PEACE NOW Debuts At Midtown International Theater Festival

Exit 69 Productions, in association with the Midtown International Theatre Festival announces the premiere of Peace Now, a new full-length play written and directed by Tom Peterson. Based on actual events, Peace Now is a suspenseful drama of an unusual (and grossly underreported) student protest at a Northeast university in 1970. Peace Now will debut as the Sixth Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival located at the WorkShop Theater MainStage space located at 312 West 36th Street on July 19th.

The story begins as a diverse group of students at a U.S. university take over administration building to protest the Vietnam War and the invasion of Cambodia. Among the protester's demands are an end to the war, the banishment of ROTC from campus, and better quality pizza. Overlooking the rapidly growing tension and chaos in the streets below, the protesters argue, laugh, cry, flirt, debate, chant, scream, plot, sing and dance in the President’s office, until it all boils over to a surprising conclusion.

The play tells the grossly unreported story of the students that stood tall in the face of overwhelming opposition and rallied during a time when dissenting voices were struggling to survive.

“The circumstances that the students find themselves in during Peace Now are eerily similar to the situations that are happening today due to our involvement in Iraq,” said director/writer Tom Peterson. “I hope Peace Now gives the audience a sense of the anger, fear and political arguments that occurred during the time of war and anti-war protests in the 60’s and 70’s, which just might seem disturbingly familiar.”

An Actor’s Equity Showcase, Peace Now is comprised of a diverse and talented cast from both stage and screen. They include Frank Harts (A Raisin In The Sun), Carter Jackson (Our Town), Michael C. Maronna (TV’s Nickelodeon’s “Pete and Pete”) and Adrianne Rea-Rogers (“Guiding Light"). Others in the cast include: Genia Michaela, Cameron Blair, Cameron Peterson, Matt DeCapua, Christian Pedersen, and Kim Shaw. All of the aforementioned actors, with the exception of Kim Shaw, are appearing courtesy of the Actor’s Equity Association.

Tom Peterson has been directing theatre for over thirty years ranging from musical comedy to Shakespeare and from Off-Broadway to high schools. He has written dozens of plays including a one-man show based on the life of Charlie Chaplin, a stage adaptation of Hitchcock’s classic film, Lifeboat, and a series of one-acts. His plays have been performed throughout the Northeastern U.S. including New York City. Peace Now is based on Mr. Peterson’s personal experiences while in college in 1970.

PEACE NOW will be performed at the WorkShop Theater MainStage Space, located at 312 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues on the 4th Floor. Show times are Tuesday, July 19th at 5pm, Sunday, July 24th at 3:30pm, Thursday, July 28th at 7:30pm, Sunday, July 31st at 11am, Saturday, August 6th at 5:30pm and Sunday, August 7th at 11am. (Please Note: the 11am times are not misprints) Tickets are $15.00 ($12.00 for students or seniors) and can be purchased by calling 212-868-4444 or by going to www.smarttix.com or www.peacenowplay.com.

Running from July 17th – August 7th, the Sixth Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival will feature over 45 different works, playing in 5 separate spaces. More information on the MITF can be found as of July 1st at www.midtownfestival.org,

For more information on the play, go to www.peacenowplay.com.