Indianapolis Fringe Hit A-Holes & Aureoles Hits Midtown Int'l Theatre Fest 7/27

The top-selling show from last year's Indianapolis Fringe Festival hits the New York stage as The Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival presents ASSHOLES & AUREOLES, beginning July 27th.

An explosive and politically audacious comical collusion between playwright Eric Pfeffinger and the volcanically energetic actors Diane Kondrat and Karen Irwin, ASSHOLES & AUREOLES merrily shreds social mores like so much wet tissue paper, and is every bit as messy. Their collaboration has led to critics writing things like "If comedy shows had encores, I'd still be at the theater," "Belly laughs will mitigate the shock you feel," and "The effect reminded me of someone juggling silk scarves: delightful and much harder than it looks."

ASSHOLES & AUREOLES played to standing ovations and sold-out houses at last year's Indianapolis Fringe and won NUVO magazine's best new play award. The New York premiere will be one of three cities that will get a chance to see this provocative work this summer.

Tickets are $18 and are available at the box office and at www.midtownfestival.org or by calling 866-811-4111. Festival information at www.midtownfestival.org.

Eric Pfeffinger's plays have been produced in New York, Chicago, L.A., and at theaters across the country including Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Geva Theatre Center, the Vital Theatre Company and the Bloomington Playwrights Project. He's developed work through readings and workshops at PlayPenn, Geva, Rattlestick, Abingdon, 29th Street Rep, New Jersey Rep, Theatre of NOTE, available light and Chicago Dramatists. He is co-author of the novel The High-Impact Infidelity Diet, published by Crown and available at finer airport bookstores everywhere. Other experience includes slush pile management in literary offices, co-founding a comedy/improv troupe, writing for NationalLampoon.com and the Public Service Administration, and operating a lathe.

Karen Irwin* (Actor)

Karen Irwin is a woman who gets paid to help med students learn to perform gynecological exams. She has sung the blues for ten years now, winning vocal awards along the way. When not appearing as a tech med, this six-foot-tall blonde's acting talents have found her embodying Titania in Shakespeare's MIDSUMMER, Liz Morden in OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD and Genny in the Midwest premiere of Stephen Dietz's tempOdyssey. She has performed in Mr. Pfeffinger's previous work to rave reviews and is a networking maven.

Diane Kondrat* (Actor)

A decade of teaching prisoners about sex has prepared Diane Kondrat to blissfully encounter the world of theatre fringe festivals. A listing of her eighty-plus roles includes Hamlet, Winnie in Beckett's Happy Days, Judith Bliss in HAY FEVER and Bella in LOST IN YONKERS. She founded and is artistic director of InterAction Theater, Inc. An Indiana native last seen in New York in 2006 at the Vaclav Havel Festival, Diane's work includes award-winning radio drama and playwriting.

INTERACTION THEATER COMPANY, INC.

InterAction Theater, Inc. began in 1992 with work in prisons using theater to teach about HIV/AIDS. The organization has since grown to include Shakespeare in prison programs, Death with Dignity issues, substance abuse education and relationship violence prevention. ITI's practices of paying actors on the day of their involvement and refusing to participate in the useless craze for abstinence-only education are some of the qualities that have set us aside from other companies. InterAction Theater, Inc. receives funding from both the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Indiana Arts Commission and produces traditional theater as well as interactive programs.
OFF THE LEASH PRODUCTIONS, LLC

Off The Leash Productions develops, produces, manages and markets quality theater, with an emphasis on new works for the stage. Past productions include THE BRONX BALMERS, CYCLE: A VAUDEVILLE COMEDY, THE ASPERN PAPERS, SCAPIN, FIVE BY TENN, FRITZ & FROYIM and THE AMERICAN RENAISSANCE THEATER COMPANY SPRING SERIES. When not producing quality work, Off The Leash produces bad jokes and puns for anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot.