Rec Room Arts Presents ON THE EXHALE, Bringing The Personal Into A Polarizing Issue

On December 14th, 2012, a lone gunman, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, walked into an elementary school and killed 27 people in a matter of moments. 20 of them were under the age of seven. Along with the rest of the world, playwright Martín Zimmerman watched the aftermath of Sandy Hook in horror, unable to fathom how "something as horrific as that wasn't going to move our national government to take meaningful action on gun control."

His anger and frustration became fuel for On the Exhale, an unrelenting 60-minute play opening at Rec Room on February 20th. The regional premiere, directed by Stephanie Wittels Wachs, features longtime Catastrophic Theatre actor Amy Bruce as the sole performer in this powerful one woman tour de force.

Wachs, who recently published a memoir called EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE AND WONDERFUL exploring her own grief surrounding the loss of her brother Harris Wittels, was initially attracted to the piece precisely because of the way it realistically portrays the grieving process: "I think the danger of this piece is that people will think it's a play about gun violence and write it off, since it's such a polarizing issue. But that's not really what this play is about. This is a play about grief, which is universal. So this play has this astounding ability to speak to and resonate with every single person in the room. Furthermore, there is tons of humor in the play, something you wouldn't expect of a play the deals with such a weighty subject but something that makes it entirely accessible, true of human nature, and fascinating to watch."

The production team includes costume design by Clair Hummel and lighting and scenic design by Rec Room Arts' Creative Director, Stefan Azizi. Tasha Gorel is Assistant Director, Rory Leech is Dramaturg, and Allison Viera is stage manager.

Audiences are invited to gather in the bar following the February 23rd and March 2nd performances for two casual "Drink and Discuss" events, both hosted by Sophia Watt, Rec Room Arts' Associate Director. The first event, "Motherhood," will explore the behind the scenes process of working on such a triggering piece with director Stephanie Wittels Wachs and actor Amy Bruce, both of whom, in addition to being artists, are mothers. In the second, "Trauma," we welcome Alison Christy, PhD candidate, who will explore the way grief and trauma are depicted in theatre and film and the inherent challenges that come along with doing so.

For our patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, Rec Room Arts will provide ASL interpreting during the performance on Thursday, Feb 28.

SCHEUDLE

ON THE EXHALE opens February 20 and runs through March 9. Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. ASL friendly performance on Thursday Feb 28. "Drink and Discuss" post-show talk-backs are scheduled for Sat, Feb 23 and Sat, Mar 2. Rec Room Bar opens at 6:30 pm and remains open until 12:00 am. The box office opens one hour before curtain.

TICKETS

Single tickets are now on sale and range from $15 - $40. They can be purchased at the door or online at https://www.recroomarts.org/on-the-exhale. All shows are downtown at Rec Room, 100 Jackson Street, Houston, TX 77002.

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