Betsy Aidem, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Reed Birney, et al. Set for Adam Rapp's DREAMS OF FLYING

Atlantic Theater Company has announced that Betsy Aidem, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Reed Birney, Christine Lahti, Shane McRae, Cotter Smith, and Katherine Waterston will star in the world premiere of Adam Rapp's DREAMS OF FLYING DREAMS OF FALLING, directed by Neil Pepe.

DREAMS OF FLYING DREAMS OF FALLING will begin previews Tuesday, September 13, officially open Monday, October 3, and play a limited engagement through Sunday, October 30, 2011 off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company (136 East 13th Street).

In this surreal new play, something is not right in the world. The sky is a strange color, and there are geese bombarding the Connecticut home of Sandra and Bertram Cabot. DREAMS OF FLYING DREAMS OF FALLING lifts the veil on the lives of two wealthy American families, and shows us how even the most polished among us can behave like animals.

DREAMS OF FLYING DREAMS OF FALLING features scenic design by Takeshi Kata and Andrew Boyce, costume design by Theresa Squire and lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, with original music and sound design by David Van Tieghem.

Obie Award winner Adam Rapp (Red Light Winter) makes his Atlantic debut with the world premiere of DREAMS OF FLYING DREAMS OF FALLING. His plays include Nocturne, Faster, Blackbird, Essential Self-Defense, and American Sligo. Rapp is a playwright, director and novelist whose work was recently seen off-Broadway in The Metal Children and Ghosts in the Cottonwoods.

As Artistic Director, Neil Pepe has directed numerous productions for Atlantic Theater Company, recently including the world premieres of Ethan Coen's Almost an Evening and Offices and Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song. He made his Broadway debut with the critically hailed revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, followed by David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre.

Obie Award winner Betsy Aidem returns to Atlantic in DREAMS OF FLYING DREAMS OF FALLING after appearing in Sea of Tranquility and Celebration. Quincy Tyler Bernstine, who also won an Obie Award for her performance in Ruined at MTC, most recently appeared on the New York stage in Born Bad at Soho Rep. After winning a Special Drama Desk Award last season for his work in A Small Fire, Tigers Be Still and The Dream of the Burning Boy, Reed Birney appeared in Atlantic's 10x25 play festival earlier this summer. Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Christine Lahti comes to Atlantic after appearing on Broadway in God of Carnage and The Heidi Chronicles. Shane McRae, who made his New York debut on Broadway in Take Me Out, can be seen in the films The Help, Bad Teacher and The Adjustment Bureau. Cotter Smith was recently seen in New York in Side Effects at MCC and Next Fall at Naked Angels and on Broadway. Katherine Waterston has appeared in several New York productions, including The Hallway Trilogy at Rattlestick, Bachelorette at Second Stage, and Kindness at Playwrights' Horizons.

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Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is the award winning Off-Broadway theater company dedicated to producing great plays simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble. Atlantic believes that the story of the play and the intent of the playwright are at the core of the creative process. Atlantic maintains an ensemble of acclaimed actors, writers and directors including Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and director David Mamet and Academy Award® nominated actor William H. Macy who founded Atlantic twenty five years ago in 1985.

Atlantic and Neil Pepe were awarded a 2009 Drama Desk Award for "exceptional craftsmanship, dedication to excellence and productions that engage, inspire and enlighten." In 2006, Atlantic was awarded the Lucille Lortel Prize for Outstanding Body of Work as its critically acclaimed production of Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant Of Inishmore transferred to Broadway, where it was nominated for five 2006 Tony Awards® including Best Play.

Atlantic's acclaimed world premiere production of its first musical Spring Awakening, with music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater and direction by Michael Mayer, won 8 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical.

During the 2008-2009 season, Atlantic and Druid's critically acclaimed production of Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan, directed by Tony Award® winner Garry Hynes, was extended three times and received four 2009 Lucille Lortel Award nominations including Outstanding Revival, three Outer Critics Circle Award nominations including Outstanding Revival, a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Revival, and was awarded a 2009 Lortel for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.

Since its inception, Atlantic has produced over 125 productions including the Tony Award® winning play The Beauty Queen of Leenane, the world premieres of Academy Award® winner Ethan Coen's comedies Almost an Evening and Offices, Woody Allen's A Second Hand Memory and Writer's Block, David Mamet's Romance and his adaptation of The Voysey Inheritance, the musicals Spring Awakening and 10 Million Miles, Conor McPherson's Port Authority, Peter Parnell's Trumpery, Lucy Thurber's Scarcity, Annie Baker's Body Awareness, Beau Willimon's Farragut North, Bekah Brunstetter's Oohrah!, David Pittu's What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling, Leslie Ayvazian's Make Me, Tom Donaghy's Minutes From The Blue Route, Edwin Sanchez's Trafficking in Broken Hearts, the American premieres of Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange, Conor McPherson's Dublin Carol, Jez Butterworth's The Night Heron, the New York premieres of David Mamet's Keep Your Pantheon and School, Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song and Mojo, Rolin Jones' The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow and Peter Parnell's The Cider House Rules as well as revivals of David Mamet's American Buffalo and Edmond, Harold Pinter's The Hothouse and the double bill of Celebration and The Room and Harold Brighouse's Hobson's Choice.

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos