Frank J. Avella's LURED To Run At The Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival In 2021; 2020 Festival Cancelled

Following its sold-out, world-premiere run at Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Artistic Director) in November 2018 and its successful bow in Rome, Italy via the OnStage! American Theater Festival in January 2019, Frank J. Avella's Lured was selected to play eight performances at the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival in May 2020. As with most events, the Dublin Fest has been canceled but the Fest has invited all 2020 companies to participate in 2021.

The DIGTF is the largest LGBTQ-related theatre festival in the world. More info and official festival cancellation message here: http://www.gaytheatre.ie/news/idgtf-2020-cancellation/

Lured is a brutal and honest depiction of gay persecution in Russia. Based on factual accounts and events, the play focuses on one particular Russian hate group's attack on a young gay man and the repercussions that follow, when his loved ones decide to take action. Lured wonders if hate is inherent or taught and whether revenge is ever the answer. Lured is for mature audiences.

Cast members reuniting for Dublin included: Ms. Brentan, Brendan Daugherty, John DiMino, Cali Gilman, Kalen J. Hall and Marc Lombardo with Randall Rodriguez, the Lured fight choreographer, as Yuri and Alyssa Kempinski on board as Stage Manager and Zhanna alternate. The Associate Producer is Ashley Garrett.

FRANK J. AVELLA (Author, co-director) is the recipient of a 2019 International Writers Residency at Arte Studio Ginestrelle in Assisi, Italy and a 2018 Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship. Lured was a 2018 O'Neill semifinalist and had its world premiere at Theater for the New City, November, 2018. The play was featured in the OnStage! American Theater Festival in Rome, Italy, January 2019 and has been accepted into the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival. Frank received a 2015 NJ State Arts Council Fellowship Award for his play, CONSENT which was a 2019 O'Neill semifinalist. Frank was also awarded a 2016 Helene Wurlitzer Residency Grant & Chesley/Bumbalo Foundation Playwright Award for Consent. Produced work includes Catamitus, Iris, Michael's #1 Fan, & Unhinging. Other plays: Vatican Falls, Orville Station, For Mamma, Nemesis & Mad. Award-winning screenplays include: Screw The Cow and his adaptation of his play, Consent. Frank is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. https://newplayexchange.org/users/5582/frank-j-avella

CARLOTTA BRENTAN (co-director) is a theater artist specializing in new play development as an actor, producer, director and theatrical translator. Recent theater highlights include originating roles in the world premieres of Frank J. Avella's Lured (also co-directed, sold our run at Theater for The New City, and OnStage! Festival in Rome, Italy), Paolo Bignami's The Journey I Never Made (also translated from the original Italian, Cherry Lane Theatre), Erik Ehn's Clover (La MaMa E.T.C.) Producer of In Scena! Italian Theater Festival now in its eighth yearly edition in New York, and proud member of the League of Professional Theatre Women and Kairos Italy Theater. Carlotta is also a prolific voiceover artist & award-winning audiobook narrator. www.carlottabrentan.com

Lured had its first NYC performances at the TNC Dream Up Festival in 2016. The following year, the play was chosen to take part in the 36th Annual William Inge Theater Festival (PlayLabs). Lured was a semi-finalist for the 2018 O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and received a 2018 grant from the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation.

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