Petunia and Chicken Set for FRGID

The winners of last year's FRIGID Participants Pick Award are back again! Inspired by the writings of Midwestern author Willa Cather, two daring performers create an epic story of love and loss as big as the prairie itself. Petunia, an indomitable immigrant girl determined to tame the wild land around her, meets Chicken, a right smart boy with dreams of great adventures. As the joys of their youth give way to the harsh realities of adulthood, they struggle to stay together. Sprawling fields of wheat, bustling train stations, rain-soaked kisses, wind-blown hair, and the rest of Petunia and Chicken's world are brought to life with only imagination, movement, and song.

Animal Engine is Carrie Brown and Karim Muasher. They make original devised theatre. Their work is offbeat, committed to the relationship between the performer and the audience, and regularly tip-toes the line between comedy and tragedy.

Since 2011 they have created 4 works: The Vindlevoss Family Circus Spectacular!, an absurdly poignant tale of a Professor and her undead son who attempt to relive the glory days of their once thriving circus; It's a Ten Minute Life, a break neck re-imagining of Frank Capra's classic film "It's a Wonderful Life"; Age of the Android, an immersive play that recounts the untold story of Thomas Edison, the Robot he built, and the reporter who fell in love with her; and Petunia and Chicken, a two person turn of the century epic prairie drama based on the works of Willa Cather. From a zombie and his mustachioed mother, to George and Mary Bailey, to a famed inventor and his lady Android, to the prairies of Nebraska; their work is clever, quirky, sharp and new. More at animalengine.com

Carrie Brown (writer/performer) has a BA in Acting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a MFA in Lecoq Based Actor Created Theater from Naropa University at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), where she trained under Thomas Prattki and Amy Russell. A clown at heart, she has also studied with clown teacher Giovanni Fusetti and assisted clown Mark Gindick (Big Apple Circus, Ringling Bros). She has also made her mark on the New York clown scene with performances at Cirque Off, tinydangerousfun, New York Downtown Clown Revue, and the New York Clown Theater Festival. As Co-Artistic Director of Animal Engine Theatre Company she has co-devised and performed in every original production.

Karim Muasher (writer/performer) received his BFA in Acting from Ithaca College and his MFA in Lecoq Based Actor Created Theater from Naropa University at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), where he trained under Thomas Prattki and Amy Russell. His work as the Co-Artistic Director of Animal Engine Theatre Company has included directing "Age of the Android" (an immersive Thomas Edison android adventure) and performing in "The Vindlevoss Family Circus Spectacular!" (a mustachioed lady and innocent zombie circus). He is the recipient of a Queens Council on the Arts grant, a proud graduate of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Artists Summer Institute, and a teaching artist in the NYC public schools.

Melinda Jean Ferraraccio (director) holds a BFA in physical theater from Niagara University and a M.A. in expressive arts from the European Graduate School in Switzerland where she was fortunate enough to study with founding members of the Pan Theatre. She also attended intensives at the School of Physical Theater in London and the New York Goofs ultimate clown school. She was a founding member and artistic director of the award-winning Brass Tacks Theatre Company in New York City. Her performances credits in and around New York City include: Shakespeare in the Park(ing) Lot (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Here Arts Center (In the Belly of the Beast with Two Backs) and La Mama (Clowns Ex Machina).

Petunia and Chicken

Written and performed by Carrie Brown and Karim Muasher

Directed by Melinda Jean Ferraraccio

February 20th - March 8th, 2014

Thu 2/20 @ 7:05pm, Mon 2/24 @ 8:40pm, Mon 3/3 @ 10:15pm,

Thu 3/6 @ 8:40pm, & Sat 3/8 @ 3:40pm

Tickets $15,

www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or 212-868-4444

All Performances @ Kraine Theater

85 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003