Ali Stroker and Mimi Lieber to Star In Reading Of New Play By Matt Webster, JAY AND THE CONTEST

Jay is trapped in a toxic home environment. Taking care of her drug-addicted mother and lonely and misunderstood younger brother, she dreams of escaping into a better world. She is presented with the chance-of-a-lifetime when winning a nation-wide essay contest to be the new writer of the final book in a beloved series left incomplete by the death of the author. However, Jay's "dream ending" of the story is threatened when she has to collaborate with an additional, surprise contest winner. Set in the American Midwest, Jay and the Contest explores what it means to make it out of our hometown, no matter the consequences.

With Declan Eells, Mimi Lieber (Indecent), Kelly Pekar, Deon Releford-Lee, and Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!). The reading features direction by Hannah Ryan, stage management by Molly Goodwin, assistant direction by Diane Phelan, and production management by Parker Krug and Tony Lance.

Matt Webster's world premiere play Back recently enjoyed a critically acclaimed run in New York. Other plays and musicals include: Kingdom Come (winner Best Musical at the NYC Downtown Urban Theatre Festival) and Jay and the Contest. With his frequent collaborator Taylor Ferrera, Matt has written: Cinderella; Democracy, Day 1; County Fair - A Country Hits Musical; Propaganda! The Musical (winner Best Featured Actress and Best Choreography at NYMF). Propaganda! The Musical made its international debut at the Gaetnerplatz Theatre in Munich, Germany in July of 2018. This summer, it will be released as a one of a kind, fully produced, podcast musical, featuring a full sound design, complete orchestra, and a cast filled with Broadway stars. He received his BFA in Acting from West Virginia University where he was named the outstanding graduate from the College of Creative Arts. He currently teaches acting and is a resident playwright at The New York Film Academy. Matt is a founding member of the Magic Forest Theatre Company - a traveling children's theatre that performs at pre-schools and daycares across the NY Metro area. Matt won the 2016 Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting and currently works as assistant to Broadway's Andrew Lippa. www.TheOtherMattWebster.com

Hannah Ryan: Broadway Resident Director of Hamilton. Founding collaborator of Nettelworks: a creative collective. Director: Confidence and The Speech (Theatre Row) All Dressed Up (Redhouse Arts Center) Every Path (La Jolla Playhouse & Moxie Theatre) Still Life (Keller Gallery) The Guys (Davenport Theatre) Ascended (Zoetic Stage) New York Theatre Workshop Gala (Plaza Hotel) The Big Announcement (Drama League's Rough Draft Series) Let's Misbehave (Mr. Finn's Cabaret) Cendrillon and Gianni Schicchi (Point Loma Opera) Twelfth Night, Midsummer, The Forced Marriage, et al (Point Loma Playhouse), Broadway Resident Director of An American in Paris, Associate Director The Curious Incident on Broadway, Circus in Winter (Goodspeed), The Golem of Havana (Barrington Stage Company & Miami New Drama) Assistant Director: Doctor Zhivago & 700 Sundays (HBO), Christopher Plummer's A Word or Two (CTG), Fetch Clay, Make Man (NYTW), Sideways and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (La Jolla Playhouse). Member of SDC, Drama League Director's Project Fellow & Resident, SDC Foundation Denham Fellow.
www.HannahMRyan.com

JAY AND THE CONTEST
a reading of a new play by Matt Webster

directed by Hannah Ryan
with Tony Award-winner Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!) and Mimi Lieber (Indecent)

Monday, February 24 at 7PM
Theatre Row | Theatre Four
410 West 42nd Street, New York, NY
RSVP: PropagandaTheatricals@gmail.com

To post a comment, you must register and login.