The Phoenix Theatre Announces THE MOST DAMAGING WOUND, Opens 9/3

The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis announces the first play of the 2009-2010 season, The Most Damaging Wound by Blair Singer, which was previously staged at Manhattan Theatre Source in November 2008. Opening September 3, 2009, this Midwest premiere can be seen on the Phoenix Mainstage through September 26, 2009 and features some of The Phoenix Theatre's most impressive and prolific talent.

On a cold November night, five college buddies gather to complete an unfinished rite of passage, which includes getting very drunk and burning a box of memorabilia from their Glory Days. Kenny (Shane Chuvalas), the organizer, has just become a father and is terrified that he's not ready for the job. His best friend Alan (Bill Simmons), who is married with a kid, brings his girlfriend (Karen Irwin) to the festivities. Rounding out the quintet is GG (Ricardo Melendez), the up-tight outcast who owns the still-under-construction restaurant they meet in; Dicky (Doug Johnson), a carpet salesman with a big personality who never truly grew up; and his rock star friend Bo (Scot Greenwell), who is struggling to get sober.

In many ways, this production is a reunion of veteran Phoenix players, coming together from various individual projects to bring this hilarious and touching material to life. Karen Irwin has been traveling across the country with her Fringe show A**holes and Aureoles and literally drove straight to her first rehearsal from a show the night before in Denver. Bill Simmons recently returned from a three-month stint at Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan where he originated the role of Joe in the world premiere of Carey Crim's Wake. Simmons will return to the Purple Rose in April as Editor Webb in Our Town with Daniels as the stage manager. Ricardo Melendez, most recently scene on the Phoenix Mainstage in Octopus, returns to Indy from Virginia, where he is Artistic Director of The Workshop Theatre Group. Melendez will be premiering his one man show Call me Boricua in February 2010 at the Phoenix, directed by Bryan Fonseca. Shane Chuvalas, in his fourth Phoenix production, brings with him commercial, music and film experience from all around Indiana, including Don't Dress for Dinner at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Another Phoenix veteran, Scot Greenwell, has appeared in several Phoenix Productions, most recently Octopus and The Zippers of Zoomerville. As a company member of Heartland Actors' Repertory Theatre, Greenwell has appeared in both of their Shakespeare on the Canal productions. Rounding out the cast is Doug Johnson, who recently returned to work with Steve Marra at Indy-based Adrenaline Motion Pictures. Previously Doug was featured in Adrenaline's award-winning SAG Short Evidence of Life and received critical acclaim for his role in Adrenaline's Amanda, shot here in Indianapolis.

Bryan Fonseca, Producing Director at the Phoenix, is directing this group and considers the experience a reunion of sorts. "The Most Damaging Wound is a definitive ensemble piece, with characters that have a history and camaraderie. That also describes the cast, who all have a history with the Phoenix and come together, much like the characters, as if no time has passed."
The setting is a soon-to-open French restaurant on the Upper East Side which will be brought to life by veteran set designer James Gross, who began designing for the Phoenix in 2003. Since then, Gross has designed over a dozen Phoenix sets, including Octopus, which featured 350 gallons of water flooding the Mainstage. Lindsey Lyddan is Light Designer, Chris Hansen is handling technical design and rops, with Lori Raffel designing the costumes.

Blair Singer is a New York-based playwright and television writer who wrote for the lonelygirl15 web series. He graduated with a degree in English from UCLA, and went on to study at Julliard's Drama Division. From there, Blair went on to teach acting, playwriting, poetry, and filmmaking with the DreamYard Drama Project. Through the project, Blair held full-year teaching residencies at a number of New York high schools. Blair has since written for television shows including Weeds, Monk, and The Book of Daniel. His plays, including The Most Damaging Wound have been seen in both New York and Los Angeles.

The Phoenix Theatre was founded in 1983 by a group of Indianapolis theatre artists who wanted to produce contemporary plays as well as to pay the theatre's artists, a goal that was achieved a few years down the road. In 1983, the Phoenix fulfilled a unique niche in the city's theatre environment: producing exclusively current plays. The theatre's mission has not changed since 1983, and Bryan Fonseca, the theatre's Producing Director, retains his original position. The Phoenix mission statement reads: "The Phoenix Theatre entertains by presenting the best of professional, contemporary theatre in an intimate setting. Engaging our community, patrons and staff with issue-oriented plays, the Phoenix enlightens audiences about social concerns while challenging them to re-examine their roles in society." Since 1988, the Phoenix has been housed in the Mass Ave Theatre and Gallery District in a 1907 former church building. The theatre's two venues are the proscenium 130-seat Mainstage and the cabaret-style 75-seat Frank & Katrina Basile (buh-SEAL) Theatre.

Ticket Prices

Thanks to the generosity of Duke Energy, our CheapSeats performances are expanding to Thursdays and Sundays, so our prices for the 2009-2010 Season will be $15.00 per person on Thursdays and Sundays. In response to the economy, and because we know that there are only so many entertainment dollars to go around, we are offering a discounted rate of $20.00 per person on Fridays and Saturdays (down from $25.00 last season). The Phoenix will continue to offer a youth rate of $15 for those 24 and under. We won't be selling FlexPasses this year, since all rates are discounted from our standard prices, so tickets are available now for all shows in the 2009-2010 season. Tickets for the new season may be purchased by calling the box office at 317.635.PLAY (7529) to charge by phone and will be available to purchase on-line at phoenixtheatre.org beginning August 10, 2009. All seating is general admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Performances are Thursdays at 7:00 pm; Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 8:00 pm. and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Doors open ½ hour prior to curtain for seating. The Phoenix Pub, located inside the theatre, offers beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, and bottled water, as well as treats, and all refreshments may be taken into either theatre and consumed during the performance.

For more information about any Phoenix programs or to purchase tickets, call The Phoenix Theatre box office at 317.635.PLAY(7529). The theatre's website is www.phoenixtheatre.org.

 

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