First Floor Theater to Stage Chicago Premiere of THE AWAKE

First Floor Theater (FFT) is thrilled to announce the second show of their fourth season, the Chicago premiere of THE AWAKE, Ken Urban's lyrical and highly theatrical exploration of interrogation, government control, and the compulsive power of dreams, directed by Josh Altman. Hailed as "extraordinarily ambitious" by the New York Times, THE AWAKE plays February 14 - March 12 at Collaboraction's Room 300 Theater in The Flat Iron Arts Building. Tickets for THE AWAKE will be available at http://firstfloortheater.com/. The press opening is Sunday, February 14 at 6:00 p.m.

THE AWAKE features FFT Managing Director Amanda Fink, with Kaiser Ahmed, Scottie Caldwell, Daniel Desmarais, Barbara Figgins, Ada Grey and Matt Thinnes.

Malcolm, a devoted son, floats on a bed with his mother on an endless sea, as Gabrielle, an Eastern European actress, awakes to a new life in America. Meanwhile, Nate, an Arab-Canadian, is on the run from a faceless interrogator. These three strangers discover that a mysterious corporation bonds them together. Moving between dreams and reality, Ken Urban's award-winning play explores the unspoken culture of fear that is the new normal of American life. Josh Altman, the dramaturg for Ike Holter's nationally acclaimed Exit Strategy, joins FFT to direct this surreal and moving Chicago premiere. THE AWAKE premiered at 59E59 in New York in 2013 and was named a Critic's Pick by the New York Times.

FFT Artistic Director Hutch Pimentel says, "Every day the urgency behind this play seems to grow, with the rising of tide of Islamophobia in America, questions about the accountability and transparency of those who govern us, and our desire to simply escape. Ken's play is truly remarkable in its simultaneous intricacy and heft, and we're proud to continue our season this important play."

Playwright Ken Urban will be in Chicago to workshop the show January 6 - 9, 2016, and is available for press and interview requests during that time.

The production team for THE AWAKE includes: Lauren Nigri (scenic design), Heather Sparling (lighting design), Kelsey Ettman (costume design), Julie Leghorn (stage manager) and FFT Artistic Producer Will Bishop (production manager).

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