TNC Dream Up Fest LUCINDA AND THE WOLVES

In "Lucinda and the Wolves," written and directed by Robyn Migel and performed by Sandi Milne, Lucinda is a featured speaker for a group of individuals in recovery from abuse, addiction, and other traumas. She tells them the story of her life, first reminiscing about her tranquil childhood days with her mom. Wolves lurk throughout the story, representing the traumas of her family's formerly peaceful life. It's a harrowing tale of her loss of innocence, fall from grace and subsequent efforts to piece herself back together. It ultimately culminates in the triumph of her resilience as she seeks help. Theater for the New City's Dream Up Festival will present the play's New York premiere September 15 and 16.

"Lucinda and the Wolves" is a raw and deeply honest look at abusive relationships and the warped mentalities that sustain them. Lucinda tells of her escape from one abusive situation to another, in which she developed unhealthy coping mechanisms to navigate the world. The first impression Lucinda gives is that of a person who has no filter, but it becomes clear to the audience that she has learned to be forthright and upfront about her troubles as she has begun to cope with the harm and violence done to her. Lucinda is a resilient person who is just beginning to determinedly, insistently, turn her life around. She speaks directly to the theatrical audience as though they were her audience at the recovery meeting. The play makes the case that only by embracing feelings of guilt and shame can people come to terms with themselves.

Sandi Milne plays Lucinda in this one-woman show. A music and drama educator, Milne appeared in 2017 production "1 Mile to You."

Writer and director Robyn Migel has received two Emmy nominations during her more than two decades' work as an editor for film and television. "Lucinda and the Wolves" is her first playwriting experience. Milne and Migel previously collaborated on a staging of this piece in June of 2017, during last year's Hollywood Fringe Festival. They bring their prior experience in working together to this production.

The ninth annual Dream Up Festival (www.dreamupfestival.org) is being presented by Theater for the New City from August 26 to September 16. An ultimate new work festival, it is dedicated to the joy of discovering new authors and edgy, innovative performances. Audiences savor the excitement, awe, passion, challenge and intrigue of new plays from around the country and around the world.

The festival does not seek out traditional scripts that are presented in a traditional way. It selects works that push new ideas to the forefront, challenge audience expectations and make us question our understanding of how art illuminates the world around us.

In addition to traditional plays, a unique and varied selection of productions will again be offered, drawing upon a variety of performance genres including musicals, puppetry and movement theater. The Festival's founders, Crystal Field and Michael Scott-Price, feel this is especially needed in our present time of declining donations to the arts, grants not being awarded due to market conditions, and arts funding cuts on almost every level across the country and abroad.