AND IF YOU LOSE YOUR WAY, OR A FOOD ODYSSEY to Open 6/13 at Invisible Dog Art Center

If we are what we eat, what are we? What is America's food culture, and where is it heading? And ultimately, how does food connect us?

NYC theater director Pirronne Yousefzadeh (Soho Rep: 4000 Miles) directs the interactive food experience 'And If You Lose Your Way, or A Food Odyssey' for a limited run this summer at the Invisible Dog Art Center at 51 Bergen St, Brooklyn, New York 11201 with opening night on Friday, June 13, 2014.

In 'And If You Lose Your Way, or A Food Odyssey', a retelling of the story of Penelope and Odysseus, taking us through their separation, time apart and reunion using food as the emotional bridge between them. The story begins in Ancient Greece and ends in 2014, and the events of The Odyssey become metaphors for changes in the food industry, exploring our relationship to what we eat. As the play progresses, characters from the past and present intersect and as their food cultures collide, culminating in a feast shared by the actors and the audience. Ultimately, the event itself is an act of forging community connecting to our shared history, our relationships to one another, and to the earth itself.

The performance will feature actors Maha Chehlaoui (The Guthrie: Peer Gynt), Nick Choksi (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812), Damon Daunno, Rachel Rusch (Boardwalk Empire), Josh Sauerman, Terrell Donnell Sledge (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), and Leah Walsh. Audiences will experience scenery by Carolyn Mraz (Ars Nova: Charlatan), lighting by Mike Inwood, costumes by Brooke Cohen, and sound by Will Pickens (The Public: The Apple Family Tetraoligy). The Production Stage Manager is Lizzie Robinson with Morgan Richardson as Assistant Stage Manager, and Jordana De La Cruz as Associate Director.

With text by Lauren Feldman, the play has been in development through the years with over 14 contributing artists in conjunction with New York Theatre Workshop's Emerging Artist Fellowship as well as a residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm. Yousefzadeh is the most recent recipient of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers' Denham Fellowship for her work devising and directing the project. Lauren Rayner Productions (producer of immersive experience, Take Me Home, the show in a taxi) will produce the play, which is made possible in part by Mud/Bone Collective's co-production partnership through their DITTO Initiative as well as participating in New Georges' Supported Production program, in which New Georges provides advice, mentorship, resources and support to the projects of its affiliated artists.

Recent food-related sponsors of the production include local farms, chefs, and restaurants including The Farm on Adderley, Glasshouse Tavern, SPACE on Ryder Farm, BFB Highline, and beverages offered by Lagunitas Brewing Company. Included in the $18 ticket, audiences can expect a treat at the show.

'And If You Lose Your Way, or A Food Odyssey' runs two hours with an intermission and will play at the Invisible Dog Art Center located at 51 Bergen St, Brooklyn, New York 11201 with a preview on June 12 at 7pm and official press opening on June 13 at 7pm. For the full performance schedule and to purchase tickets in advance, please visit http://afoododyssey2014.brownpapertickets.com

For more information, visit www.andifyouloseyourway.org.

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