Cellar Door to Present HOT STEAMS at FringeNYC

Cellar Door presents HOT STEAMS by Zach Wegner as part of the 18th annual New York International Fringe Festival - FringeNYC. For tickets, visit http://www.fringenyc.org/basic_page.php?ltr=H#HotSte.

Broadway veteran Garrett Neergaard joins Cellar Door's production of HOT STEAMS for The New York International Fringe Festival. Braeson Herold stars in this futuristic mental ride through torture and imprisonment, finding himself jailed and dressed in a Santa suit with no memory of who he is or how he got there. His cellmate, a questionably accused mass murderer, is supposed to be in solitary confinement. Their sanity is at stake as they face an unscrupulous law enforcer played by Neergaard. After an award-winning turn in The Planet Connections Festival, Braeson Herold, Best Supporting Actor and Zach Wegner, Best Actor, nominee, Cellar Door remounts this "...perfect example of classic absurdist theatre that I hope some day might become a classic itself." (Stephen Tortora-Lee, The Happiest Medium)

"The writing (by Zach Wegner) and direction (by Jaclyn Biskup) work hand in hand to create a well timed play that keeps you spellbound throughout." Stephen Tortora-Lee, The Happiest Medium

The production is directed by Jaclyn Biskup and stars Braeson Herold, Garrett Neergaard and Zach Wegner. The creative team are Deirdre Wegner (Costume Design), Edward K. Ross (Set Design), Stephanie Sherline (Sound Design), Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting Design) and Kylie Hogrefe (Stage Management).

Fresh off New Georges' Goldor & Mythyka, Neergaard, joins the cast of this darkly comic ride. A familiar face on New York Stages, he has appeared on Broadway in Good People and with such lauded companies as The La Jolla Playhouse, Arena, Yale Rep, Dorset Theatre Festival, Two Rivers, Geva. Film/TV: HBO'S The Laramie Project (Russell Henderson), Law & Order, After You Left (Sundance 2011), Goldstar Ohio (Cleveland International Film Festival), Lost & Found (2014)

In addition to Herold's recognition for the comedy short film Gum Dick and his stand-up appearances at Caroline's, he has appeared at Ensemble Studio Theatre and is a successful solo artist having appeared at The Kraine, The Red Room, The P.I.T and will appear this Summer in Paramount's The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Mr. Wegner recently appeared at The Westport Country Playhouse in Joe Orton's Loot. His play Hot Steams originally appeared at The Planet Connections Festival where he'd been nominated Best Supporting Actor perviously for The Other Day. He has appeared on the New York stages in God Steeling (Theater 54), Organic Shrapnel (Theater 54), The Deep Throat Sex Scandal (45 Bleecker), Rich Boyfriend (New Group), among others.

Directing the darkly comic thrill ride is Jaclyn Biskup, founder of The Mill (fka Experimental Theatre Chicago). After assistant directing at such places as Steppenwolf and The Public, Biskup returns to FringeNYC after she helmed last year's highly successful Nicholas, Maeve, Marianne by Matthew Stephen Smith.

In a futuristic ride through torture and imprisonment a man finds himself jailed and dressed in a Santa suit with no memory. He interrupts the solitary confinement of an accused murderer. Sanity's at stake as they face unscrupulous law enforcement.