Sprout Works Presents ROLLER DYNASTY Written By Ryan Drake, Directed By Emma Miller

Sprout Works's world premiere of Roller Dynasty" written by Ryan Drake and directed by Emma Miller, will open on November 8, 2018 at 8pm. Join this emerging theatre company founded by producers (who have previously collaborated with Lincoln Center Education, Cherry Lane Theater, Musical Theatre Factory, Fringe Festival NYC, National Black Theatre Festive ival, and many more) at the historic Medicine Show Theatre for the world premiere of emerging playwright, Ryan Drake's, play:

"One night while working the graveyard shift at a roller disco in Marfa, TX, Donna and Colby are smacked with a surprise: The Apocalypse! How groovy! Now what?! Skating through a honky tonk disco fugue, the ladies are left to figure out who they are, what it all means, and if anything even matters at all. ROLLER DYNASTY celebrates friendship, disco music, and the end of the world."

This play is loaded with dark humor, exploration of who we are and what we might be responsible for, and will be performed entirely on roller skates.
So bring a funky date, buy a drink, and get ready for a wild ride because though it is always groovy, no one night is ever the same at THE ROLLER DYNASTY.

"Roller Dynasty" will star actors Monica Bell, Tony Jenkins, and Cassidy Wingate and will feature actors Emma Factor and Emily Hart-Lopez.

The play is written by Ryan Drake (YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING (Less than Rent Theatre), TERRIBLE RAGE (The Tank), ROLLER DYNASTY (Sprout Works, 999 Festival Reading), MOON KIDS (Crashbox Theatre Company, Mason Holdings) and GAMING AND CRYING AND DREAMING AND GAMING (Dixon Place, Actors Theatre Louisville Apprentice Workshop)) and is directed by Emma Miller (co-founder of The Hearth, Athena (The Hearth at JACK), Nurse Sluts (The Tank LadyFest), and For Annie (The Hearth at Lucid Body House); Gaming and Crying and Dreaming and Gaming (Dixon Place); Ryan & Alice (Cincinnati Fringe/KNOW Theatre); Summer and Smoke, Gidion's Knot (Thomas Turgeon Memorial Award for Achievement in Directing), A Steady Rain (Thomas Turgeon Memorial Award for Achievement in Directing), Boeing Boeing, Arsenic and Old Lace (Kenyon College); Dry Land, and Post Grad: A New Musical (StageFemmes)).

"Roller Dynasty" plays Thursday - Sunday from November 8-18 at Medicine Show Theatre Ensemble (545 West 52nd Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10019). Tickets are $18. Tickets and information are available at sprout-works.com.

Ryan Drake is a playwright and filmmaker in Brooklyn, NY. His plays include YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING (Less than Rent Theatre), TERRIBLE RAGE (The Tank), ROLLER DYNASTY (Sprout Works, 999 Festival), MOON KIDS (Crashbox Theatre Company, Mason Holdings) and GAMING AND CRYING AND DREAMING AND GAMING (Dixon Place, Actors Theatre Louisville Apprentice Workshop). His short plays have been featured at The Wild Project, 7x7 at The Tank, Serials@TheFlea, Kenyon College, YesNoise production's High Line Series, Calliope Theatre, and The Playwrights Collective. Upcoming: La Mama Experimental Theatre Club. He wrote the webseries "Sensitive" which can be streamed on Amazon Prime and SeekaTV. "Sensitive" was featured on Canada's OutTV on their network series "Best of the Web" and won the Audience Award at Brooklyn Webfest. He graduated from Kenyon College in 2014 where he won the James E Michael Playwriting Prize. Ryan recently wrapped the short film "Eden, The Clown" which he wrote, directed, produced, and assistant edited.

Emma Miller is a New York-based director, producer, and educator. She is Co-Founding Artistic Director of the feminist theater company The Hearth, with which she recently directed the NYTimes Critics' Pick world premiere of Gracie Gardner's Athena. Emma's work as a director has been seen at JACK, Queens Theater, South Oxford Space, Playwrights Downtown, Dixon Place, Lucid Body House, The Tank, The Cincinnati Fringe Festival, StageFemmes, Kenyon College, Two Headed Rep,The Bridge Residency, and Less Than Rent.

Emma received a New York Innovative Theater Awards nomination for her direction of For Annie, and was the two-time recipient of Kenyon College's Thomas Turgeon Memorial Prize for Achievement in Directing. She completed the Fellowship program at Playwrights Horizons and was a Directing Intern at the Kenyon Playwrights Conference for two summers. She has taught at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and at SPACE on Ryder Farm, and is the Director of Theater Arts at B'nai Jeshurun. Emma is an alumna of Kenyon College and the National Theater Institute's Advanced Directing program.

Co-founded by Monica Bell, Tony Jenkins, and Cassidy Wingate, Sprout Works is a theatrical Production Company based in New York City geared towards the creation of new works, expanding communities and audiences, and providing professional opportunities to early career artists. To learn more, Sprout-Works.com

Monica Bell is an actor and producer from NYC. Producing credits include Smoke (T. Schreiber Studio), Agency (Access Theater), Mercury Fur, Stop/Kiss, and Seminar (RJR Theater). Film credits include Daredevil (Marvel/Netflix), The Deuce (HBO), Jon Glaser Loves Gear (TruTV), and Cassiopeia [upcoming]. Theater credits include As You Like It (Vineyard Theatre), 12 Angry Women (Alpha Theater), Romeo and Juliet (The Brick), Victoria Woodhull (Textile Theater Co), Juliet and Ophelia (HB Studio).

Tony Jenkins is a New York City based actor, playwright, spoken word poet and director from Winston Salem, NC. He has travelled with his writing throughout his home state and to national stages as a keynote presenter at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the NAACP, the North Carolina Arts Council and the National at Risk Educators Conference to name a few.

He studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he received his B.F.A. in Acting.

His first play, "Baggage Claim," premiered at Lincoln Center through Lincoln Center Education. He performed in and co-directed his second play, "BLACK MAGIC," which won Best Overall Play at the 2016 NYC International Fringe Festival, and went on to a sold out run at the National Black Theatre Festival.

His most recent acting credits include Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure (The Times Center), Agency (Access Theatre, *Winner Innovative Theatre Award), The Clown in On The Nose (Mischief Dance Co).

Hailing from North Carolina, Cassidy Wingate is an actor / content creator based in Brooklyn NY.

She has studied at University of North Carolina School of the Arts as well as the Laura Henry Studio, Mary Irwin Studio, James Calleri Studio, William Esper Studio, Reckless Theatre, The Barrow Group, Movement Theater Studio NYC and privately with Andy Gale, Ben Furey, Elizabeth Pacheco-Rose, and Glenn Siebert.

She has performed in projects produced by or in association with Cirque du Soleil, Lincoln Center Education, the Bass Museum of Modern Art, the University Settlement, The Woolgatherers, and more.

Aside from performance, she has co-founded Greenhouse Playwrights Co-op, co-founded Sprout Works Production Company, assistant taught mask/movement at NYU Tisch and Suny Purchase. To learn more, CassidyWingate.com

Emma Factor is a New York City based actress, with experience working as a dancer, dance captain, and choreographer. She is a graduate of University of North Carolina's high school and college program, receiving a BFA in acting.

Recently, you can see Emma in her recurring role as Lucinda on CBS' Madam Secretary, where she was given the opportunity to work with directors Morgan Freeman and Phil Bertelsen. This summer she had the honor to play M in "The Arsonists" by Jacqueline Goldfinger at Thrown Stone Theater Company directed by Jonathan Winn.

During her training at UNC School of the Arts, Emma was cast as Holga in Arthur Miller's After the Fall directed by Carl Forsman; played Edith Potter in The Women Directed by the wonderful Giovanna Sardelli; got the chance to work with Jesse Berger as Lady Townley in Man of Mode; and finished the year playing Connie in Bob Glaudini's Jack Goes Boating.

Born in El Paso, Texas and raised Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Emma began her life in the performing arts with her first ballet class at the age of three. Her passion for dance led her to spending summers at The Rock School for Dance Education studying ballet, and later attending UNC School of the Arts summer program, where she stayed year round in 2012 as a ballet major. It was there, in an acting class as a ballet major, that she discovered her deep love for acting, truth, and story-telling, and went on to accept a spot in the high school drama program at UNCSA. From there, she accepted a spot in the conservatory training program, where she graduated from last year. She is having a blast getting to know New York, and is thrilled to continue to work and learn as an artist as she pursues her professional career in acting.

Originally from Charleston, SC, Emily Hart-Lopez is a professional performing artist, dancer, and dance/fitness instructor based in NYC. Emily is a graduate from UNCSA with a B.F.A in Dance. Emily's work ranges in multiple genres of dance from contemporary to heels, jazz, bollywood, tollywood, musical theater, street jazz, salsa, other latin styles, and more. Since moving to the city, Emily has performed (as a company member or guest artist) with LESalsa, Gotham Dance Theater, Cirque du Nuit, Reaction Dance Company NYC, Gaspard & Dancers, and the Designated Movement Company. In addition to company work, Emily freelances, dancing for artists such as the DSP U.S.A Live Tour, Ozzie Valencia, Baby Dayliner, Qinza Najm, and more appearing in music videos, film, television, and performance art. Alongside performing, Emily instructs dance and fitness to all ages and levels, teaching Latin Fusion Heels for organizations such as Choreolounge and Self-Centered Events in addition to working with senior citizens and youth through Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP), Roll America, CBN, and more. Emily is thrilled to be joining this incredible team! Next up, Emily will be appearing in the "Little Prince" with Flint Rep in Michigan.

Medicine Show Theatre Ensemble is a company of professional theatre artists dedicated to offering creative alternatives to conventional theatre by creating and presenting works that experiment with language, music, movement, form and ideas, and meld the strengths of theatrical tradition with innovation. We offer provocative theater for professional theatergoers!

The works are chosen to delight the mind, honor creativity, confound empty convention, encourage active compassion and present the many facets of the American experience within a global community. We are committed to the belief in theater as an art form that inspires, challenges, questions and entertains. This commitment is reflected in our choice of repertory and the multi-ethnic composition of the Ensemble.

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