On Thursday, June 16th Third Rail Projects will celebrate the 200th performance of their critically acclaimed production of THE GRAND PARADISE, a fully immersive, multi-sensory experience in which visitors travel to a tropical paradise. Performances take place at The Grand Paradise, a venue in Bushwick, Brooklyn custom-built for the production, where it opened on January 30th and became one of Off-Broadway's biggest hits of the season. A post-performance celebration will follow the 200th performance on June 16th. The general public is invited to stop by Bushwick's newest Tiki Bar sensation The Shipwreck Lounge at The Grand Paradise (383 Troutman Street), beginning at 9:30pm. Grab a tasty tropical beverage and hang out with cast and company members all evening as they celebrate this milestone.
Set in those hazy and culturally liminal years of the late 1970s becoming the 1980s, the experience begins as you are handed a vintage plane ticket. You and other guests find yourselves transported to THE GRAND PARADISE, a tropical resort that purports to be the home of the original, genuine Fountain of Youth. Greeted with a tropical drink and a garland of flowers, visitors encounter the resort's resident population, characters who embody the era's shifting and blurring values - a rogue's gallery of eccentrics, hustlers, eternal youths, gods, monsters, disco queens, and con men. Visitors to THE GRAND PARADISE are invited to explore the grounds and the beaches, watch a floorshow, quench their deepest longings, follow performers into one-on-one encounters, and trade their faded ideals for shiny new illusions. Ultimately, THE GRAND PARADISE offers a pas de deux of desire and death, a midlife crisis, a coming of age, and search for the revitalizing waters of the Fountain of Youth at the resort of the eternally brokenhearted.
Based on a concept by
Tom Pearson, THE GRAND PARADISE is directed, designed, written and choreographed by
Zach Morris,
Tom Pearson, and
Jennine Willett in collaboration with The Company: Erik Abbott-Main, Elizabeth Carena, Alberto Denis,
Ashley Handel, Roxanne Kidd, Jeff Lyon, Rebekah Morin, Lauren Muraski, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Tara O'Con,
Wil Petre, Joshua Reaver, Katrina Reid, Edward Rice, Ashley Robicheaux,
Sebastiani Romagnolo, Jessy Smith, Tori Sparks, Niko Tsocanos, and Carlton Cyrus Ward. The production features production design by
Zach Morris,
Tom Pearson, and
Jennine Willett, original music & sound design by
Sean Hagerty, costumes by
Karen Young, environment design Elisabeth Svenningsen, project management by Andrea Dohar Corbett, production management by Brittany Crowell, stage management by Kristina Vnook, and technical direction by Jordan Schulze. and produced in association with Bill Caleo and Zach Stern.
The full company of performers includes: Matthew Albert, Erika Boudreau-Barbee, Iman Barns, Carly Berrett-Plagianakos, Elizabeth Carena,
Elisa Davis, Alberto Denis,
Kate Douglas, Brendan Duggan, Benjamin Freedman, Lea Fulton, Amy Gernux,
Ashley Handel, Emma Hoette, Roxanne Kidd, Kate Landenheim, Justin Lynch, Jeff Lyon,
Zach Martens, Rebekah Morin, Krista Morgenson,
Zach Morris, Lauren Muraski, Parker Murphy,
Mayte Natalio, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Tara O'Con,
Tom Pearson, Joshua Reaver, Katrina Reid, Edward Rice, Ashley Robicheaux,
Sebastiani Romagnolo, Julie Seal, Jessy Smith, Tori Sparks, Bryan Strimple, Jeff Sykes, Jake Szczpek,
Simon Thomas-Train, Niko Tsocanos, Carlton Cyrus Ward, and
Jennine Willett.
Hailed as one of the foremost companies creating site-specific, immersive and experiential performance in the US, Third Rail Projects, led by Artistic Directors
Zach Morris,
Tom Pearson, and
Jennine Willett, is dedicated to re-envisioning ways in which audiences can engage with contemporary performance. They have made work in New York, nationally, and abroad for over 15 years, and their long-running, award-winning work, Then She Fell, was named as one of the "Top Ten Shows of the 2012" The New York Times and acclaimed as one of the best theater experiences of 2013 by Vogue. Third Rail Projects has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) Awards for Then She Fell (2013) and Vanishing Point (2008). For more info, visit
thirdrailprojects.com.
THE GRAND PARADISE runs though September 4, 2016. Beginning June 2, performances are on a new summer schedule: Thursday - Sunday at 7:00pm, with 10:30pm shows on Friday and Saturday. The Grand Paradise is located at 383 Troutman Street at Wyckoff Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn -- just off the L train at Jefferson Street. Tickets are $110 - $135, available at
www.thegrandparadise.com. Private events are also available; visit the website for more information. Performances begin promptly. Late admittance is at the sole discretion of the staff. The show features nudity and adult themes, so admittance is strictly limited to audience members 18 years of age and over; all audience members must bring valid government-issued photo IDs. The performance lasts roughly 2 hours. Because of the immersive nature of this piece, audiences may be standing for significant periods of time over the course of the performance. Environments contain a number of textures (such as a beach with sand), so comfortable shoes are suggested. This performance is not recommended for audience members who are not comfortable standing, walking or being alone. For more information call
718-374-5196.
