7TH MONARCH, Featuring Michael Rupert, Begins Rehearsals

Rehearsals begin today, May 15^th for 7^th MONARCH, a new play by Jim Henry, featuring Tony Award winner Michael Rupert. The Off-Broadway premiere of 7^th MONARCH is set to play a limited engagement at Theatre Row's Acorn Theatre June 12^th through September 9^th. Opening night is Sunday, June 24^th. In addition to Michael Rupert, the cast of 7^th MONARCH features Michael Cullen, Gretchen Hall, Leslie Hendrix and Matthew Humphreys, under the direction of Scott C. Embler. 

In 7^th MONARCH, Miriam Hemmerick, a mathematical genius who was on the fast track to becoming an astronaut, has been living in seclusion with her parents for the past 20 years after dropping out of college. Raina, a social worker, investigates a potential crime involving Miriam's mother and father, but the parents themselves are nowhere to be found. The mysteries start there, and dark personal secrets about these two women are soon revealed. 

Michael Cullen's New York stage credits include Bug (Obie Award); Cobb (Drama Desk Award); Bus Stop(Broadway); One Shot, One Kill (Primary Stages) and The Intelligent Sign of Jenny Chow (Atlantic). Gretchen Hall appeared on Broadway in Stick Fly and at Lincoln Center in Saturn Returns. Her TV credits include "Person of Interest," "Gossip Girl" and "Lipstick Jungle." Leslie Hendrix is best known for playing Medical Examiner Rodgers on "Law & Order." On Broadway, Leslie has been seen in The Music Man, Indiscretions, A Streetcar Named Desire and Hollywood Arms. Matthew Humphreys appeared on Broadway in The Vertical Hour and his film & TV credits include "Supernatural," "Burn Notice," "Medium," "Numb3rs," "Big Love," "Journeyman," The Good Shepherd and Chapter 27. Michael Rupert's Broadway credits include Pippin, City of Angels, Falsettos, Ragtime, Sweet Charity (Tony Award), Legally Blonde, The Happy Time and Shakespeare's Cabaret, and he starred Off-Broadway in March of the Falsettos, Putting It Together, Falsettoland and Elegies. 

Playwright Jim Henry is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists and Chicago Street Theatre. He received both the Jeff Award and L.A. Times Critic's Choice Award for his acclaimed play The Angels of Lemnos. DirectorScott C. Embler has directed Stain (Off-Broadway); Margot Alone in the Light (operamission); Death in England,Faith, Caliban (Vital); Burning Botticelli (FringeNYC) and Bloodties (NYMF). 

Set design for 7^th MONARCH is by Shoko Kambara, with costume design by D.W. Withrow, lighting design by D.M. Wood and sound design by David Pinkard.

7^th MONARCH is being produced Off-Broadway by Somerled Charitable Foundation, with general management by Brierpatch Productions. The playing schedule will be Tuesdays at 7 PM, Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM, with matinees Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 3 PM at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row, 410 West 42 Street (just west of Ninth Ave.) Tickets are $75 and are available at Telecharge.com 212-239-6200or through www.7thMonarch.com.