Rosie Benton (Stick Fly, Accent on Youth), Erik Lochtefeld, and P.J. Sosko will play three Civil War re-enactors in the world premiere of Jessica Dickey's dark comedy, Row After Row, directed by Daniella Topol, Women's Project Theater's Producing Artistic Director Julie Crosby announced. Row After Row, which marks the 36th season of Women's Project Theater, begins previews January 15 for an opening January 23 at Women's Project Theater's home, New York City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th Street.
Row After Row is set in a rural Pennsylvania tavern just after a proud reenactment of Pickett's Charge on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and examines whether union among any people is possible. The play's title comes from Pickett's Charge: after Confederate Maj. Gen. George Pickett gave his order to charge the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, men rushed forward and, as the defenders' guns fired, row after row of Confederate soldiers fell to the ground, dead.
Women's Project Theater is dedicated to producing plays written and directed by women.
Sets and costumes are being designed by
Clint Ramos, lights by
Tyler Micoleau, and sound by
Broken Chord. The production stage manager is Jess Johnston.
Jessica Dickey is perhaps best known for her one woman show The Amish Project. Last season, the playwright's Charles Ives Take Me Home at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater had her nominated for the Susan Blackburn Prize and hailed by Charles Isherwood of The New York Times as "a talent to watch: her writing has freshness, economy, an occasional cheeky vulgarity and a fine measure of poetic insight."
Daniella Topol is on her fourth tour of duty at Women's Project Theater, having directed Catherine Treischmann's How the World Began (in association with South Coast Rep),
Sheila Callaghan's Lascivious Something (Women's Project Theater and Cherry Lane), and
Trista Baldwin's Sand. She's reenlisting with Ms. Dickey after directing her Charles Ives Take Me Home at Rattlestick last season.
Rose Benton's Broadway credits include Stick Fly, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Roundabout Theatre), and Accent on Youth (MTC). Off-Broadway she has appeared in Saturn Return (Lincoln Center), Temporal Powers, Wife to
James Whelan (
Mint Theatre),
Howard Katz (Roundabout Theatre).
P.J. Sosko has appeared in Coney (Blue Coyote), Jonathan's Blaze (Summer Shorts 4), The Jazz Age (59East59), Serendib (
Ensemble Studio Theatre) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sometimes A Great Notion (Portland CenterStage), Rounding 3rd, Orphans (Penguin Rep) Much Ado About Nothing (The Folger) and Spike Heels (
Syracuse Stage).
Erik Lochtefeld has appeared on Broadway in Metamorphoses and around town in Tamar of the River (Prospect Theater), Melancholy Play (13P), February House (Public Theatre), The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (
Second Stage), But I'm a Cheerleader (NYMF) and Powerhouse (NY Fringe Festival).
Women's Project Theater memberships for the entire season, which includes all three main stage shows and some special events, start at $60 and may be purchased at
www.wptheater.org or by calling
212-765-1706.
Single tickets are $60 can be purchased online at
www.NYCityCenter.org, by calling CityTix at
212-581-1212, or at the New York
City Center Box Office at 131 West 55th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues).
Row After Row performs Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm through February 16.
