Sitcom About Young Theatre Pros to Have Free 4/1 Screening

A free screening of the new sitcom "Breaking In" will be held Sunday evening at 9:00 PM, April 1st in Theater 1 at New World Stages (340 West 50th St.). A launch party will follow the event.

"'Breaking In' is a new comedy about struggling young theater professionals, by struggling young theater professionals, filmed by young people for under $3000.  Breaking In is about the shows you'd rather forget and the people you should avoid at all costs, the ones who will put you up in front of an audience under fluorescent lighting singing church-basement music after you've been sexually harassed in the wings. It's about the theater world not as we'd like it to be, but as it is. Petty. Sleazy. Crass. Dehumanizing. And funny. We hope. Series regulars include Brandon Bales as wannabe director Michael, Justin Lamb as Michael's writer/collaborator Chris, Jeff Hiller as goofy struggling actor Tommy, Tracee Chimo as obsessive stage manager Virginia, and Lindsay Wolf as their constantly manhandled female lead," state press materials.

Sara Chase (Paper Mill's Godspell, Slut), Stephen Sislen (Composer of Slut), Josh Stein-Sapir, and Matthew Marks guest star in the pilot. Seth Bisen-Hersh, a FringeNYC Audience Award Winner for his Meaningless Sex (2003) and The Spickner Spin (2004), composed and performs the theme song."

The episode was filmed on location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and at the historic Off-Off Broadway Theatre Complex, The Producer's Club. 

In addition to the New York City launch, "Breaking In" will be screened at college campuses across America on Sunday, April 1st. Campuses such as Yale, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, San Diego State University, University of Arizona, and The University of Michigan have joined a dozen other schools hosting their own parties. 

"'Breaking In' shows what it's really like backstage at New York Fringe Theatre." Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Broadway's Seussical, FringeNYC's Grace Falls), a University of Michigan Musical Theatre student hosting a launch party, said today. 

College students interested in hosting a party can e-mail breakinginrsvp@gmail.com by Tuesday, March 27th for a free party kit. Please include college name, mailing address, and contact e-mail.  The student who throws the largest Breaking In party will be flown to New York and will appear in the season finale, to be filmed in June. 

Internet users can watch new episodes of Breaking In free every month, by visiting our website at www.breakinginblog.com. The show may also be accessed on iTunes, YouTube, Myspace and Google Video. 

"We're committed to a full six episode season, just like The BBC's shows 'The Office' and 'Extras,'" creator Ryan J. Davis said. "We're scheduling the shootings for episodes two and three right now, and we've already signed on several Broadway stars to appear in cameos," writer Joe Drymala added. 

The trailer, which features short clips from the pilot episode, may be viewed at the show's official website:  www.breakinginblog.com

Breaking In is executive produced and created by Ryan J. Davis (director/conceiver White Noise) and written and executive produced by Joe Drymala (book/music/lyrics for White Noise). Eric Svejcar (composer of Caligula) serves as Executive Producer and Music Supervisor. Jeffery Self, Justin Thomas, and Alex Jensen all serve as producers.  

Reservations, which are free, for New World Stage's "Breaking In" Screening on April 1st are available for free by e-mailing breakinginrsvp@gmail.com. Press, group and college request are welcome. 

DVD copies of the "Breaking In" pilot will be available to blogs and members of the media; please email breakinginrsvp@gmail.com for requests.  

Photo of Ryan J. Davis and Joe Drymala by Ben Strothmann