new play by stage fighter Jack McKeane.

The play, clocking in at 50 minutes, is a brief interlude in an ancient conflict. Two warriors, Christian and Muslim, are engaged in a Skirmish at the Gates - of heaven.

It's a contest that doesn't want to end - and a kind of hell for the American soldier who ends up on the battleground.

McKeane choreographs and directs the fight scenes, and plays Ronan, the Christian Crusader. Ali Sattar, who wields a scimitar against McKeane's sword, plays Youssef, the Saracen warrior. Alex Mahgoub plays the American captain whose encounter with an IED in Iraq has propelled him into this scene.

The fight scenes are full of energy and tension, and, in the accompanying dialogue, the warriors display fierce loyalty to their religions, their Gods, their families and their pride. It's fast-paced and full-out.

With set design by Chuck McAlexander, costumes by KC Weakley, sound design by Cheryl King and Alex Chmaj, technical direction and lighting design by Alex Chmaj, and produced by Cynthia Keane.

Playing at 13th Street Repertory, 50 West 13th Street, at 730 pm on February 18, 19, 25 and March 3 and 11. Tickets are $20 (students and seniors $18) at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/9978218

Jack McKeane (playwright, performer) is making his debut as a playwright with Antioch. He has performed in the New York Renaissance Faire, and as an actor and fight director with the Village Renaissance Players. He studied stage fighting with Joe Travers at Swordplay and was certified by SAFD in 7 weapons, attaining a rank of advanced actor combatant. Travers taught him most of what he knows about stage fighting and fight choreography. Other performance credits include Nightmare's Haunted House, and a role in "Margaret Fleming" at Metropolitan Playhouse. He has studied acting for years with Cheryl King, and with Alfred Preisser, at Harlem School of the Arts, and studied writing with Ken Wolf, of Manhattan Repertory Theater.

Alex Mahgoub (performer) recently wrote, produced, and performed a sold-out run of his solo show "Baba" at the United Solo Theatre Festival. Past theater roles include: Dolan in LINE (also at the Thirteenth Street Repertory Theater), Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew, and Servant in Servant of Two Masters. Short film roles include Greg in Party on the 49th Floor, Grey Bills in Private, The Son in The Last Touchy Feely Drama, and Rayhan in Dejeration. Alex is a proud graduate of Rutgers University, with a degree in English Literature and Theater Arts. He has also studied with Maggie Flanigan, Shane Ann Younts, and Fay Simpson. When not acting, Alex plays the part of a New York Real Estate Associate Broker with the Corcoran Group. You can read reviews of his work at www.AlexMahgoub.com.

Ali Sattar (performer)performs regularly with Say What? NYC - Comedy Improvisation, and has performed in numerous productions in the NYC area, including Royal Justice, with David S Zucker Productions and Julius Caesar, with Hudson Warehouse. Well-versed in hand-to-hand combat and weapons, he sharpened up his sword skills with Jack McKeane for his role in Antioch. A dialectician, he also specializes in pratfalls and clowning. Ali studied with Dana Morgan, Sevans Martinez, and Danny Madden.

Cheryl King is the creator and producing director of Stage Left Studio, in NYC, was resident acting coach at All My Children from 2007-2010, and is a playwright, director and actor.

Her first solo show "not a nice girl" was produced in LA, NYC, Chicago and Ft. Collins, CO. She teaches two weekly playwriting workshops, and has directed over 35 plays and solo shows, including Frank Blocker's Drama Desk-nominated Southern Gothic Novel. She was nominated as a producer for Tom Gualtieri's "That Play" in 2013. She performed her second solo show, Grapefruit, by Sally Lambert, at Stage Left Studio for nearly two years. She is a writer for New York Theater Experience and authors a blog called pagetostageblog. Cheryl is a member of the Dramatist's Guild, and a board member of League of Independent Theatre, New York. She is currently performing in an adaptation of The Merchant of Venice at Stage Left Studio, and is the chief writer and a cast member of Forbidden Kiss LIVE, her monthly sexy variety show at Stage Left Studio, named by Village Voice "NY's Best Sexy Theater." NYTheatreNow named Cheryl a "Person of the Year" in New York Theater in 2008. The New York Times described her as "the matriarch of the Off-Off Broadway solo show community." King was nominated for consideration as one the 2015 Women's eNews 21 Leaders. www.cherylkingproductions.com, www.stageleftstudio.net.