Arnie Burton to Star in 'Lilies' Reading at Sanctuary of Middle Church 10/20

Arnie Burton, the star of the hit Broadway play The 39 Steps, joins The Deconstructive Theatre Project's one-night-only staged reading of Michel Marc Bouchard’s play, Lilies, or The Revival of a Romantic Drama.  Lilies performs in the historic Sanctuary of Middle Church, built in 1872, in the East Village, on Monday, October 20th at 8pm. 

Also joining the cast are Marcus Neville (The Full Monty, City of Angels), Brian O'Neill (The Corner), and Chad Brigockas (Gossip Girl).  They join the already announced Colman Domingo (Passing Strange, Well), Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Spelling Bee), Matthew Nasser (La MaMa E.T.C.), and Vince Rimoldi (Camp, The Hillz).  

In the play, the Bishop Bilodeau arrives one morning at a Canadian prison to hear the last confession of a childhood friend, instead finding himself compelled to confront a past revived as the prison inmates perform a haunting and tragic story of passion and obsession among three boys at a small Christian school in 1912. Lust and love collide when two men confront their own conflicting memories in a final effort to reclaim lost lives and achieve redemption and revenge.

Lilies  was adapted into a film with the same title in 1996, and shortly thereafter achieved cult status for its beautiful imagery, complex love story, and unwavering commitment to portraying the tragic consequences of homophobia and social injustice.  The film was nominated for 14 Genie Awards - the Canadian Oscars - winning 4. Lilies was also honored with a GLADD Media Award, an LA Outfest Award, a Montreal World Film Festival Award, and a San Francisco International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Award.

The cast also includes Kevin Curtis, Eric Heusinger, Matt Mager, Jason Michael Miller, and Matthew Skrincosky.

The production features original music by Sonny Paladino and is co-directed & produced by Producing Artistic Director Adam J. Thompson and Ryan J. Davis (White Noise).

“I'm thrilled to be involved with this project; I've been a fan of Lilies since I first saw the film at The Rehoboth Beach Film Festival in 1997,” co-director Ryan J. Davis said in a statement. ”Lilies is a great opportunity for the company to continue its investigation into ensemble work.  I couldn’t be more excited to be working with this group of artists,” Adam J. Thompson, co-director, added.

The play has not been performed in a New York public reading since 1989.  Thompson and Davis decided to stage the play in a sight-specific atmosphere, and have partnered with Middle Collegiate Church in light of its commitment to promoting LGBTI rights and battling social injustice.

A talk-back with the cast and production team and reception will follow the performance.

The mission of The Deconstructive Theatre Project is to create bold original work for the theatre that is intensely collaborative and uniquely theatrical, and to utilize the benefits of ensemble collaboration in art and education.

Tickets are $30 and may be purchased at deconstructivetheatreproject.org or by calling 1-800-838-3006. All proceeds benefit The Deconstructive Theatre Project, a not-for-profit organization.

Middle Church is located at 50 East 7th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues.  The entrance to the Sanctuary is on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street.

More information at www.deconstructivetheatreproject.org.

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.