TNC's Dream Up Fest To Present ADAM & BRIAN A Drama By Craig Donnelly

Even after the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, there is no shortage of hate surrounding the gay community. We are powerfully reminded of this in "Adam & Brian," a drama by Craig Donnelly that tells the story of New York City gay couple who are viciously attacked after leaving the movies one night. As they cope with the physical and emotional damage in the aftermath of their assault, their relationship begins to unravel, revealing the devastating potential of a few hateful individuals on the lives of others. Theater for the New City's Dream Up Festival will present "Adam & Brian" September 12 to September 16.

Set primarily in the couple's Upper West Side studio apartment, "Adam & Brain" oscillates between scenes before and after the incident. Adam is a 31-year-old workaholic who has a calloused and pessimistic outlook on the world. He struggled coming out and struggles sharing his feelings. Brian, on the other hand, is a very open, honest and optimistic high school teacher. He had a very comfortable upbringing and as a result is a sensitive soul with anxieties about conflict. The play begins with an argument between the two, which is representative of the tension that characterizes most of the work. Adam and Brian disagree on many things, including how to heal from the incident. Brian struggles to heal emotionally and receives little support from Adam, who does not see the value in therapy or the closure of finding the perpetrators, and instead falls back on his Catholic upbringing for solace. This inability to see eye to eye creates an even larger rift in their relationship than originally created by the attack. With the shadow of the attack perpetually looming over their heads and coloring their interactions, Adam and Brian find their relationship in jeopardy, with any hope of repair quickly dwindling.

Craig Donnelly (author) is a storyteller whose work has been featured in The Broadway Bound Theatre Festival and The Emerging Artist Theatre's New Works Series as well as performed by Playthings Theatre Company and The Yorick Theatre Company. He co-created the web series, "Living The Dream," which has found success on both YouTube and Facebook Video. Craig has also had the privilege of performing all over the continent, with the international tours of "A Chorus Line" and "CATS."

Paul Edwards (director) is a New York based director and actor. Recently he received his MBA from The Actors Studio Drama School. He's worked with New York Musical Festival, The Cry Havoc Company, St. Louis Black Rep, The Actor's Studio and New Jewish Theatre Company. Past directing credits include "Funnyhouse of a Negro," "Trifles," "Tape" and "Captive Pilgrim." paulhedwards.com

The actors are Sal England* and Daniel Yaiullo. Asterisk signifies equity actor.

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.