PUNK GRANDPA Begins Tonight at FRIGID New York

FRIGID New York presents A Glitter Candy production, PUNK GRANDPA by Laura Force Scruggs, this month at UNDER St. Marks (94 St Marks Pl. New York, NY 10009).

Directed by Janie Martinez with production manager, stage manager & dramaturg Lauren Arneson, and playwright & producer, Laura Force Scruggs, PUNK GRANDPA stars Becky Chong (Laura) and Ken Coughlin (Grandpa), with Mitchel Kawash, Michael Pichardo, Bree Klauser, and Rachel Ladd in the ensemble.

PUNK GRANDPA is about one magical weekend 5 3/4 year old misfit Laura spent with her grandpa, portrayed through storytelling, dance, music and vintage family movies and photos. Grandpa was the most free, most inappropriate person Laura ever knew and this show portrays how he set Laura free to be herself through his humor and unpredictable, wild ways. It'll put hair on your chest.

Running: Fri., Feb 19th at 5:30 pm, Sun., Feb 21st at 3:30 pm, Mon., Feb. 22nd at 8:50 pm, Tues., Feb. 23rd at 7:10 pm, Sun, Feb. 28th at 6:50 pm and Sat., Mar. 5th at 3:50 pm. Ticket Price: $12, with a discounted price of $10 for students, seniors and military. Tickets go on sale January 15th online at www.horseTRADE.info. A percentage of the FRIGID Festival production of PUNK GRANDPA will be going to the NYC chapter of The Alzheimer's Association.

PUNK GRANDPA was first performed as a one-woman show at the 2013 Chicago Fringe Festival by the playwright Laura Scruggs. It has since been performed as a one-woman show around Chicago at Three Cat Productions' SOLO Chicago Festival, David Boyle's Chicago Solo Theatre, Stage 773 (alongside "Hip Hop Grandma") and The Bethany Retirement Center as well as at the 2015 New York Planet Connections' Theatre Festivity (where it won the Outstanding Performance in a Solo Show Award and The Congeniality Award), the Orlando and Elgin Fringe Festivals and Hammond Academy for the Performing Arts. The show has also served as a fund-raiser for the Alzheimer's Association. So far, PUNK GRANDPA has raised about $2,000 for Alzheimer's.

Janie Martinez (Director) is a model, actress, director, performance artist and costume designer. She was a featured actress in John Cameron Mitchell's SHORTBUS and Steven Shainberg's FUR-AN IMAGINARY PORTRAIT OF DIANE ARBUS. She has performed around NYC at various venues, such as The Globesity Festival and in the 365 Plays at the Public Theatre. She performs avant cabaret acts, has modeled for numerous publications, is the artistic director for Big Moves NYC and has toured internationally with her critically acclaimed one-woman show, "Fat Chicks Go to Hell."

Laura Force Scruggs (Playwright/Producer) has been performing PUNK GRANDPA as a woman show for the past two years around Chicago as well as at the 2015 New York Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, Hammond Academy for the Performing Arts and the Elgin and Orlando Fringe Festivals. She is thrilled to now have it performed as a multiple character play. It was first performed multiple-character-style at the 2015 Waukegan Theatre Festival at Three Brothers Theatre and is now going to be a part of their regular 2016 season. She was the 2013-14 Internship Program Director for The Chicago Fringe Festival and is a Network Playwright at Chicago Dramatists as well as a member of The Dramatists Guild and The Playwrights' Center.