New Psychological Thriller DAMASCUS Opens At Florida Rep

Florida Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce the southeastern United States premiere of "Damascus," a psychological thriller chosen from the theatre's popular PlayLab festival of new works in 2017. Playing November 9 to December 9 in the ArtStage Studio Theatre, the run includes four nearly sold out preview performances November 6-8 and features a talkback with the cast and playwright following the matinee performance on November 17.

"This play is electric, thrilling, and is going to have audiences on the edge of their seats," said Associate Artistic Director, Jason Parrish. "When this play was read in our 2017 PlayLab Festival, it started an important discussion about the assumptions we all make about one another and ignited a debate about what motivates people to commit unspeakable crimes. It is a timely and topical story, but more importantly, it is just a great piece of theatre that puts our ArtStage Studio into a configuration audiences have never seen. This is not one to miss."

"Damascus," by Bennett Fisher, stars Darian Dauchan, Jeremiah Clapp, and Laura Shatkus - all making their Florida Rep debuts. Set mostly inside a shuttle van between the Minneapolis and Chicago airports, "Damascus" is a claustrophobic and electrifying conversation about extremism, our biases, and the line between caution and paranoia. Darian Dauchan plays Hassan, the Somali American shuttle driver struggling to make ends meet. Jeremiah Clapp, a regional actor and recent Case Western Reserve/Cleveland Playhouse MFA graduate, plays the 19-year-old college student, Lloyd, who is desperate to get to Chicago in the dead of night. Laura Shatkus, a Chicago native whose recent work includes the Hippodrome Theatre in Gainesville and TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Arkansas, will be playing in various roles in "Damascus." Artistic Director, Greg Longenhagen remarked, "Our amazing team and this exceptional writing is sure to yield a hit. This play will take our audiences to the brink!"

Ensemble Member and Director, V Craig Heidenreich, leads an expert creative team that includes resident set designer Jordan Moore ("Cabaret"), ensemble costume designer Stefanie Genda ("Cabaret"), lighting and projection designer Rob Siler ("Becoming Dr. Ruth"), sound designer Katie Lowe ("Steel Magnolias"), and ensemble stage manager Audrey M. Brown ("Disgraced").

Tickets are available online at www.FloridaRep.org and through the box office at 239-332-4488. Tickets are priced at $55 for regular performances and $35 for discounted previews. Subscriptions start as low as $150 for six plays and offer the best seats and the most significant savings, and are available through the box office. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 AM - 5 PM. New this season, Florida Rep's parking lot will open 2 hours before each performance and offers guests limited free parking across the street from the Arcade Theatre.

"Damascus" is generously sponsored by Bruce and Janet Bunch. The media sponsor is Florida Weekly.

"Damascus" is part of a 9-show season that showcases Florida Rep's signature ensemble of artists in a variety of roles and projects and introduces a record number of Broadway and regional theatre veterans making their Florida Rep debuts.

The 2018-2019 season marks Florida Rep's third decade of nationally-recognized, professional theatre in the Fort Myers River District also includes a world-premiere adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," "Tenderly," a salute to Rosemary Clooney, August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, "Fences," Noel Coward's farce, "Hay Fever," Broadway's rock 'n' roll sensation, "Million Dollar Quartet,", and one of the most produced comedies of the last year, "Native Gardens" by Karen Zacarias.

Florida Repertory Theatre performs in the Historic Arcade Theatre and the ArtStage Studio Theatre on Bay St. between Jackson & Hendry with limited free parking in the Fort Myers River District. Visit Florida Rep online at www.FloridaRep.org, and by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.