Local Playwright Manoli Kouremetis is Returning To The Z With His World Premiere Of SAINT IRENE'S

Zeiders American Dream Theater (The Z) in Town Center under the leadership of Artistic Director Bart Kuebler, Executive Director Terry Flint will present Manoli Kouremetis' play, Saint Irene's.

Saint Irene's will run as a part of The Z's Hatchery Series. The once-proud Greek Orthodox parish of Saint Irene's has fallen on hard times. As conflict, strife, and blame overtake the church council, a long-banished parishioner appears with the promise of financial salvation. But his arrival pitches the parish into another crisis, as the congregants find themselves fighting not just for their church but for their souls.

"I began writing Saint Irene's wondering how a community would react if an institution that seemed unending was suddenly in jeopardy. Many people have chosen to leave the church for many different reasons, but what if because of financial reasons your church was on the brink of leaving you?" explains playwright Manoli Kouremetis.

Originally staged at The Z in 2017 as a reading, this new revamped version will be a fully realized production with noticeable changes from the previous staged reading. Manoli says that "The process of seeing the play developed in The Hatchery, and hearing the actors bring it to life helped me introduce a stronger structure for the story, while also allowing me to further explore the characters and stay true to who they were in the initial version."

Artistic Director Bart Kuebler indicates that "We created The Hatchery in fulfillment of our mission to present new works and emerging artists, and to do so in a manner that is as valuable to the artist as it is to the audience."

Cast members include: Rachel Botchan (Ruth Lampros), Elizabeth Acosta (Callie Galatas), Joel King (Harry Vardis), Jody O'Neil (Father Stathis), and Chris Kypros (Stanley Karpousis).

Creative team members include: Sarah Norris (Director), Olivia Madrid (Stage Manager), Sam Flint (Production Design), and Sandy Short (Costume Design).

Saint Irene's runs January 23-February 2. Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 2:30pm. Tickets are $25 General and $21 for Military and Senior. $10 Student Rush tickets will be available one hour prior to the show at the box office only.

Zeiders American Dream Theater is located at 4509 Commerce Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23462

ABOUT ZEIDERS AMERICAN DREAM THEATER

Zeiders American Dream Theater, known as The Z, is a professional, non-profit performing arts companya??whose mission is to provide a wide range of highly entertaining artistic experiences to the community by fostering and introducing new works and exceptionally gifted artists in all areas of the performing arts. The Z is a community hub for celebrating creative growth and entertainment. With intimate performance spaces and unique programming that generates an exciting connection between the performer and the audience, The Z inspires audiences and performers to tap into their own creative spark, unleash their dreams, and achieve their full potential. TheZ.org

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