Vampire Cowboys to Present New Play Men of Steel

Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company, now in its 5th season, will present the world premiere production of "MEN OF STEEL," written by Qui Nguyen, directed by Robert Ross Parker, with fight choreography by Marius Hanford, when it begins performances on March 15 at Center Stage, NY, 48 West 21st Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues.)  "MEN OF STEEL," the startling tale of infinite power and ultimate sacrifice, will officially open on Sunday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m., and performances will run through April 8.

In a story that spins the superhero genre on its head, "MEN OF STEEL" follows the journey of five courageous crusaders aspiring for heroism against all odds.  Included are tales of staggering suspense and astounding adventures that will surely have audiences riveted — witness a superhero lose control in the face of personal tragedy; see a dynamic duo attempt to save their nefarious neighborhood from the incredible increase of violent crime; fall in love with a drag queen with a heart of gold but a body of lead; and meet a hero whose quest for meaning mistakenly unleashes enormous evil.  These interwoven tales combined with Vampire Cowboys' astonishing action aesthetic re-imagines and explodes the comic book genre onto the live stage.

Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company was founded in 2000 with the first collaboration between playwright/fight director Qui Nguyen and director Robert Ross Parker.  Their highly physical shows actively use modern pop-culture as a vehicle to explore more weighty subjects.  In 2003, Vampire Cowboys produced the critically acclaimed Stained Glass Ugly in the Midtown International Theatre Festival.  In March 2004, they presented the eponymous Vampire Cowboy Trilogy at the Common Basis Theatre.  The hit show was remounted for sold-out crowds in the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2004, and was published in the anthology Plays and Playwrights 2005 by the New York Theatre Experience. Subsequently Nguyen and Parker were named People of the Year by nytheatre.com.

In 2005 the company began their residency at Center Stage, NY, and launched the Rabid Vamps Fight Studio, a training course in stage combat and the Vampire Cowboys aesthetic.  Vampire Cowboys also staged their third production, A Beginner's Guide to Deicide, a show that took the company's aesthetic even further with the addition of a variety of multi-media components including animation, film, and live feed projections.  At the end of the 2005 season, writer and fight choreographer Qui Nguyen was nominated for a New York Innovative  Theatre Award for Outstanding Choreography for his work in A Beginner's Guide to Deicide.

For the 2006 season, the premiere of Living Dead in Denmark was a critical and audience hit.  It received five New York Innovative Theatre Award nominations including a nomination for Outstanding Production of a Play.  The company was also awarded the 2006 Caffe Cino Fellowship from The New York Innovative Theatre Awards for outstanding continued production of theatre, and won the award for Outstanding Choreography/Movement for Mari's Hanford's work on Living Dead in Denmark.  In addition Qui Nguyen was featured as one of 'ten playwrights to watch" by Time Out New York.

Outside the company, Qui Nguyen is currently represented by his one-act Bike Wreck (Youngblood at E.S.T.) and as fight director on Jack Goes Boating (LAByrinth Theater at The Public) and Rus (HERE Arts Center).  Last season his play Trial by Water was produced Off B'way by the Ma-Yi Theater Company.  Robert Ross Parker is a director in residence at Ensemble Studio Theatre, on Broadway he assisted Walter Bobbie on High Fidelity, and recently he directed tours of Hamlet (solo) for Hope and Hell Theatre and Children's Letters to God for the Lamb's Theatre.  Marius Hanford has worked closely with the Lady Cavaliers and the Vampire Cowboys.  For Lady Cavaliers: The Sea Serpent and the Samurai's Daughter.  The Society of American Fight Directors recognizes him as an "actor/combatant" in all eight weapon disciplines.

The eight member cast for "MEN OF STEEL" will include (alphabetically): Noshir Dalal, Sharon Eisman, Jason Liebman, Tom Myers, Melissa Paladino, Jeremy Sarver, Paco Tolson, and Temar Underwood.  The scenic and lighting design will be by Nick Francone, the costume design by Jessica Wegener, and the sound design by Patrick Shearer.

The complete schedule for "MEN OF STEEL" (March 15 through April 8) will be: Thursdays through Sundays at 8:00 p.m.  Ticket will be $18.00.  The box office number for reservations is 212-352-3101 or www.theatermania.com.  Further information at 212-696-7806.  Visit www.vampirecowboys.com for more information.

Artwork by Chris Brown