The Studios of Key West Launches StudioWorks Series With THE MON VALLEY MEDIUM

THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST has launched StudioWorks, a streaming theater series that brings innovative productions to at-home audiences. Starting today, an original digital theater production will be released and available to stream each month. Created by theater artists all over the country, StudioWorks productions can be purchased individually or as a subscription at vimeo.com/ondemand/studioworks.

The first show, The Mon Valley Medium, is now available. This darkly comedic tale takes place when a murder sends a working-class community into chaos. Written, directed and performed by Pittsburgh native Alec Silberblatt, the story centers on Mack, a local man, who relays the story as he struggles with the guilt he feels about his role in it all.

"This play is about a guy struggling with what he believes, and coming to grips with the consequences of those beliefs," explains Silberblatt. "In this political and cultural environment, I would posit lots of folks are similarly struggling. And, this is a funny, thrilling story. Why now? Because it's always a good time for a good story that makes you laugh, gasp, and sit forward. I'm excited that this story is gonna be available to a wide audience. Plays are usually fleeting, which adds to their intrigue and magic. But that also means that not everyone has access to these specific stories. They're done in one city, in one theater for three or four weeks, then they're gone. This play will be able to reach so many more people of all backgrounds no matter where they live. That's really thrilling to me."

Elena Devers, Deputy Director of The Studios of Key West, adds: "As an arts organization that's a little off the beaten path geography-wise, The Studios is always looking for ways to engage with the wider world in terms of the work we create and support. One way we do that is through our Artist Residency program. Alec participated in that program a couple of years back, and while here, he performed The Mon Valley Medium for a small live audience. The response was incredible...the story was electric, his presentation was flawless, and we knew we were dealing with something special. It was obvious we needed to find a way to share this incredible play with people beyond the Florida Keys. Even with the limitations of COVID, we knew we could still reach audiences by creating a dynamic streaming theater program. As the world settles into a new normal, we're still committed to producing affordable theater that can be watched anywhere. We're really proud to have had a hand in bringing this show to life."

StudioWorks productions can be purchased as a package for $35 for the full season all four shows. Individual plays can be purchased on the day of their release for $10 each. The productions are available to stream for six months starting on November 11, or six months from date or purchase.

StudioWorks's four-production series offers dynamic performances by noted theater, television and film actors including Michael Urie, Ann Harada, Colby Lewis, Constance Shulman, and Leon Addison Brown, among others. Unstuck as F@#k, the second play of the series, sees Tony Award-nominated Broadway star Anika Larsen of Almost Famous making her directorial debut. Featuring great stories and showcasing remarkable contemporary talent, the series includes an exclusive mix of virtual world premiere productions. The season will finish in March with an encore presentation of nationally-acclaimed Smithtown, the inaugural streaming play produced by The Studios in 2020 in an effort to keep theater alive during the pandemic.

OTHER SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

DECEMBER 3, 2022

Unstuck as F@#k

The piece is written and performed by Orlando Bishop and directed by Anika Larsen. Over the course of 70 minutes, LA-based entertainer and comedian Bishop commands the stage as he tells the hilarious and at times heartbreaking story of his life-from growing up in the concrete jungle of Flatbush, Brooklyn to his years in the ivory tower of Yale-and all the ups and downs that came after.

JANUARY 13, 2023

Repair

This cinematic and theatrical hybrid filmed on location in a working garage in Queens. Two worlds collide over a tragic incident when a car pulls into a closed body shop one night in the middle of a downpour. When the mechanic goes outside to let the driver know the shop isn't open, he quickly discovers that nothing about the encounter is random. The play was written by Michael Marrero and Julio Trinidad, directed by Michael Marrero, and stars Leon Addison Brown (Drama League Award nominee) and Julio Trinidad. Tony Award-winning sound designer Sun Hee Kil composed the score.

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Smithtown

The Studios will re-release Smithtown, a play acknowledged around the country by The New Yorker, TheaterMania, and The New York Times. Smithtown was written by Drew Larimore and directed by Stephen Kitsakos, Artistic Associate of The Studios of Key West. The story consists of a series of four interconnected but distinct monologues featuring an ensemble of top Broadway and television actors: Michael Urie (Broadway revival of Torch Song, "Ugly Betty"), Ann Harada (Avenue Q and Cinderella on Broadway), Colby Lewis (Chicago's Hamilton, "Chicago Med"), and Constance Shulman ("Orange is the New Black" on Netflix, The Rose Tattoo on Broadway). Incisively dark and funny, Smithtown shines a spotlight on the ways we communicate, and miscommunicate, in a rapidly evolving digital era, when the rules of conduct change by the minute, and loneliness and isolation seem to be the order of the day.

THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST is known for its Artist Residency Program, which offers residencies to the brightest and most promising talent. Writers, visual artists, musicians and theater artists are invited to spend one month on the island, creating, collaborating, and producing original work. Several of the StudioWorks productions have resulted through these collaborations. More information about the program can be found at tskw.org.

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