CHEERFUL INSANITY Plays HERE, Thru 10/16

Tom X. Chao and Kim Katzberg, two of downtown's most unclassifiable playwrights and performers will present CHEERFUL INSANITY: CHAO AND KATZBERG IN REPERTORY, two daring and dark comedies, beginning today through October 16, 2011 at HERE, 145 6th Avenue. http://here.org/shows.

Tom X. Chao, a long-time theater stalwart (Cats Can See the Devil, Can't Get Started) presents CALLOUS CAD, a fast-paced investigation into what constitutes fulfilling relationships ... far from the usual ordinary fare. In it, a lonely man finally consummates his first and only relationship but still feels unfulfilled. Before he can lapse into solitary rumination, his despair is thoroughly and hilariously examined by a colorful interloper. Alongside Chao, comic actress Charlotte Pines (Play Dead) co-stars, performing a startling variety of roles. Also featuring Amy Virginia Buchanan. John Harlacher directs. Special video appearances by Richard Harrington, Margaret Laney, Mike Urdaneta, & Ian W. Hill.

Breakout playwright and performer Kim Katzberg stretches the usual boundaries of one-woman shows with PENETRATING THE SPACE, a tragicomic send-up of every confessional solo show you've ever hated - where female performers re-objectify themselves by looking for sympathy in talking about abuse. Jinny Jikkyl is an unhinged bisexual performance artist and incest survivor who mistakenly believes that theatricalizing her psychological fragmentation and integration in front of an audience will lead to mainstream acceptance in the acting industry and a big-time agent. PENETRATING THE SPACE upends the archetype of the damaged girl putting herself in front of an audience and rapes the form of traditional theater through penetrating the space with video, sculpture, animation and performance art. John Harlacher directs.

Set and lighting design are by Josh Iacovelli. Production management by C. J. Thom. Original animation and sculpture for Penetrating the Space are by Maia Cruz Palileo.

Chao and Katzberg first worked together on Chao's comedy, Cats Can See the Devil, where Katzberg shined as Tuesday, the fledgling actress whose "Freak Out Under the Apple Tree" monologue stunned and captivated audiences.

John Harlacher (Director) is currently the Co-Director of Nightmare, New York's famed haunted attraction each year. His recent acting work includes the indie feature Love Simple, directed by Mark von Sternberg; Off-Broadway's Dog Day Afternoon, adapted by Francisco Solorzano; and the revival of Israel Horovitz's Rats. Both stage productions were produced by The Barefoot Theatre Company, of which he is a member. Directing work includes Cats Can See the Devil, written by Tom X. Chao; the Miami version of Nightmare: Ghost Stories, created by Timothy Haskell, and the feature film Urchin, which he also wrote. Released theatrically and distributed worldwide, Urchin was banned in Malaysia as a "threat to culture."

Tom X. Chao has written, performed, and produced plays and theater shows in New York City since 1996. His plays have been excerpted in monologue anthologies for actors. He is the author of short stories, satirical pieces, and arts reviews appearing in publications including the Los Angeles Reader. In addition, he has recorded and released several original songs. Tom's play, Cats Can See the Devil is published in Plays and Playwrights 2004. His short work, The Alternative Lifestyle Fair, appeared in the Ontological Theater's Tiny Theater festival in 2008. A show based on his podcast, The Peculiar Utterance of the Day: Live on Stage, debuted in the 2007 Frigid Festival. In 2006, he presented his two-character comedy, Can't Get Started, at the Edmonton fringe festival. Chao toured with his "greatest hits" show, Freak Out Under the Apple Tree, to the Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg fringe festivals in 2005. He has produced, written, directed, and performed theatrical works, including The Negative Energy Field and Can't Get Started, in New York City at Dixon Place, HERE, The Knitting Factory, P.S.122, Surf Reality, The Brick Theater, and on WBAI-FM, among other venues. In 1999, his play, The Universe of Despair, was selected for HERE's American Living Room Festival, a co-presentation with Lincoln Center Theater's Directors Lab. Chao previously held a residency at the Horse Trade Theatre Group. He has performed comedic monologues and sketches at numerous New York City venues.

Kim Katzberg earned her BFA in Theater from The Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. In May 2009 she graduated with her MFA in acting from Columbia University. Collaborating with fellow actors from The Experimental Theatre Wing, she created Eat Me which was performed at the Kraine Theater in the 2000 NYC Fringe Festival. She originated the role of Tuesday in Tom X. Chao's Cats Can See the Devil that had a run in the 2003 NYC Fringe Festival, and was extended at Under St. Marks Theater through The Horse Trade Theatre Group. Kim played Wanda in Michael Scott-Price's stage adaptation of Venus in Furs at Collective: Unconscious. In the performance art band "Narcissist," she performed an original character ‘Gail' at the Bowery Poetry Club and the Knitting Factory. Off-Broadway appearances include Alison in Richard and Anne at the Arclight Theatre and Benvolio in Classic Stage Company's Romeo and Juliet directed by Tony Speciale. Roles at Columbia University include Marianne in Tartuffe directed by Andrei Serban, Winnie in Happy Days directed by Ulla Wolcz and Ariel in The Tempest directed by Niky Wolcz. Katzberg was an Artist-In-Residence at Dixon Place where she workshopped Penetrating the Space.

Performances of CHEERFUL INSANITY: CHAO AND KATZBERG IN REPERTORY run September 27 - October 16, 2011.

CALLOUS CAD runs on 9/30, 10/1, 10/2, 10/7, 10/8, 10/9, 10/14, 10/15 and 10/16. Performances are at 7PM Fridays and Saturdays ONLY. There are also 2PM Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays ONLY.

PENETRATING THE SPACE runs on 9/27, 9/28, 9/29, 10/2, 10/4, 10/5, 10/6, 10/9, 10/11, 10/12, 10/13, 10/16. All performances are Tuesdays-Thursdays and Sundays at 7PM.

Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the HERE box office prior to each performance or online at www.here.org or by calling OvationTix customer servIce Toll-free: 866-811-4111.