THE AMERICAN PLAY Opens 8/16 at FringeNYC

The Dirty Blondes present THE AMERICAN PLAY, an American Psycho themed drama/thriller by Ashley Jacobson as part of the 2015 New York International Fringe Festival starting Sunday August 16th at The Steve & Marie Sgouros Theatre. Darren Johnston directs. The cast includes Michael DeBartolo, John C. Nagy III and Jen Jacob (HBO's Girls).

When Tim, a college freshman from a poor family, meets Luis, a cocky rich boy in an American Literature class they bond in their obsession with Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho and the character of Patrick Bateman. Aware that Tim considers him as a Bateman-like role model, Luis asserts his power by alternately goading and grooming him into following his lead. In a misguided attempt to impress Luis, Tim starts not only to take on the outward look of success, but simultaneously begins to demonstrate pathologically violent behavior that extends to horribly abusing his only friend from high school.

THE AMERICAN PLAY won awards for Outstanding Production of A New Play, Outstanding Direction and Lighting at the 2012 Planet Connections Theater Festivity, and Ashley Jacobson was nominated for Outstanding Playwright. In this newly edited, re-imagined production the "feminist theater company with a taste for provocation" include actual and fictional texts from online commentary and media coverage of college rapes.

Founded in 2012 by Artistic Director, Ashley J. Jacobson and Executive Director, Elizabeth Sarkady The Dirty Blondes mission is to produce theater that "furthers the right conversation at the right time with the right people". Through this mission artists are encouraged to push the conversation further by creating stark, challenging and emotionally truthful theater. The Dirty Blondes have produced fifteen original/multimedia works featuring more than 200 artists. Last year they brought Jacobson's The Tunnel Play to the New York Fringe Festival where it was selected "Indie Production of The Week" by StageBuddy.com and declared a "bold, evocative debut" by Theater in the Now.

Co-founder, producer and resident playwright, Ashley Jacobson has presented her work at The Robert Moss Theater, The Gene Frankel Theater, Bleecker Street Theater and The Kraine. She has also curated and devised multimedia presentations and selected and supported artists in "Play-in-a-Day"festivals including F** The Summit - an event focused only on female playwrights. Additionally, she curates a quarterly reading series of new plays for The Dirty Blondes by emerging playwright hosted at BAM where she also works as Senior Manager of Sponsorship and Corporate Relations.

Co-founder, producer Elizabeth Sarkady, most recently produced "Detroit, NY", a festival of new works by Detroit based playwrights brought to the NYC stage. She currently serves as Manager of Business Development at BAM, having previously worked at Signature Theatre Company, the New York Musical Theatre Festival and Paper Mill Playhouse.

Darren Johnston is a director, dramaturg and producer focused on new work and the theater's ability to spark social change. He recently directed productions at Atlantic Theater Company, Ugly Rhino Productions, Mastodon Theatre Company, Fresh Fruit Festival and Co-Op Theater East. Previously he served as Executive Assistant to Artistic Director Oscar Eustice at the Public Theater.

THE AMERICAN PLAY begins 7:15PM on Sunday August 16th at The Steve and Marie Sgouros Theatre (115 MacDougal St. between W. 3rd Street and Bleecker). Performance schedule is: Sun. Aug. 16 at 7:15PM, Fri. Aug. 21 at 4:45PM, Tue. Aug. 25 at 2:30PM, Thu. Aug. 27 at 7PM and Sat. Aug. 29 at 2:15PM. Running time is 1 hr. 20 min. Tickets are $18 plus surcharge. For Information/ Tickets visit: www.FringeNYC.org and www.the dirtyblondes.org.