AN ATTEMPT TO HEAL IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD Comes to FringeNYC

AN ATTEMPT TO HEAL IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD, a new dark comedy about Wilhelm Reich, one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry, will have a limited engagement run from Tuesday, October 16thto Friday, October 28thas part of FringeNYC's 2018 lineup. The production is written and directed by David E. Tolchinsky.

Dave has a problem: He feels that something is wrong with his body, but he can't quite point to what. Can the bizarre theories of 1950s rogue scientist Wilhelm Reichhelp before everything in his life crumbles?Exploring the radical ideas of sex and health developed by early-20thcentury psychiatrist and onetime Freud protégé Wilhelm Reich, the play is Tolchinsky's second New York stage production following the critical success of Where's the Rest of Me? in 2015. Ticketholders meet at 685 Washington Street (at Charles Street) and find the DARK BLUE FLAG to be led to the performance venue.

The production is also about the process of storytelling, whether screenplay, play, scientific conception, psychological conception or Biblical story, about whether our stories should be simple, complex, pinned down or open for interpretation. And ultimately what is true and what is fiction. In particular, it is about a difficult historical figure where easy answers aren't easily found, about the author's remembrances that aren't always easily pinned down, and about how our perceptions of real people can be interpreted by the movies. So the author is interrogated by the cast about what was included, what was left out, and what may have been misinterpreted.

"I love how movies can immerse you in a dream-like world, but I love the unpredictability and immediacy of live theater. I'm an 'expert' screenwriter/filmmaker but am a kid when it comes to theater. It's all just new and intriguing," Mr. Tolchinsky says. "I can't wait to see the story come to life on stage.

The cast of AN ATTEMPT TO HEAL IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLDfeatures Sergio Fuenzalida, Paul Obedzinski, Andrea Peterson, RileyAustin Scott, Dave Tolchinsky, and Paul Weissman.

AN ATTEMPT TO HEAL IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLDfeatures visual and scenic design by Dan Silverstein, lighting design by Emma Sheehan, and costume design by Erika Degraffinrealdt. Kelley Sener is the Production Stage Manager, James Dean Palmer is the Assistant Director, and Jessy Lynn is the Producer.

This FringeNYC performance is the first fully staged production of AN ATTEMPT TO HEAL IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD.The running time is two hours.

Performances of AN ATTEMPT TO HEAL IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLDare on Tuesday, October 16that 4:15pm, Thursday, October 18that 9:15pm, Thursday, October 25that 9:15pm, Saturday, October 27that 2:00pm, and Sunday, October 28that 12:00pm. Ticketholders are expected to meet on-time at FringeNYC's central location at 685 Washington Street (at Charles Street). From there, find the DARK BLUE FLAG to be led to the performance venue.

Tickets start at $16 for students and seniors, $16 for groups of 20 or more or $18 for groups of 10 or more, and $22 for individual tickets. They are available online ONLY at http://fringenyc

David E. Tolchinsky (Playwright & Director) is the Founder/Director of Northwestern University's MFA in Writing for Screen+Stage program, a longtime screenwriter and curator and a new playwright and director. Most recently, his work has been centering on health and illness in the modern world, especially illnesses that are not easily explainable. In 2015, he was voted Best Director for the New York production of his play, Where's the Rest of Me? (which was nominated for Best Play and chosen to be included in the anthology, The Best Plays from the Strawberry One-Act Festival Vol. 8). His play Clear was published in Issue 3 2015 of Proscenium Journal. He was No. 8 on New City's Film 50 2015: Chicago's Screen Gems, co-curated Sick by Seven (seven plays/films about mental health in the modern world) at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago as part of its Incubator Series, and was no. 7 on New City's Film 50 2017: Chicago Screen Gems. Where's the Rest of Me?was also included in The Road Theatre's 2018 Summer Playwrights Festival in Los Angeles. He is the founder/director of Northwestern University's MFA in Writing for Screen+Stage program, a graduate of Yale University (BA) and USC School of Cinematic Arts (MFA).

James Dean Palmer (Assistant Director) is a New York based director and educator. In 2010 he was awarded a Joseph Jefferson award for Best Direction of The Love of the Nightingale. He has worked with Steppenwolf Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, American Theatre Company, The Texas Shakespeare Festival, Asolo Rep, NYU, Fordham, Chautauqua Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists, among others. For nine seasons he served as the Artistic Director of Chicago's Red Tape Theatre. He was assistant to the Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre and served on the Board of Directors at the League of Chicago Theaters. James has received fellowships from the Drama League, SDCF, Chautaqua Theatre Company and is a Peter Kaplan Fellow. He holds an MFA in Directing from Brown University and is a full member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers union. James teaches Acting and Voice and Speech at the Professional Performing Arts School in midtown Manhattan. He has taught directing at Playwrights Horizons and acting at Trinity Repertory Company's Young Adult Summer Institute as well as teaching Viewpoints and Suzuki at Red Tape Theatre in Chicago.

Dan Silverstein (Production Co-Developer and Visual Designer) is an artist and the Associate Director of Exhibitions and Collections Logistics at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art in Evanston, IL where he designs, plans, researches, and installs exhibitions, often working closely with artists to help them actualize their works in specific gallery spaces. As an artist, he works with both objects and video. Recently, his installations have been seen at Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs in New York City, the Evanston Art Center in Evanston, IL, and the UFVA New Media Exhibit at Columbia College, Chicago. He has produced and directed videos, including a feature length documentary, "Tomorrow's New Light: The Bill Lowe Story." He has a BFA from Northern Illinois University, and enjoys traveling extensively in support of his freelance curatorial efforts and installations. Silverstein has spent the last 10 years developing a working relationship with Dave Tolchinsky through various projects, first as both a designer and installer for some of his earlier work, then eventually as a collaborator on several projects that they developed in tandem.

Jessy Lynn (Producer) is a New York based theatre maker. Her producing history includes Jacqueline McLaren's Apartment Complexwhich premiered at Manhattan Repertory Theatre and Dave Tolchinsky's Where's the Rest of Me?.She graduated from the University of Puget Sound with her BA in Theatre and English Literature with an emphasis on Shakespearean studies in 2013