CLANDESTINE Debuts at Planet Connections 6/3

Things are never exactly what they seem; as illuminated by NewGround Theatre Collective's production of Clandestine, a series of six short works about love, friendship, family, and the secrets that are all-too-often part and parcel of any relationship. Clandestine will begin performances on June 3rd at the Gene Frankel Theatre, located at 24 Bond Street, as part of the 2nd Annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. Members of the press are invited to all performances.

"We all have secrets or hidden parts of ourselves we don't let anybody see," NewGround member Luciana Faulhaber explains. "Yet...these secrets become a burden...keeping us emotionally tethered to the past." Rosebud Baker, actress and Executive Director of NewGround, adds, "Clandestine explores the stunted growth and survival rate of those relationships which are paradoxically dependent upon the truth remaining hidden."

In keeping with Planet Connections' mission of connecting artists and audiences with diverse and dynamic charitable organization, each performance of Clandestine will be accepting donations for Women in Need, which provides housing and aid to New York City's homeless women and their families.

The individual works in Clandestine are:

Crossing
By Ann Gillespie
Directed by Cindy N. Kawasaki
Featuring: Luciana Faulhaber & Carissa Cordes
One woman walking home after a long day of work and another heading for a bar to continue her already serious night of drinking cross paths on the Williamsburg Bridge at 1:00 a.m. As the water rushes beneath them, and the two spent a few tense moments talking about poetry, ghosts and living in a 24-hour town, the question becomes: just what are they doing on the bridge in the first place?

Dark Night of the Russet RascalBy Duncan Pflaster
Directed by: Luke Harlan
Featuring: Kate Michaud, Jess Pohly, Matt Carr
As crack reporter Alice "Ace" McAllister sits down for an interview with elusive millionaire playgirl Clarissa Zandt, neither is aware that the scourge of the city, and bilingual super villain, The Spanglish Fly, is about to strike. Can the superhero The Russet Rascal appear in time to save the day? Can Clarissa's butler Bertha forgive her boss for forgetting Secretary's Day? Will the Russet Rascal stop hiding behind her mask and learn that it's okay to fall in love? Will Clarissa finally remember the cookies she keeps leaving the room to get?? Find out all this and much more as a new day dawns in Dark Night of the Russet Rascal (in color)!

Fabulous
By Glory Bowen
Directed by Cindy N. Kawasaki
Featuring: Luciana Faulhaber & Mariel Matero
Seated at a trendy New York bar is Jeanette, a very opinionated Republican, who tyrannically controls the conversation with attacks on Obama and the N.E.A., despite her best friend Claire's attempts to get a word in edgewise. Yet in-between Jeanette's verbal barrages patiently lurks the subject of gay marriage...and subjective it is... it seems priorities can change pretty quickly when things become personal.

Rules of Engagement
By Nandita Shenoy
Directed by Luke Harlan
Featuring: Eugene Oh & Bonna Tek
Eugene, a 20-something Asian-American man, is very interested in Nora, his 30-something Asian-American boss. However, Nora has some very strict rules about dating. A former homecoming king, Eugene is not easily deterred in his valiant (if not overzealous) attempt to win his employer, believing the two could have an EPIC something, if only Nora would throw away the rulebook and go with her heart...

UFO WeatherBy Jonathan Wallace
Directed by: Rachel Klein
Featuring: Teisha Bader & Mariel Matero
On a fog-shrouded Vermont mountaintop, a concerned Shane is caught in a desperate attempt to save her conspiracy-obsessed sister Lanie, by showing her the error of her ways. But what lies behind Shane's determined attempts to deny her sister's theories? And are Lanie's obsessions really a form of escape from the bitter and long-standing rivalry between the two? A story about belief, science, parental love, and shimmering silver objects in the sky.

Lying Naked
By Alex Goldberg
Directed by Michael Schwartz
Featuring: Rosebud Baker & Dominic Spillane
Lily and Carter seem to be quite the happy couple; that is until Carter suspects Lily is seeing another man. As the battle begins in Lily's darkened boudoir, the lights come up on all the hidden truths between these two, which are stripped from the sheets one by one. In a play in which even the title is double-sided, Lily and Carter wrestle, both with one another, and with the question, is it really a lie...if you believe it?

Total running time of Clandestine is approximately 100 minutes.

NewGround Theater Collective was created and established by LAByrinth Theater Company's Master Class Alumni Rosebud Baker, Teisha Bader, Glory Bowen, Mariel Matero, and Luciana Faulhaber. Dedicated to producing and developing new work, NewGround functions as a true theater collective, which nurtures trained theater artists to step outside of their chosen disciplines and step into alternate avenues of theatrical expression. Information: www.newgroundtheatercollective.wordpress.com.

Women In Need provides housing, help and hope to New York City women and their families who are homeless and disadvantaged. Through comprehensive programs such as shelter, supportive permanent housing, job training, domestic violence services, alcohol and substance abuse treatment and childcare, WIN offers the tools and guidance which allow our families to return to their communities and live independently. Information: www.women-in-need.org.

The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York's premiere eco-friendly/socially-conscious theatre festival. Fostering a diverse cross-section of performances, the festival seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally in a festive atmosphere. At the heart of the festivity are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, while supporting organizations which gave back to the community at large. Information: www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com.

Running June 3rd - June 20th, Clandestine will be performed at The Gene Frankel Theatre, located at 24 Bond Street (between Lafayette Street and the Bowery) as part of the 2nd Annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. Show times: Thursday, June 3rd 6:45pm; Saturday, June 5th 6:30pm; Thursday, June 10th 5:15pm; Monday, June 14th 5:45pm; and Wednesday, June 16th at 8:30pm. Tickets are $18.00, and are available at www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com.

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