BEYOND THE ETCHINGS to Play UNDER St. Marks This November

FRIGID New York @ Horse Trade in association with Infinite Variety Productions will present Beyond the Etchings, a historical piece about the Vietnam War written by Vietnam Veteran Bob Staranowicz in collaboration with playwrights Ashley Adelman, Kelly Teaford, and Kelly Jones.

The show, directed by Jessica Schechter, will perform for a limited engagement at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Avenue and Avenue A) on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11 at 8pm. Tickets ($20; FREE for Veterans) may be purchased in advance at www.horseTRADE.info. The performance will run approximately 80 minutes, with no intermission.

Through a collaboration with Vietnam Veteran Bob Staranowicz and IVP creators Ashley Adelman and Kelly Teaford, Beyond the Etchings tells the story of men and women whose names are visited on the Vietnam Wall everyday. Beyond the Etchings reminds us that war not only changes the lives of those in the war zone but many others waiting anxiously at home. Basing the play around oral histories, letters and first hand accounts, Beyond the Etchings reminds us of the power of listening, remembering and connecting.

The cast will feature Andrew Dunn, Gerrard James*(Exposure at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Sharon Litwinoff, Joshua Michael Payne, and Marie Zoumanigui with Violinist Christianna Barnard (New York Philharmonic). *Appears courtesy of the Actors' Equity Association

Bob Staranowicz was born in Philadelphia and attended Northeast Catholic High School. After high school he enlisted in the United States Army in 1968. He completed basic training at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, trained in communications at Fort Monmouth, NJ, and in October of 1969, he was shipped off to Vietnam. He arrived at the Army's Long Bihn Replacement Center, where he received orders for the 101st Airborne Division, HQ - 501st Signal Group. Bob is now retired and has written a column in several local news outlets. Bob authored a book entitled Chapter One - The Story of Vic Charles, which tells the story of a soldier who served in Vietnam. The character experiences some true and some fictionalized stories of Bob's and other friend's experiences in Vietnam and the results of those experiences on his personal life 20 years later.

Infinite Variety Productions (IVP) is a registered NYS 501c3 based in New York City whose mission is to spark public inquiry and social change by illuminating unknown stories from women's history. IVP has produced impactful work across the country. Our production Censored on Final Approach had sold out performances at The Judson Theatre in New York and an acclaimed run at the Woman in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Through a grant with the Bethpage Historical Society, Censored will be performed in Bethpage Long Island in March 2018, for women's history month. The company has produced three new shows for the Wyoming Theatre Festival. Each show uncovers an untold story from women's history. Our production of A Piece of My Heart by Shirley Lauro celebrated women who served in the Vietnam War. The piece was invited to Washington, DC for the Vietnam Women's Memorial 20th Anniversary, and to Sheridan, Wyoming for performances at schools and Veterans Affairs centers. The play had its beginnings at the infamous NYC Living Theatre. Last year IVP produced A Piece of My Heart at the American Airpower Museum May 2015, at The American Armor Museum in Long Island in 2016 and this past March for the Bethpage Historical Society.

IVP are proud recipients of the LIT Grant Space Award, resident theatre company of The Kraine Theatre and partners of the Wyoming Theatre Festival. Visit www.infinitevarietynyc.org for more information.

FRIGID New York @ Horse Trade is a theater development group with a focus on new work that produces a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater every season. FRIGID's Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. FRIGID New York grew out of the annual FRIGID Festival, the first and only festival of its kind in New York City to offer artists 100% of their box office proceeds, and Horse Trade Theater Group, a self-sustaining theater development and management group.