SHAKE THE EARTH Set for FringeNYC

The 2015 New York International Fringe Festival is pleased to present the world premiere of SHAKE THE EARTH, an explosive one-woman show written by and starring Lousine Shamamian and directed by Misti B. Wills, at the 19th annual New York International Fringe Festival. Performances run Monday, August 17th at 3:45 pm, Thursday, August 20th at 5:30 pm, Saturday, August 22nd at 7:00 pm, Monday, August 24th at 2:00 pm and Saturday, August 29th at 8:45 pm at Spectrum, located at 121 Ludlow Street, 2nd floor (between Delancey and Rivington; subways F, J, M, Z to Delancey/Essex). Tickets go on sale July 17th and will be available atwww.fringenyc.org.

SHAKE THE EARTH hinges on the tension between Armenian and gay pride. Bolstered by kufta and string cheese, Lousine yearns to be a good Armenian and defender of her ancestors who survived the Genocide. But, as a lesbian, she may be the last person her great-grandfather Georgi--and most of their countrymen--would want to give the account of his remarkable story of survival. Driven by the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which the Turkish government consistently and aggressively denies, Lousine finds the courage to speak. For more information, please visit: www.shaketheearth.net

Writer and performer Lousine Shamamian is an Armenian-born, Brooklyn-bred actress, writer and stand-up comedian who has performed at venues including Gotham Comedy Club, The Stand, New York Comedy Club and many others. She wrote, directed, performed and edited the comedy web series Lousine: Lesbian Matchmaker to the Straights and was featured in an episode of MTV's web series Inside Joke. She has had a successful 15-year career as a television editor for programs including VH1's Mob Wives, Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, MTV's True Life, and PBS's History Detectives.

Director Misti B. Wills' credits include: Off-Broadway: In Search of Euphoria (New World Stages), Tempest(La MaMa, Assistant Director) and Twilight the Musical (New World Stages, Assistant Director); Off-Off Broadway: The Drunken City (Jump for Joy Productions, NY Workshop Theatre), Sorry for your Loss(Abingdon Theater), Afterlight (Cherry Lane, 2009 NY Fringe Festival), Songs for a New World, Twelfth Night(Shakespeare's Sister Company), The Pearl Merchant, Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice. Favorite regional credits includeMy Fair Lady (Forestburgh Playhouse) and a national tour of The Imaginary Invalid. Misti holds a Master of Arts degree in Theater Education from Emerson College and has trained with Anne Bogart, David Mamet, Michael Mayer and Kristin Linklater. She has assistant directed Karin Coonrod, Scott Schwartz and Gabriel Barre. Misti has taught on the acting faculties of the New York Film Academy and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and is currently an adjunct professor at Long Island University in Brooklyn. Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.