Espo Productions to Present World Premiere of JACKIE AND MARILYN at Theatre Row, 4/17-5/3

Espo Productions, in association with MC of NY and World Tree Productions, are pleased to announce the Off-Broadway world premiere of JACKIE AND MARILYN, written by Sheri Graubert and directed by Sanja Bestic. JACKIE AND MARILYN, a play with music about one of the most talked about possible love triangles in American history, will play a four week limited engagement at The Lion Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, Manhattan). Performances begin Thursday, April 17 and continue through Saturday, May 3. Opening Night is Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18-65 and are now available online at Telecharge.com, by calling 212-239-6200 or by visiting the Theatre Row box office.

"Sheri and I are very excited to collaborate once again after winning the Tesla Foundation Award for the play Tesla", shares director Sanja Bestic, "we took great risks with Tesla and are taking even greater ones with our approach to this story. Most plays only scratch the surface of this tumultuous relationship, while we place it at the forefront in Jackie and Marilyn."

Revisit the life, love, suffering, loneliness, glitz, glam, fame, courage and betrayal of two of the most iconic women of the 20th Century, and the powerful man they loved. Jackie and Marilyn exposes what might have happened behind closed doors of one of the most famous love triangles of all time... if it ever happened.

The production stars Aaron Mathias (Things I Don't Understand, Trenches) as JFK, Lorraine Farris Sage (Natural Born Killers, I Shot Andy Warhol) as Jackie Kennedy and Lella Satie as Marilyn Monroe.

The production features scenic design by Yonatan Gonzalez, costume design by Aleksandra Stojic Zurovac, lighting design by Dylan Uremovich, video design by Nemanja Novakovic and Patrick Mandeville, and wig/make-up design by Ljupka Arsovska. Musical direction and original music by Aleksandra Kovac & Roman Gorsek. John VanWyden is the dialect coach and Michael Griffiths is the production stage manager with additional stage management by Tatiana Mendes, Robyn Simpson, Brandi A Dyer, Matthew C. Nicholson, Paul Park, and the assistant set designer is John Valde. It is produced by Glenn Estrabillo and Gorazd Poposki.

JACKIE AND MARILYN plays the following schedule through Saturday, May 3*: Tuesdays at 7:00pm, Wednesdays at 3:00pm and 8:00pm, Thursdays at 8:00pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, and Saturdays at 2:00pm and 8:00pm. There will be an additional performance Sunday, April 27 at 3:00pm. The show has a running time of 90 minutes.

SHERI GRAUBERT (Playwright) is an actress and prize-winning playwright. Her plays have been produced all over the USA, in Canada, in England and Australia. Her play, Parental Consent is published in Best American Short Plays, 2010, [Smith & Kraus] and Magnolia Day is published in Best American Short Plays, 2011. Her children's play, Rick Spacey and the Space Cadets, commissioned by Dena Hammerstein for Only Make Believe, is regularly performed in NYC hospitals. Her play, Humanogram, was commissioned by, and produced in, LoNyLa's Timewave Festival, alongside Neil LaBute. This is Sheri's fourth collaboration acting or writing with Sanja Bestic: Tesla, winner of the Tesla Science Foundation Prize; All About Women and The Weeping Game. As an actress, Sheri has worked with Cheek by Jowl, the National Theatre of Great Britain, the English Shakespeare Company, and the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York City. Most recent: Margaret in Richard III in Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, and Apple at the Chekhov Festival.

SANJA BESTIC (Director) Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Sanja pursued theatre directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at Belgrade University, graduating with an M.A. in Theatre History and Stage Direction. She attended a fellowship at the Moving Academy of Performing Arts in Amsterdam while working intensively with the Theatre of Shadows. Sanja also studied at the Michael Checkhov Acting Studio and the Lee Strasberg Institute for Theatre and Film in New York. In 2010, she co-founded The Local Theatre NYC, a non-profit, multicultural, interdisciplinary art gallery committed to the research, production, presentation and interpretation of contemporary art. Sanja entered into an exclusive partnership with media company Storefront + Bench as their sole theatre director. The young director also started a very unique Art Fusion Project in Belgrade (Serbia), which connects Belgrade and cosmopolitans worldwide through modern arts. Sanja recently completed producing and directing Tesla, an Off-Broadway play inspired by one of the most famous Serbian-American scientist who lit the world - Nikola Tesla. The play was a sold out success, winning the young director the Tesla Award. The play will soon be moving to London's West End. Furthermore, Sanja's goal is to take this story a step further in 2014 by directing a documentary movie about the mysterious life of Nikola Tesla, which has yet to be revealed to the world. These projects are highly supported by The Tesla Science Foundation and Office for Cooperation with Diaspora and Serbs in the Region. Sanja is also the associate producer for the highly anticipated Web Series "Catch-30", and is in the process of writing her first novel, "In Six Hands" with two well-known Serbian authors, David Albahari and Marko Selic Marchelo. Its release is expected in the US and Serbia. Sanja currently resides and works in New York City.

AARON MATHIAS (JFK) has appeared as the lead in many films and series. He has been nominated for best acting awards for his work in the award winning feature film, Things I Don't Understand. Which just became available on video on demand. He was also lead in the award winning films Casual Encounters, and Ice Grill USA, and the Bollywood/American production Anything For You. He was the lead and series regular in the ABC/Stage 9 sci-fi series Trenches, and has appeared on Law and Order, Criminal Intent and NBC's hospital drama Mercy. He finished filming the new original series Pride, which will premier on Logo in fall of 2014 and is slated to begin filming the feature film Sunday at the Kehr's which he is also producing in the fall of 2014 and Wake UP New York from award winning director David Spaltro in the late summer of 2014. He just completed filming on the feature film Nothing About Chloe, directed by award winning director Dominik Matwiejczyk He is also the co founder of Falling Awake Films which has a mission of creating film, television and music content that not only entertains but inspires thought and conversation. The companies first tv series is in development. His feature film that he is the lead in called Paranormal Asylum, opened nationwide on Sept 17.

LORRAINE FARRIS SAGE (Jackie Kennedy) made her screen debut as Pinky in the cult classic, Natural Born Killers directed by Oliver Stone. She went on to work with Mary Harron in, I Shot Andy Warhol playing Susan Pile as Andy Warhol's receptionist at the Factory. She most recently played Marcy,the alcoholic mother in Law and Order. Lorraine has worked consistently in independent films with many up and coming directors. Her most recent film work includes: Redemption directed by Tim Martin Crouse, Sloth directed by Giulio Poidomani and Surviving Family playing the bi-polar mother Lucia, directed by Laura Theis and most recently Prism directed by Cal Robertson. Lorraine has also completed a number of short films in 2013 in which she was the lead actress that will be making the festival circuits. Off And Away directed by Nira Burnstein and Bug People directed by Jordan Fein. Jeremy and Tulips directed by Whitney Hamilton, Lorraine was associate producer.

LELLA SATIE (Marilyn Monroe) moved to New York City to train with the the greatest master acting coach Susan Batson. Susan is the acting coach of many great actors including Oscar winning actresses Nicole Kidman and Juliette Binoche. Lella's recent performance as Frida Kahlo under the direction of Susan Batson in Tree of Hope, Remain Strong gained her many outstanding reviews and recognition. This one-woman show, written and performed by Leila, premiered at the Susan Batson Studio in the New York Theatre District. She graduated from Canada's prestigious school, the University of Western Ontario, where she studied a double degree in Film Studies and Psychology. Lella's acting training includes an honours degree from Acting for Film Conservatory at the Prague Film School. Lella also studied at the Equity Showcase Theatre, Shakespeare Conservatory and Professional Actors Lab in Toronto.

ALEKSANDRA KOVAC (Composer) is a singer/songwriter awarded composer for theater and TV, first Serbian MTV award winner, best selling recording artist, and music producer from Belgrade, Serbia. She is also the founder of the prestigious vocal school and children's choir "Voice of Belgrade", a recognized philanthropist, an Ambassador for the Council of Europe's campaign "1 in 5" against child abuse, and an active speaker for causes she supports. At the age of 15 she signed a five year management deal with the London based company "Mismanagement" (Dave Margereson) and started recording and collaborating with such known names in the music business as Derek Bramble, Rod Argent, Peter Van Hook and supporting Errol Brown ("Hot chocolate") on his UK 1993 tour. After returning to Belgrade in 1995, she wrote, arranged and produced the debut album "K2", with her younger sister Kristina, and hit number 1 in the charts. They were an overnight success, sold more than 100 000 copies of their album and toured the entire country, other albums followed. She later went on to pursue her solo career, but this time also as an arranger and music producer. She joined forces with Roman Gorsek and they started their own production company and record label "RAproduction", which specializes in songwriting, music production, talent search, marketing and vocal coaching. "RAproduction" released Aleksandra's first solo album "Honey and milk" in 2006. It was the "Best Selling Album of The Year", Aleksandra won the European MTV award as the Best Adriatic Act at the 2006 EMA's in Copenhagen, and toured all over Serbia, with great success. Her next album "In my room", released in 2010, was an ever greater success. Aleksandra has written scores for hit plays, TV shows, animations and short films, and in 2012 the Coca-Cola company invited Roman Gorsek and herself to write, produce and perform the theme song of the Coca-Cola 2012 Christmas campaign. Aleksandra is currently doing her Master degree in Composition for screen at the Edinburgh University.

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