After last year's critically-acclaimed debut, Zara Phillips' inspiring one-woman show, "Beneath My Father's Sky" has been invited back to the United Solo Festival in New York City beginning November 1st, 2014. The performance, which takes place during National Adoption Month, follows Zara's path to locate her birth father and reveals the many emotions, longings, disappointments and realities that journey entails. Wonderfully engaging for any audience, the feelings and memories she brings so vividly to life resonate deeply with adoptees and their families.
The touching and captivating performance won the Festival's 2013 Award for Best Direction for Academy Award-nominated actor/director Eric Roberts and his wife Eliza Roberts and has been met with tears and cheers in performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.
As an author, singer, songwriter and adoptee, Zara brings awareness to the issue, and with her story, helps those with similar backgrounds cope with their unresolved past. Commenting on the issue, Zara stated: "For many adoptees, not knowing who their birth parents are takes an enormous and emotional energy toll. The restlessness of not knowing the past can make focusing on the present and future incredibly challenging. Awareness for what we go through as adoptees is increasing with movies like Philomena, and it is my hope to continue to fuel that awareness with my story."
Continuing, Zara added: "While this performance follows my emotional journey, it is also my attempt to help non-adoptees truly understand and relate to how an adopted person feels across the spectrum, including not knowing their birth parents. Adoption doesn't end in childhood. As an adult , my identity is still rooted in being adopted, and people still call me an adopted child. Nevertheless, over time, we all grow up, learn to grieve and make sense of our lives."
ABOUT THE PLAY: After her adoptive mother dies and leaves her to care for an adoptive father who was never there for her, Zara takes a dreamlike journey that brings her face-to-face with the biological father she's always longed to know and the sister who was never born. Zara's music moves the story along in this poignant and funny piece.
The performance will take place on November 1 and 23 at http://unitedsolo.org/us/2014-beneathmyfatherssky.
Zara H. Phillips is a singer-songwriter, filmmaker, author , playwright, public speaker, and advocate for adoptee rights. A backup singer to Bob Geldof and other rock bands in her youth, she recently released the song and video "I'm Legit," featuring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC. Zara wrote, directed and starred in the documentary "Roots Unknown," which won the award for best documentary short at the Garden State Film Festival. Her website,www.everythingzara.com features pages for music, book,film and events, as well as links to her BBC interview, the trailer for the documentary, the release "I'm Legit," and other original songs.
Zara speaks regularly at the American Adoption Congress, the main adoption organization in the United States, and gives presentations and workshops throughout the US and the UK. She has inspired stories in many publications such as The New York Times and Adoption Today. Zara is also the author of "Mother Me: An Adopted Woman's Journey to Motherhood," which traces the riveting tale of Zara's search for her birth mother and her path to health as well as her activism for adoptee rights. "Mother Me" is a brave and compelling memoir that illuminates the lifelong impact of adoption on every member of the "adoption triad"-adoptee, birth mother and adoptive mother-as well as the families of each. Raised in England, Zara lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
2014 United Solo, the world's largest solo theatre festival, celebrates its 5th anniversary season and its dynamic expansion in scope and popularity. All shows are staged at Theatre Row: 410 West 42nd Street, New York City. TICKETS, with a price of $19.25 (including a $1.25 theatre restoration charge) are available at the Theatre Row Box Office and online through Telecharge at www.telecharge.com. You may also call Telecharge at 212-239-6200. When placing your reservation, provide: the FESTIVAL name (United Solo Theatre Festival), the name of THEATRE (Theatre Row - The Studio Theatre), and the specific DAY and TIME of SHOW you would like to see.
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