BENNY, A Play About Adoption & Identity Opens 7/16 At Midtown Int'l Theater Fest

John Montgomery Theatre Company announces the World Premiere of Benny, a bold new play about adoption and identity by Suzanne Bachner presented as part of the Midtown International Theater Festival to run from July 16th through August 1st at The June Havoc Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 1st Floor, New York City.

Benny is a kaleidoscopic theatrical portrait of Anna, a young woman who, after a diagnosis, a broken marriage and a lifetime of displacement, finds herself on a reluctant journey of self-discovery looking for a road to her birth parents and one that will bring her home.

Benny marks the latest Bachner/Minskoff collaboration after their celebrated Off-Broadway production of Circlefor PS NBC@HERE, The Kraine Theater and The Raw Space, which won an OOBR award, ran Off-Broadway for five months, and whichThe New York Times called "Ingenious...it is no accident that so many of the sharp jokes come as complete surprises." Benny is the result of a two-year development process that was We Call Her Benny. Duncan Pflaster of BroadwayWorld.com called Benny, "One of the most theatrically interesting pieces I have seen in years...The direction is startlingly crisp and clean...The writing is deft and fearless...The cast is incredible...This play should be seen by anyone wanting to know the future of theatre."

Trish Minskoff directs a powerhouse ensemble of five actors with significant dramatic achievements in New York theatre, Off-Broadway, Feature Film and Television, including Susan Barrett* (Television: 30 Rock, Law & Order), Bob Celli* (Off B'way: Circle, New York: Burn This), Morgan Lindsey Tachco (New York: The Expatriates, We Call Her Benny, Dumbya's Rapture), Tim Smallwood* (Film: Trust, Television: Law & Order), and Danny Wiseman* (Off B'way: Circle, Regional: Sweeney Todd, National Tour: Annie, Singin' in the Rain), all of whom are dedicated to supporting new dramatic works.

Suzanne Bachner's plays have been seen at PS NBC@HERE, The Raw Space, Pulse Ensemble Theatre, The Duplex, The Michael Weller Theatre, The National Arts Club, Boston Center for the Performing Arts, and 20th Century Fox at the Coronet Theater in LA, among others. Plays include Don't Let Destiny Push You Around, Alexandra Triptych, Screwdrivers & Sunday Brunch, Jump Start, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Sex Edand the long-running cult hits, Icons & Outcasts and BITE. Suzanne studied playwriting with Romulus Linney (MFA, The first graduating class of Actors Studio Drama School at The New School), has received four OOBR Awards and is an active member of The Dramatists Guild.

Trish Minskoff's NY credits include: When I Was a Girl, I Used to Scream and Shout, by Sharman Macdonald with Roberta Maxwell and Robin Morse (NY premiere), Don't Let Destiny Push You Around for PS NBC@HERE and Crimes of the Heart (National Theatre Workshop for the Handicapped for Emerge Arts). Workshop productions include: As Long as it's Morning (Rattlestick Theatre) and The Child (Vineyard Theatre). In addition, she assisted John Dexter on the Buxton Opera Festival and West End production of Gigi. Trish studied at LAMDA completing both the 3-year Acting Course and the 2-year Stage Management Courses, has an MFA in Directing and Playwriting from The Actors Studio at The New School University and is a member of The Dramatists Guild and The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

John Montgomery Theatre Company (JMTC) is a NYC-based international collective of actors, writers, directors and designers creating original dramatic work with an emphasis on the collaborative process. Bob Brader's Preparation Hex, which is heading to The London Fringe Festival, June 18-28, marks the kick-off of JMTC's 2009 summer festival season: Suzanne Bachner's new play Benny will debut at The Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival, July 16 - August 1, directed by Trish Minskoff; The Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival will present Diving Kitty by Suzanne Bachner, July 14 - 19; and Bob Brader's Spitting in the Face of the Devil has been chosen for the New York International Fringe Festival, August 14 - 30. Tickets and additional information on JMTC's summer season can be found at www.jmtcinc.com.

Trish Minskoff is director of Benny. Producer: Bob Brader; Technical Direction: Douglas Shearer; Lighting Consultant: John Tees, III (B'way: Sly Fox); Set and Costume Design: Nadia Volvic. Graphic Design: Michael Koch (Lighthouse Visions); Photography: Scott Wynn; Publicist: Paul Siebold.

Benny plays on the following schedule through Saturday, August 1st:

Thursday, July 16th @ 6:30pm
Friday, July 17th @ 7pm
Sunday, July 26th @ 4:30pm
Wednesday, July 29th @ 4:30pm
Saturday, August 1st @ 3pm

Tickets are $20.50 for adults and $17.50 for students and seniors (no hidden fees!). Tickets can be purchased online at www.midtownfestival.org, or by calling 866-811-4111. Tickets are also available in person at the box office one half hour before show time.

The June Havoc Theatre is located at 312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan. Take the A, C or E train to 34TH Street.