COPING Set for FringeNYC Encore Series

After selling out its entire critically acclaimed run at the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) and being declared a FringeFAVE, Coping will return as part of the FringeNYC Encore Series. For those previously unable to get tickets to this sold-out production, this is a new chance to see the show, for a limited run of four performances only.

Coping follows the aftermath of 25-year-old Connor's suicide, as his friends and loved ones try to piece together the smoking remains of his life. His girlfriend, Sarah, struggles with the guilt of inadvertently handing Connor the means to kill himself. His sister, Jessica, attempts to control every detail of the funeral and punish anyone who questions her, while her girlfriend plays peacemaker. His roommate, Lucas, wanders through life in a stoned haze to avoid the horror of what has happened. As each of them tries desperately to make things right, place blame, and confront their own battles with mental illness, they must find a way to come together and accept the unacceptable, or destroy the memory of the one person they all loved.

Reviewers have praised Coping as "a poignant and moving experience. The cast is excellent across the board, creating a deep and heartfelt intimacy" (Theatre is Easy), "a finely crafted theatrical piece that knocks the wind right out of the audience" (Quick Theatre), and "an amazing story brought to life by an incredible team of artists. Director Anna Strasser pulls gold out of her ensemble" (Theater in the Now).

Critics have also commented, "author Jacob Marx Rice has a gift for capturing both the lived-in experience of mental illness and the frustrations of those it touches, without sentimentality and with considerable humor" (nytheater now) and they have especially praised FringeNYC Overall Excellence in Acting Award Winner Lauren LaRocca, who critics say "tugs at your heart while remaining poised and resilient. The performance of a lifetime" (Theater in the Now).

Featuring: Dinah Berkeley (Janie), Lauren Hennessy (Taylor), Lauren LaRocca* (Sarah), Lipica Shah* (Jessica), and Scott Thomas* (Lucas).

Creative Team: Audra Arnaudon (Producer), Anna Strasser (Director), Jacob Marx Rice (Author), Tana Sirois (Associate Producer), Esther M. Cohen (Assistant Director), Randall Benichak (Composer), Asa Lipton (Lighting Designer) and Heather Olmstead* (Stage Manager).

*Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

Jacob Marx Rice (Author)'s plays have been produced at Actors Theatre of Louisville, La MaMa ETC, Dragon Productions Theatre Company, The Alchemical Theatre Laboratory, the Barnard College Theatre Department and others. His play Chemistry won the Producer's Pick at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and the Excellence in Playwriting Award at the New York International Fringe Festival, where it was selected for the Encore Series at SoHo Playhouse. He is the winner of the 2012 Seymour Brick Memorial Prize for Playwriting and a 2015 Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center National Playwrights Conference Finalist. Education: Columbia University.

Anna Strasser (Director) directed Chemistry by Jacob Marx Rice as a part of the 2014 New York International Fringe Festival; the production was selected as a part of the Fringe Encores Series at the SoHo Playhouse. Last December, Anna directed About Face at The Brick Theater. In 2013, Anna directed I Was Loved by a Rat and produced Recipe for Success with Chef Michael Denardi, also as a part of the New York International Fringe Festival. Her directing work has been presented as a part of the Workshop Theater, Emerging Artists Theater, Capslock Theatre, and the Strawberry One Act Festival. Currently Anna works as the Executive Assistant at Signature Theatre Company. Prior to that she worked in the administrative offices of Lincoln Center Theater. She graduated from Oberlin College with honors in Theater, where she also double majored in Psychology.

Audra Arnaudon (Producer). Theatre credits include: ...And Then She DIES at the End! for FringeNYC 2012 (winner of the Excellence in Performance award); I Was Loved by a Rat for FringeNYC 2013; Chemistry for FringeNYC 2014 (winner of the Excellence in Playwriting award), which was also chosen for the FringeNYC Encore Series and presented Off Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse; and About Face for The Brick Theatre. Recent Production Manager credits include: NatGeo's "Live Free or Die," Investigation Discovery's "Indecent Proposal," NatGeo's "The Big Picture with Kal Penn," and the online digital content for NatGeo's Emmy-nominated series "Brain Games." She is production managing NatGeo's Emmy-nominated series "StarTalk: with Neil DeGrasse Tyson." Audra is on the board of directors for Seven League Boots. She graduated with honors from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and holds a BFA in Film and Television with a minor in Producing.