Lois Robbins and Ephraim Birney To Star In Benefit Reading Of THE FUN-ER-AL: A  FUNDRAISING MEMORIAL FOR THE DEATH OF AMERICAN THEATRE

Royal Family Productions will present a benefit reading of Artistic Director Chris Henry's new short comedy, inspired by Christopher Durang, titled The Fun-er-al: A  Fundraising Memorial for the Death of the American Theatre.

The one-act play, directed by Henry, The Fun-er-al: A  Fundraising Memorial for the Death of the American Theatre, is full of wacky hijinx, sends up Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams and L. Frank Baum, in equal measure and is a true celebration of the art form of theatre. The piece features acclaimed actress, writer, and producer Lois Robbins and Outer Critics' Circle Best Leading Actor Nominee Ephraim Birney. There will be two benefit performances, one at 4 PM and one at 7 PM, both on Thursday, February 20th. There will be a reception with a cash donation bar opening one hour before each show, as well as immediately following. Tickets are available for $100 and $500 at www.royalfamilyproductions.org.

Royal Family is led by Artistic Director Chris Henry and Creative Director Lorna Ventura.  

ROYAL FAMILY's mission is to galvanize the Times Square community by cultivating raw talent, collaborating with seasoned artists, and inspiring audiences with a diversity of lion-hearted theatre. To us, everyone in the theatre community is not only royalty but family. Our programs and productions give artists space at all stages of their careers. We don't want to tell just any story: we want to best serve artists in telling their own stories. In today's political and social climate, it is also more important than ever to celebrate all voices—especially those underrepresented in the traditional theatre space. At Royal Family, we celebrate the work of women and pqueer artists, playwrights of color, works with LGBTQIA themes, and artists of all ages and body types.

Royal Family has been a creative incubator of original, humanistic plays for over a decade. Bravery and fearlessness are imperative to our process. Artists and audiences alike are challenged in a creative, safe space to explore the humor and the tangled truths of the human condition. As actor and first-time playwright Anthony Rapp (Rent, Dazed and Confused, Star Trek: Discovery) observes, “Royal Family is committed to truthful, heartfelt, alive, theatrical storytelling. It's vital to the human experience and hard to come by.”

Royal Family was established in 2007 by Katie Avebe, Mary Bernardi, Chris Henry and Andy Theodorou as a home for artists wishing to challenge and transform the traditional theatre canon. Discover more at our website, www.royalfamilyproductions.org, and follow us on social media. Insta: @ROYALFAMILYPRODUCTIONS

Ephraim Birney

Ephraim is excited to be working with Royal Family after appearing in the world premiere of Marilla of Green Gables: Becoming a Family earlier this season. Off-Broadway credits include Chester Bailey (Irish Rep), Jonah (Roundabout), The Book of Mountains and Seas (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and The Good Person of Szechwan (The Public Theater). TV and Film credits include Gotham, The Americans, Strawberry Mansion (Sundance Film Festival 2021), and Things Like This. In 2023, Ephraim was an Outer Critics' Circle Best Leading Actor Nominee for his performance in Chester Bailey and winner of the Berkshire Critics' Association Award for Best Leading Actor the year prior for the same production at Berkshire Theater Company. His animated short film Tinkerhell premiered at FantasiaFest earlier this year, and can be seen in the Brooklyn Horror Fest this October. 

Lois Robbins 

Ms. Robbins is an executive producer on the recent comedy-drama film Ezra, starring Bobby Cannavale and Robert DeNiro, directed by Tony Goldwyn and written by Tony Spiridakis. Lois also plays the role of Susan in the film. Ms. Robbins can be seen starring in the independent film The Virgin of Highland Park, opposite Penelope Ann Miller and Dermot Mulroney.  The Aspern Papers, alongside Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as well as the film Shepherd, directed by Lynn Roth. In August 2019, Ms. Robbins starred in her self-penned off-Broadway play titled L.O.V.E.R, at The Pershing Square Signature Center. Best known for her roles on daytime television, including One Life to Live, Loving, Ryan's Hope, and All My Children, Ms. Robbins recently played the recurring role of art collector Penelope in the fifth season of the hit TV Land series Younger. Notable television credits also include guest roles in Sex And The City, Law & Order, Kingpin, Once And Again, Law & Order SVU, and Blue Bloods.

For more information about Royal Family Productions, please visit www.royalfamilyproductions.org.

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