Students Stage A DEADLY GAME OF CHESS at the Fairfield Theatre Company to Raise Money for Autism

A Deadly Game of Chess, the first work from local playwright and director Melody Rose will debut at the Fairfield Theatre Company's StageOne (70 Sanford Street in Fairfield, CT) on Sunday, June 30 at 4:00PM. The drama is staged largely by a cast and crew of local high school and college students, with proceeds benefitting Circle of Friends, a Norwalk-based non-profit organization that serves children, teens, and young adults with autism and disabilities. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and available at https://boxoffice.fairfieldtheatre.org/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=8868 .

Set in London in 1938, A Deadly Game of Chess follows the relationship between two main characters: shrewd Anton Lehrer (Lukas Baeskow) and his best friend, the cunning and street-smart Robyn Shawna Senscia (Michelle Mason). Anton has found a home in London after years on the run, but when Robyn returns from an extended stay in New York, she discovers that Anton's life is a facade. The unearthed secrets about Anton's secret life launch the two manipulative personalities into a deadly mind game in which their friends become their pawns.

Melody Rose, a 20-year old graduate of Wilton High School, began developing the project while she was still a teenager, as an adaption of the Ellis Island Trilogy by Cheryl E. Kemeny.

"Cheryl let me play around with her scripts for years, then pushed me to write my own project," explained Rose, who started writing Deadly Game when she was 16 years old and is producing the Fairfield Theatre production herself.

The cast and crew features Wilton natives including creative director Peyton Matik and choreographer Rachel Strazza. The play stars actors Michelle Mason, Lukas Baeskow, Madi Williams, and Jon Paul Watts. The instrumentalists and stagehands are all local students from area high schools.

A VIP ticket package, including two tickets to the performance, a CD and a DVD of the production is available for $50.

A Deadly Game of Chess includes some adult themes and is appropriate for audiences age 12 and over.

Melody Rose is a playwright, musical composer, actress, producer and director. As an actress, she has appeared in over 30 shows over the course of 15 years at Norwalk's Crystal Theatre. As a capstone to her time there, she was part of the original cast of Hungarian Nights, which toured in Budapest in August 2017.

All proceeds from this first-ever performance of A Deadly Game of Chess will benefit Circle of Friends, a non-profit organization which serves children, teens, and young adults with autism and disabilities. The organization involves its clients in a full array of inclusive social experiences including homes visits and play dates designed to foster a relationship between the client with special needs and a teenage volunteer. For more information about Circle of Friends, please visit https://www.circleoffriendsct.org/.

For updates on A Deadly Game of Chess, please visit the website at http://adeadlygameofchess.com/ or follow the production on social media at

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adeadlygameofchess

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deadlygamechess

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adeadlygameofchess/

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