Homeless-Themed 'Dreams of Home' 3-Weeks at CenterStage NY

This Fall, Monarch Theatre Company will present the US premiere production of Dreams of Home, a provocative, poetic and poignant play by acclaimed playwright Migdalia Cruz. Performances begin Wednesday October 24 through Sunday November 11, in a special three-week engagement at CenterStage NY.

"Dreams of Home dives deep into the bleak and ever-challenging world of the New York City homeless, with heavy influences of surrealism and mysticism, and Cruz's trademark gift for haunting dialogue and imagery. There, audiences meet drug addict Pedro, a Latino former-playboy down on his luck, and Sandra, a ruined beauty-turned-tramp slowly succumbing to illness, as they tentatively explore an unexpected romance, on the 6-train subway platform at 103rd and Lexington," explain press notes, "Over the course of one tension-filled 24-hour period, the desperate pair revisit their hardscrabble pasts through ominous and shockingly-dramatic dreamscapes, with the Angel of Death acting as Tour Guide. With unblinking honesty, remarkable compassion and heart-wrenching emotion, Cruz offers a truly rare and unforgettable meditation on the constant and heartrending struggles of the homeless, to find humanity and peace in the least hospitable & respectful environment: the NYC subway."

Dreams of Home is directed by Monarch Theatre Company founder Jennifer Ortega, and features a top-notch cast with numerous New York and regional credits, including: Stacey Jensen, Juan F. Villa, Elisa Bocanegra, Jeremy Beck, Tyler Hollinger and Heidi Azaro. The design team is Eliza Brown (set design), David Withrow (costume design), Christopher Brown (lighting design) and Curtis Curtis (sound design).

Monarch Theatre Company's staging of Dreams of Home is largely inspired by the mounting crisis of homelessness currently rocking New York City. Mostly due to recent surges in foreclosures from subprime loans and adjustable rate mortgages, and coupled with rapidly-rising housing costs, sky-high interest rates, and a constantly shrinking amount of affordable housing, 2007 saw the number of homeless New Yorkers in shelters increase by 11%. What's more, the number of homeless persons living on trains and platforms has experienced a tremendous 33% increase from 2006.

Cruz was inspired to write Dreams of Home from her recurring observations of homelessness as a teacher working in Spanish Harlem in the 1990s – notably after witnessing police brutally banging on the bottom of the feet of a destitute man, to quickly determine if he was dead or asleep, as she exited a subway station. Months later, she remained haunted by memories from this unforgettable scene and shocked by the harsh plight of a man who could've been her father. In a commission for Theatre for a New Audience, she sought to restore the man's humanity, by offering him an illusive romance and an angel's escort to a more peaceful place. The powerful drama that became Dreams of Home was published in The Best American Short Plays 1991-1992. Following a presentation in 1996 at Centro Hellenico at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, it is now being staged for the first time in the U.S.

Over the years, Ortega has established a working mentorship as well as a close friendship with Cruz. The pair last partnered for a staging of Cruz's FUR at the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and for a production of Whistle in 2005 at the F.A.R. Space in New York, both to critical acclaim. Additionally, cast members Juan F. Villa & Elisa Bocanegra have both previously appeared in multiple works by Cruz.

Building on increased audience awareness and activism, Monarch Theatre Company is running a Dreams of Home Food Drive, with donations going to New York City Coalition Against Hunger (www.nyccah.org). Additionally, a special discount of $1.00 will be offered on show tickets for each canned food good brought to the Box Office, down to $10 ticket.

Performances begin October 24 through November 11 (dark Mondays and Tuesdays); shows are Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8PM (except Wednesday October 31; Sundays and Wednesday October 31 (special matinee) at 3PM.

CenterStage NY is located at 48 West 21st St, 4th FL (btwn 5th & 6th Aves), New York City. Tickets are $16; Student: $14 (with valid student ID).  * Get $1.00 off with each canned food good donated (down to $10 ticket). Tickets can be purchased Online: www.TheaterMania.com; or by Telephone: 212-352-3101.

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