Underground Railway Theater Presents WHEN JANUARY FEELS LIKE SUMMER
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 17, 2016
Underground Railway Theater is proud to present Cori Thomas' When January Feels Like Summer from October 20 - November 13, 2016. When January Feels Like Summer is directed by Benny Sato Ambush. The press performance is Monday, October 24 at 7:30PM.
In Central Harlem during a mysteriously warm winter, the Hindu God Ganesh presides over the destinies of five people on paths of self-discovery and transformation as their disparate lives intersect. An urban romantic comedy humming with vibrancy and possibility of change and transcendence - The New York Times praises Cori Thomas's play for creating "a strong desire to spend more time in the characters' company" after leaving the theater.
When January Feels Like Summer plays at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Thursday, October 20 - November 13, 2016. Tickets may be purchased by calling 617.576.9278 x1, at the Central Square Theater box office, or online at CentralSquareTheater.org.
About Cori Thomas
Cori Thomas' (Playwright) plays include: When January Feels Like Summer (World Premiere: City Theatre Co., Pittsburgh; Ensemble Studio Theatre/Page73/Women's Project Theater 2014 NY Premiere; 2016 Mosaic Theatre DC); The Ballad of Ella May (The Working Theater 2016); Pa's Hat (Pillsbury House Theatre, MN 2010); Flight 109, My Secret Language of Wishes (Various theaters and University productions including Mixed Blood, MN 2011); Citizens Market; The Princess, The Breast, and, The Lizard; The Unusual Love Life of Bedbugs and Other Creatures; Waking Up (Ensemble Studio Theatre 2013); His Daddy (Going To The River & Castillo 2009); our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. Cori's plays have been developed and produced at Sundance Institute, Goodman Theatre, City Theatre Co., Pittsburgh, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Women's Project Theater, Page 73 Productions, Playwrights Horizons, Lark Play Development Center, The Working Theater, Going To The River, Pillsbury House Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Passage Theatre, The Playwrights Realm, New Federal Theatre, New Georges, The Black Rep (St. Louis), The New Black Fest, and Queens Theatre in the Park. She has been commissioned by South Coast Rep Theatre, Inaugural playwright for Catalyst Collaborative @ MIT Untold Stories: Catalyst 2042; The Working Theatre, The Sloan Foundation, NYSCA, EST, Pillsbury House Theatre. Residencies, and Honors: (Class of 2022) Resident Playwright at New Dramatists, 2009 MacDowell Fellow, Edgerton New Play Award, Sundance Theatre Lab Fellow, 2011 American Theatre Critics Association Osborn Award for Best New Play (When January Feels Like Summer); 2005 Theodore Ward Prize (My Secret Language of Wishes); 2003 2nd Place Theodore Ward Prize (our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor....).
About Benny Sato Ambush
Benny Sato Ambush (Director) Senior Distinguished Producing Director-In-Residence, Emerson Stage; Acting/Directing Faculty, Department of Performing Arts, Emerson College; Recently, Visiting Arts Professor NYU Graduate Acting Program & Artist in Residence, Tisch School of the Arts, NYC. A professional freelance SDC stage director; former Producer/Artistic Director of two professional theaters (including a LORT theatre); theater consultant; published commentator. Numerous professional directing credits throughout the nation's professional and academic theater communities. Many teaching tenures in colleges and universities nationwide. International experience. IRNE Award winner - Best Director (Midsize Theater) for Athol Fugard's Master Harold...and the boys at Gloucester Stage Co. (2012) as well as Best Production (Midsize Theater). His 2013 Gloucester Stage Co. production of Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy earned four IRNE Award nominations including Best Director (Midsize Theater) and Best Production (Midsize Theater), and won the Best Actress and Best Actor Awards (Midsize Theater) for Lindsay Crouse and Johnny Lee Davenport. B.A. Brown University. MFA in Directing, University of California, San Diego.
About the Cast & Creative Team
Mesma Belsaré (Indira/Ishan) is thrilled to make her debut at the Central Square Theater. She is a recipient of the Cambridge Arts Council's Artist-Grant and the Government of India scholarship for advanced training in Indian classical dance and music. Dance venues include the Lincoln Center (NYC), Asia Society (NYC), Alvin Ailey Theater (NYC), The Lincoln Theater (Washington D.C), Siri Fort and Triveni (New Delhi), and the Harbourfront Centre (Toronto). Theater Productions include Gehri Dosti: Five Short Plays with a South Asian Bent ;-) (Harvard and Wellesley College, Circle East, NYC (choreographer)); Tughlaq (Harvard); Dance Like a Man (Triveni, New Delhi and Harvard); and opera The Bandit Queen (Holy Cross College and Boston University). Special thanks to Paul Knox and to the individuals in my life who inspired me to play Ishan/Indira, to my thespian colleagues, and to CST for this exciting opportunity.
David J. Curtis (Joe) is extremely excited to be working with CST in the production of When January Feels like Summer. David's favorite stage credits include roles in To Hell with This Village, Aida, Broke-ology, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, A More Perfect Union, Dark as A Thousand Midnights, Spunk, Ascension, Mama, I Want to Sing, The Sing Song Show, A Streetcar Named Desire, and 12 Angry Jurors. In addition to stage, David has also been a part of production in front of and behind the camera in many films/videos, commercials, voice-overs and educational videos. He is also an accomplished musician, performing in a variety of roles as a percussionist/drummer, producer, engineer and composer.
Seth Hill (Devaun) is a junior acting major studying at Boston University and he is ecstatic to be making his Central Square Theater premiere. He most recently had roles in Parade and Baltimore at BU. He would like to thank the entire team of When January Feels Like Summer for allowing him this opportunity and helping him on the way. He would also like to thank Katy and Michael Hill for always being huge supporters. Seth has had a lot of fun during this process and wants you to have fun as well! Enjoy the show!
Sanaa Kazi (Nirmala) is thrilled to be part of another production with URT. Her previous work with us includes playing Surita and Janaki inA Disappearing Number, and Denitra in Heartland. Most recently she worked with the Hub Theatre Company in The Good Body playing Priya. Sanaa is also part of the theatre groups SETU (Stage Ensemble Theatre Unit) and Darpan. She played Devi in Darpan's production of The Legend Of Emeror Ashoka. She played Ira in the short film The Theft directed by Gauri Adelkar which was screened at various film festivals in 2014-15. Sanaa is a Montessori teacher at Oakmeadow School in Littleton, and mom to her tween son. She would like to thank her husband and son for all their support.
Marc Pierre (Jeron) is making his Central Square Theater debut. Other Boston credits include Peter and the Starcatcher (Lyric Stage Company of Boston); Milk Like Sugar (Huntington Theatre Co.); The Flick (Gloucester Stage Co.); King Lear and Romeo and Juliet(Commonwealth Shakespeare); Great Expectations and A Midsummer Night's Dream (New Repertory Theatre); I Am a Camera(Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre); A Soldier's Play (Roxbury Repertory); and We Are Proud to Present a Presentation... (Company One/ArtsEmerson). New York credits include The Imaginary Life of Millo St. Jean (Snapdragon Theatre); and Line (13th Street Repertory). Marc received his BFA in acting at Emerson College.
The production team includes Janie E. Howland (Scenic Designer), Jeff Adelberg (Lighting Designer), Leslie Held (Costume Designer, Dewey C. Dellay (Sound Design & Original Music), Zacahary Rice (Properties Master), Maura Neff is the Stage Manager.
When January Feels Like Summer plays at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Thursday, October 20 - November 13, 2016. Tickets may be purchased by calling 617.576.9278 x1, at the Central Square Theater box office, or online at CentralSquareTheater.org.
Central Square Theater (CST) opened in 2008 through a groundbreaking partnership between The Nora Theatre Company (The Nora) and Underground Railway Theater (URT). This collaboration has been called a model for the arts community (The Boston Foundation, Culture is our Commonwealth, and The National Collaboration Prize), as it has paired two like-minded performing arts organizations in a strategic alliance with the City of Cambridge and MIT, resulting in the development of a state-of-the-art performing arts center in the heart of Central Square. CST has a mission to support its two theaters-in-residence while maintaining a shared vision of artists and audiences creating theater vital to their communities. The Nora and URT have a combined track record of over 50 years producing award-winning theater. Located in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and steeped in its multiracial, intergenerational, ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods, the CST theater experience exudes a democratic energy where classes, races and age groups come together to be inspired, entertained and energized.
Press inquiries should be directed to Central Square Theater's Director of Marketing, Nicholas Peterson, phone: 617.576.9278 x205 or via email ndp@centralsquaretheater.org.
Central Square Theater is accessible to persons with special needs and to those requiring wheelchair seating.
For further information please call 617.576.9278 or visit CentralSquareTheater.org.
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