Cast of FringeNYC's A HOMECOMING Set for Staged Reading, 10/5

Cast members of Joe Beck's drama A Homecoming, which heartbreakingly details the emotional devastation of Alzheimer's on one already-fractured family, and which had its world premiere at the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) this past August, will reunite to present a staged reading of their play for the residents of the Lott Residence for Assisted Living on Saturday, October 5th. The event will take place at 2:15pm at the Lott Residence facilities on 1261 5th Avenue (between 107 and 108th Streets) in Manhattan.

"We are delighted to be presenting A Homecoming at Lott Residence," noted Beck. "The play tells a story of an affliction that is sadly all too common, but ultimately shows how healing the power of family can be. We had a great time performing the show at the Fringe and we're looking forward to doing it again for a new audience."

"We're always on the lookout for interesting works that can be performed for our members," said Dianne Ettl, the Director of Recreation at The Lott Residence For Assisted Living. "Our residents are very responsive to all types of live performances, and we have a Drama Club which presents excerpts from popular plays regularly."

In A Homecoming, James, a former heavy drinker and a man whom by his own admission was not a good father to his three children, watches his beloved wife Lee, now in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's, slip further and further away. In an attempt bring his family together, Nurse Jill Callahan, who takes care of both Lee and James, suggests a final birthday party for Lee, to celebrate her life before the shadow of her condition takes her forever into a world of darkness. But the couple's children are not ready to forgive past hurts, waiting for the slightest excuse to lash out & destroy the happy illusion James & Jill are trying to create.

Among those cast members of A Homecoming who are reuniting for the performance at the Lott Center are Kevin Gilmartin*, Neal Lerner*, Renee Claire Bergeron*, Alicia Fitzgerald, Nicholas Masson* and Nicole Greevy*. The production team for A Homecoming included Amanda Clegg Lyon (Lighting Design), Summer Lee Jack (Costume Design), Jana (AJ) Mattioli (Set and Props), Jim Armstrong (Stage Manager) andTika Sara Lahne (Intern). Edited by Tom Philbin, A Homecoming was directed for FringeNYC by TRoy Miller, and presented by Adam Weinstock and Creative Concept Productions.

Joseph Beck (playwright): Previous plays include Saddam The Musical, Fuel, Thanksgiving, Don't Leave Tracks, Dictators for Hire and Murderous Huntington. For 25 years he's written for national and international consumer magazines and newspapers. He's the author, coauthor, collaborator and ghostwriter of nearly a dozen books, and a member of The Dramatists Guild and The Writers Guild.

Overlooking Central Park at the northern end of Manhattan's Museum Mile, Lott Residence is Manhattan's only assisted living facility that accepts Medicaid. Located at the north end of Central Park, Lott serves as a state and national model for the quality of life that can be achieved for assisted living. The Residence is part of the Lott Community Development Corporation which was founded to build a better quality of life forNew York's elderly, those who were formerly homeless, and individuals of low to moderate income.

* - member of Actors' Equity