The Civilians Announces Lineup, Including Kathleen Chalfant, for Upcoming Cabaret

The Civilians (Steven Cosson, Artistic Director), the award-winning New York-based theater company known for projects investigating real life topics, presents Let Me Ascertain You: Occupy #S17 on September 17 at Joe's Pub. The cabaret will focus on the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, and will feature monologues and songs crafted from interviews with activists conducted by Civilians artists throughout the past year. The one-night-only performance in The Civilians' entertaining and thought-provoking style will illuminate many of the diverse individual voices behind these large-scale protests, examine how this dynamic call to action has evolved, and explore what its future holds.

Performers: Quincy Tyler Bernstine (Ruined – OBIE Award), David Cale (The Total Bent, The Public Theater), Kathleen Chalfant(Angels in America – Tony Nomination, Wit – Outer Circle Critics, Drama Desk, Obie, and Lucille Lortel Awards), Matt Dellapina (Outside People at the Vineyard Theatre, The Dream of the Burning Boy, Roundabout), Dan Domingues (It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Long Wharf), Brad Heberlee (This Beautiful City at the Vineyard Theatre), Billy EuGene Jones (Broadway: The Mountain Top, Passing Strange), Emily Rossell (Let Me Ascertain You Porn and Occupy Wall Street), Jordan Mahome (Taming of the Shrew at Yale Rep), Jennifer R. Morris (You Better Sit Down, Gone Missing at Barrow Street Theater), Maria Elena Ramirez (Broadway: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Colleen Werthmann (In the Footprint: The Battle Over Atlantic Yards)

The evening will feature songs by Michael Friedman (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson); and performances by singer/songwriter Jill Sobule; a punk band with Caitlin Montclare, Alex Nolan, Amanda Ruzza, Liz Kelly; singer/songwriter MaryKate O'Neil; and Pistolera with Sandra Velasquez & Maria Elena. 

Groups from across the nation will gather on September 17 to share in the storytelling of this historic movement. The Civilians has put out a call to students, artists, activists, and others to use The Civilians' interviews to curate #S17 performances in their communities. All of The Civilians' interview transcripts are posted and available for free download on the company's website, along with helpful tips for creating investigative performances. #S17 performances will be video recorded and featured on The Civilians Tumblr,http://occupythecivilians.tumblr.com/.