EYES SHUT. DOOR OPEN to Play Warehouse XI

Playwright and producer Cassie M. Seinuk is remounting her highly successful production of Eyes Shut. Door Open. Having debuted last summer with Wax Wings Productions, Eyes Shut. Door Open. is a modern-day Cain and Abel tale set in New York City. The play focuses on the curiosities of human relationships and explores the various dynamics within the vibrant and ever-evolving SoHo art scene. This remount will feature the original design team and cast: Victor Shopov, Michael Underhill, and Melissa DeJesus. Eyes Shut. Door Open. will be on stage at Warehouse XI, an event and gallery space in the heart of Somerville's Union Square, from May 12 - May 26, 2016.

"After the short-lived run in August, the cast, director, and designers were not ready to say goodbye to this play. Of course I wasn't either, but I wasn't the first one to suggest a remount," explains Cassie M. Seinuk. "After we raised, a jaw-dropping, near $13,000 between Indiegogo and fundraising events, we found out our audiences wanted us to come back too! 'ESDO' is a tale of the human condition, the lengths we go for our secrets, and above all the ever so relatable curses of family. I think this play takes something like Art and the creation of Art and brings it down to the core of why we, as people, not just artists, do what we do. "

Eyes Shut. Door Open. revolves around Turner Street (Victor Shopov) and his new-found success as an artist. Turner's bold paintings of eyes captivate many including Johanna (Melissa DeJesus), an elusive woman who reveals to be more than just another fan of his work. Things begin to unravel after Turner's one-eyed, pill-popping younger brother Palmer (Michael Underhill) enters the picture. Palmer's abrupt appearance forces Turner to confront the dark truths behind his success, the haunting family secrets shut behind doors, and how facing them could mean losing it all.

A scholar as well as a creative, playwright Cassie M. Seinuk is influenced by the works of Samuel Beckett, Paul Auster, and Martin McDonagh and thrives in crafting honest, memorable moments in imaginative settings where the rules of our everyday world may not always apply. Eyes Shut. Door Open. is a shining example of her academic, yet experiential nature. The play received development with Interim Writers, Argos Productions, and Wax Wings Productions in addition to being a part of her master's thesis at Lesley University and a 2014 Inkwell Fina

Photo Credit: Nile Hawver / Nile Scott Shots