Award-Winning Solo Show with Live Music Returns to NYC in the Midtown International Theatre's Fall Festival

Samuel A. Simon's award-winning love story, The Actual Dance returns to the Midtown International Fall Theatre Festival for a limited run. The Actual Dance follows the journey and perspective of a man dealing with his wives breast cancer diagnoses.

The play stars Chuk Obasi who wrote and directed the 2015 FringeNYC play Uniform Justice, and features live music by classical guitar player and composer Eli Katz Zoller who also created the original music, and Kristen Kruta on Cello. Kate Holland who directed Cloud 9 at the Drayton Theatre in London directs, Gabrielle Maisels serves as dramaturge. The Actual Dance has played to packed houses and critical acclaim since 2013 with notable performances in New York, Virginia, Idaho, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Kansas City, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, and Washington, DC.

The Actual Dance is a graceful and inspiring love story. It is theater that opens a rare window into the mind and soul of a husband and caregiver. Audiences are transfixed as the actor weaves in and out of a mystical ballroom getting ready to do what he could not imagine.

When first noticing his wife at the age of sixteen, Sam could not predict the profound connection they would share-they are two halves of the same whole. In their 33rd year of marriage, that love was tested...and the ringing in Sam's ear was not as one would expect, in fact it was an orchestra, playing the music of his life--The Actual Dance.

The play has toured the country over the last three years with playwright, Samuel A. Simon in the title role. The story was recently adapted and recast to reflect the journey of an African American male and the characters religion was changed from Jewish to Christian. Playwright Simon discussed the reason behind the revisions, "The change was driven by the desire to take the life affirming and life changing message of The Actual Dance to the African American Communities where this past week, the CDC released data to confirm higher mortality rates among black women and the news that even with national trends of lowering over all death rates from Breast Cancer, the rate of decline for African American Women were less."

More info is available at www.theactualdance.com

Performances take place at the WorkShop Theater - Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street (between 8th & 9th avenues), 4th Floor, New York, New York 10018. Subways: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, R, Q, W to 34th Street. Running time: 60 minutes. Tickets are $20.00 and are available athttps://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/27845/1477972800000

Show Dates:

Monday November 7 at 8:00 pm

Tuesday November 8 at 6:00 pm

Saturday November 12 at 8:30 pm

Sunday November 13 at 4:00 pm

Awards & Recognition

• 2013 Best Production of an Original Play from the Northern Virginia Theater Alliance Award.

• 2013 Best Actor Nomination from the Northern Virginia Theater Alliance.

• 2013 Best Overall Production Nomination from the Northern Virginia Theater Alliance.

• An Official Selection of the 2013 Midtown International Theatre Festival (NYC), and the 2013 Capital Fringe Festival (DC).

• 2013 MITF Nomination for Best Playwright

• 2013 MITF Nomination for Best Sound Design