Ars Nova Presents NOW CIRCA THEN, Previews Tonight

Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director) presents the world premiere of NOW CIRCA THEN - an offbeat, comic tale of new beginnings that spans a century, written by Carly Mensch (LEN, ASLEEP IN VINYL; Showtime's "Weeds") and directed by Ars Nova Artistic Director Jason Eagan. Previews begin September 14 prior to an official press opening of September 27 at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues) in Manhattan.

Meet Julian and Josephine, an immigrant couple on New York's Lower East Side, circa 1890. Meet Gideon and Margie, an unlikely pair of historical reenactors, circa now. A museum tour goes off the rails in this scrappy tale of old places, new beginnings and timeless questions.

Several post-performance talk-backs have been scheduled throughout the run of NOW CIRCA THEN:

• Tuesday, September 21 "Population Punditry": Joseph Salvo and Frank Vardy, demographers with the Population Division at the Department of City Planning in New York, excel in knowing where the city's many ethnic groups work and live down to the individual street block. They also know where these groups used to live and where they are moving to in the future.

• Wednesday, September 22 "iHistory": Donald Davis, Professor of Economics and International Affairs at Columbia University, will join playwright Carly Mensch to discuss how we look at history in museums and how modern technology (smart phones, specifically) can make history come alive in the very spot where it happened.

• Thursday, September 30 "The True Story of 97 Orchard Street": Andrew Dolkart is the James Marston Fitch Associate Professor of Historic Preservation at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) and Director of the school's Historic Preservation Program. He is also the author of Biography of a Tenement House in New York City: An Architectural History of 97 Orchard Street.

• Tuesday, October 5 "Inside the Apple": Michelle and James Nevius (authors of "Inside the Apple" which the New York Times calls, "A smart and entertaining window on the city of the past.") join Carly to discuss the history of the Lower East Side. All talk-backs will take place immediately following that evenings performance.

Directed by Ars Nova Artistic Director, the two-hander cast of NOW CIRCA THEN is Stephen Plunkett (Signature Theatre's THE ORPHAN'S HOME CYCLE - parts I, II, & III, Vineyard's THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, and most recently seen in LCT3's ON THE LEVEE) and Maureen Sebastian (YEAR ZERO at Second Stage, SOUL SAMURAI, and Ma-Yi's CHILDREN OF VONDERLY).

The design team for NOW CIRCA THEN is: OBIE Award-winner Lauren Helpern (scenic design), Drama Desk nominee Jenny Mannis (costume design), Lucille Lortel nominee Traci Klainer (lighting design), Ryan Rumery (original music and sound), and Damon Arrington (Production Stage Manager).

Carly Mensch's plays include LEN, ASLEEP IN VINYL (2nd Stage/Uptown Series), ALL HAIL HURRICANE GORDO (Humana Festival, Cleveland Play House) and OBLIVION (Playwrights Horizons commission). Carly has developed work at The Kennedy Center, Marin Theatre Company, New York Stage & Film and Ars Nova, where she was the 2008 Playwright-in-Residence, as well as a founding member of Play Group. Carly is a graduate of Dartmouth College and The Juilliard School's Lila Acheson Wallace Playwrights Program, and is currently a staff writer on Showtime's Weeds.

As Artistic Director of Ars Nova since 2003, Jason Eagan has had the great fortune of directing and supporting the development of thousands of artists whose work has begun to expand across the globe. Prior to his work with Ars Nova, directing credits include: new productions of GYPSY, starring Andrea McArdle, and OKLAHOMA! for Houston Ballet & Theater, and the award-winning San Francisco production of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. Jason came to New York in 1997 to manage the design studio for Disney's THE LION KING, and has also enjoyed affiliations with The Improbable Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Theater Workshop, Lincoln Center, Los Angeles Opera and San Francisco Opera.

Ars Nova is committed to developing and producing theatre, comedy and music artists in the Early Stages of their professional careers. Its unique development programs are designed to support outside-the-box thinking and encourage innovative, genre-bending work. By providing a safe environment where risk-taking and collaboration are paramount, Ars Nova gives voice to a new generation of artists and audiences, pushing the boundaries of live entertainment by nurturing creative ideas into smart, surprising new work. For more information on Ars Nova's programs, visit www.arsnovanyc.com.

Producing credits include: BLOODSONG OF LOVE, MISSED CONNECTIONS NYC, ANT FEST, SAX & DIXON: WE THEE WED, MEL & EL: SHOW & TELL, TWO GIRLS FOR FIVE BUCKS AND THE TEN DOLLAR HEARTBREAKERS, PLAYLIST, JOLLYSHIP THE WHIZ-BANG, BOOM, FROM UP HERE, DIXIE'S TUPPERWARE PARTY, AT LEAST IT'S PINK, 25 QUESTIONS FOR A JEWISH MOTHER, HOLY CROSS SUCKS!, FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME and THE WAU WAU SISTERS.

Scheduled September 14 through October 9, performances of NOW CIRCA THEN run Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets are $25, and can be purchased by calling 212-352-3101, online at www.arsnovanyc.com, or in person at the Ars Nova box office (511 West 54th Street), thirty minutes prior to curtain (subject to availability).

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