Chris Harcum's MARTIN DENTON, MARTIN DENTON to Premiere at The Kraine Theater 7/6-7/23

FRIGID New York @ Horse Trade in association with Elephant Run District will present the World Premiere of Chris Harcum's Martin Denton, Martin Denton, directed by Aimee Todoroff, July 6-23 at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery) with performances Thursday through Saturday at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets ($25/$20 students & seniors) may be purchased in advance at www.horseTRADE.info. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission.

An accountant in D.C. falls in love with theater in New York. After suddenly losing his father, he impulsively creates nytheatre.com. He gives up his comfortable life, spending thousands of nights in the audience and even more days at his computer bringing attention to notable, but often under-recognized artists. Working with his mother over two decades, he writes and edits thousands of reviews, publishes hundreds of plays, and posts scores of blog pieces, interviews, and podcasts. In doing so, he revolutionizes how the arts are covered and helps to usher in the indie theater movement.

When the city fundamentally changes with soaring rents and shuttering spaces, plus the disruption of social media coverage, the sustained intensity of his schedule takes its toll. If you created or saw NYC indie theater during the last 20 years, chances are you've been impacted by his work. Now see his untold story move from his desk chair and the aisle seat, to the stage.

The play will be directed by Aimee Todoroff (Brecht in the Park; Visionary Voices with American Bard Theatre Company) and the cast will feature Chris Harcum* (American Gun Show; Rabbit Island) as Martin Denton and Marisol Rosa-Shapiro (Babel with Convergences Theater Collective; The Last Coin with Spellbound Theater) as Rochelle Denton with Sound & Lighting Design by Matthew Fischer (Vanity Fair with The Pearl Theatre Company; Visionary Voices with American Bard Theatre Company) and Costume Design by Barbara Davidson (We Haven't Told Anyone About This with Elephant Run District). *Actor appears courtesy of the Actors' Equity Association

Chris Harcum (Playwright) Plays include Rabbit Island, The Devil in Ms. Spelvin, and an adaptation of The Hypochondriac. He has performed in nearly 200 projects as an actor. Solo shows include American Badass, American Gun Show, Gotham Standards, Green, and Some Kind of Pink Breakfast. Member of Actors' Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and the Dramatists Guild. www.chrisharcum.com

Aimee Todoroff (Director) Favorite projects include the Brecht in the Park Series, Rabbit Island, Green, Hedda Gabler, The People and Trifles. Her directing has been seen at the Westside Theatre, June Havoc Theatre, Metropolitan Playhouse, Guild Hall, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. MFA in Directing from Stonybrook Southampton. Master classes with Marsha Norman, Karen Kohlhaas, Joanna Merlin and Neil LaBute. Assistant Director for Classic Stage Company's The Heir Apparent. Artistic Director of Elephant Run District. www.aimeetodoroff.org

Elephant Run District is an NYC-based indie theater and film company devoted to developing the work of a core group of artists, challenging expectations, engaging our audiences, inspiring dialogue in the communities we serve, and creating long-lasting memories. ERD seeks to entertain its audiences while addressing issues that affect our society. Productions include Green, Rabbit Island, We Haven't Told Anyone About This, the Brecht in the Park Series, and American Gun Show, as well as the hERD Play Podcast and the Stampede Lab development series.

The company gets its name after the time when founding members Aimee Todoroff and Chris Harcum first met in 2010. This happened to be the final time the Ringling Bros. Circus ran their elephants across 34th Street to get them to Madison Square Garden. People cheered the elephants while others protested the cruelty. There were cops shouting, sirens blaring, clowns cheerily waving on tall bikes, horses majestically trotting, and stilt walkers gliding above the crowd. The elephants zipped by much faster than you might imagine. It was exciting and unexpected, just like how we feel good theater should be. www.elephantrundistrict.org

FRIGID New York @ Horse Trade is a theater development group with a focus on new work that produces a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater every season. FRIGID's Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. FRIGID New York grew out of the annual FRIGID Festival, the first and only festival of its kind in New York City to offer artists 100% of their box office proceeds, and Horse Trade Theater Group, a self-sustaining theater development and management group. www.horseTRADE.info