A PRAYER FOR THE SANDINISTAS to Premiere Next Month at Prop Thtr

In a Polish-American neighborhood on Chicago's northwest side, Kassia - a devoutly Catholic Polish-American widow and her faith-challenged son Johnny are quietly facing the future with the support of Kassia's policeman brother-in-law Stanley and the parish priest. Then Kassia's sisters Eva and Anna, now nuns in a Nicaraguan mission, make a long-overdue visit with Maria, the orphan Johnny sponsored, and Maria's revolutionary boyfriend Carlos in tow. Long-buried family stories emerge and current geopolitics erupt in a combination that surprisingly, help Kassia and Johnny face longstanding guilts and fears.

A Prayer for the Sandinistas is a world premiere play by Chicago playwright and Subtext Theater Company founding member Leigh Johnson. His pair of two one-act plays, Brother's Keeper, was produced by Subtext in September 2015. He has also received critical praise for his scripts Lefties (2013) and Lotto Fever in the Sucker State (2014) both produced by the Saint Sebastian Players and Khe Sanh Bagman (2000) at Center Theatre. It will be directed by STC founding member Jonathan "Rocky" Hagloch and produced by STC Managing Artistic Director and founding member John Oster.

The cast of A Prayer for the Sandinistas includes Gloria Alvarez (Maria), Laura Brennan (Anna), JaCK Edwards (Johnny, age 11), David M. Hartley (Johnny, age 23), Hilary Hensler (Kassia), Victor Maraña (Carlos), Kate Robison (Mary), Julie Schlesinger (Eva), Louis Smrtnyk (Fr. Wozek), and Phil Troyk (Stanley).

STC was founded in April 2015 by John Oster, Jonathan "Rocky" Hagloch and Leigh Johnson. STC is a Non-Equity, 501c3 organization dedicated to bringing powerful stories to the stage through an exploration of the meanings found inside, under and between the authors' words. For more information about the company and its founders visit SubtextNFP.org.

A Prayer for the Sandinistas will be performed May 19 - June 11, 2017, with the press opening Friday May 19 at 8 pm. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $25. Reservations and tickets can be purchased through PayPal at www.subtextnfp.org/box-office.html. All programming is subject to change. For info, call 773-908-6124 or visit SubtextNFP.org.

Pictured: (top row) Hilary Hensler, David M. Hartley, Phil Troykl; (middle row) Julie Schlesinger, Laura Brennan, Gloria Alvarez; (bottom row) JaCK Edwards, Kate Robison, Louis Smyrtnyk, Victor Marana