Gregory S. Moss' LA BREA Debuts Tonight with Clubbed Thumb's SUMMERWORKS

The third of three world-premieres presented by the 5-time Obie Award-winning Clubbed Thumb in its 18th annual SUMMERWORKS festival of new plays -- LA BREA by Gregory S. Moss -- begins previews tonight, June 20 prior to its official press opening June 23 at The Wild Project (195 E. 3 St.) in Manhattan. LA BREA performs daily at 8 p.m. from June 20 to 29. (No performance on June 24.)

Winner on May 20th of a 5th Obie Award -- for its strong commitment to playwrights and new plays -- Clubbed Thumb's SUMMERWORKS has, through the years, presented new works by Adam Bock, Sarah Ruhl, Anne Washburn, Gina Gionfriddo, Sheila Callaghan, Ethan Lipton and Jordan Harrison.

Directed by Adam Greenfield, the cast of LA BREA features David Wilson Barnes (THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE on Bway; BECKY SHARP), Crystal Finn (Ethan Lipton's LUTHER), Rebecca Henderson (THE WHALE), Bill Buell (CYRANO, EQUUS, THE HISTORY BOYS on Bway) and Gabriel King (RESTORATION COMEDY).

LA BREA is described, as follows: Two siblings from Massachusetts, amid a Hollywood vortex of strip malls and scientologists, square off over how to live like a grown-up.

Gregory S. Moss is a writer, performer and educator from Newburyport, Massachusetts. His plays include Reunion, punkplay, sixsixsix, Billy Witch, and House of Gold. His work has been seen at La ComédieFrançaise, The A.R.T., The Empty Space, Playwrights Horizons, The Guthrie, Soho Rep and New York Theatre Workshop.

Adam Greenfield is Director of New Play Development at Playwrights Horizons, prior to which he was Literary Manager at La Jolla Playhouse and Associate Artistic Director at The Empty Space Theatre in Seattle. Recent directing credits include Courtney Baron's Eat Your Heart Out (Humana Festival) and Madeleine George's Zero Hour (13P).

LA BREA has set design by David Evans Morris, costume design by Sydney Maresca, lighting design by Gina Scherr, sound design by Shane Rettig, projection design by Bart Cortright and choreography by Nicole Beerman.

SUMMERWORKS 2013 features productions of three new plays - BABY SCREAMS MIRACLE by Clare Barron and directed by Portia Krieger (May 24-June 2); PHOEBE IN WINTER by Jen Silverman (June 7-16), directed by Mike Donahue; and LA BREA by Gregory S. Moss (June 20-29), directed by Adam Greenfield.

With its track record for discovering and supporting new playwriting talent -- in many cases providing writers with their very first production in New York or anywhere -- SUMMERWORKS is one of the most eagerly-anticipated theatrical offerings kicking off the summer stage season in the city. In seasons past, Clubbed Thumb's SUMMERWORKS has presented the New York premieres of Sarah Ruhl, Rachel Sheinkin, Gina Gionfriddo, Adam Bock, Rinne Groff, Jordan Harrison, Sheila Callaghan, Sylvan Oswald, Lisa D'Amour, Kate Ryan and Kristin Newborn, as well as new works by Ethan Lipton, Anne Washburn and Jason Grote.

Clubbed Thumb's mission is to commission, develop and produce funny, strange and provocative new plays by living American writers. Since its founding in 1996, the company has presented 80 productions and earned four Obie Awards. Clubbed Thumb is an incubator for artists and their work, staging plays while supporting an ever-growing creative community.

SUMMERWORKS 2013 tickets are $18 ($15 for students/seniors) and can be purchased by calling 212 352 3101 or visiting www.clubbedthumb.org. The Wild Project is located 195 E. 3rd Street.

MISSION STATEMENT: CLUBBED THUMB commissions, develops and produces funny, strange, and provocative new plays by living American writers. Since its founding in 1996, the company has earned 5 OBIES and presented plays in every form of development, including over 80 full productions. Clubbed Thumb is an incubator for artists and their work, staging plays to critical acclaim while supporting an ever-growing creative community. "Funny, Strange, Provocative," an anthology of plays produced by Clubbed Thumb, is available through Playscripts. May 2010, Ms. Striar was honored with a first-ever Lilly Award for Artistic Directorship, citing her work as a "fierce champion of new works and new writers... who has helped launch and/or develop the careers" of scores of playwrights, especially women. Producing Artistic Director is Maria Striar; Nora DeVeau-Rosen is Managing Director; and Pam MacKinnon is Board Chairman.

Past productions of note presented by Clubbed Thumb include TAKARAZUKA!!! by Susan Soon He Stanton, LUTHER by Ethan Lipton, MOTEL CHERRY by Peggy Stafford, CIVILIZATION (ALL YOU CAN EAT) by Jason Grote, DOT by Kate E. Ryan, directed by Anne Kauffman; THE SMALL by Anne Washburn, directed by Les Waters; PUNKPLAY by Gregory S. Moss, directed by Davis McCallum; TELETHON by Kristin Newbom, directed by Ken RusSchmoll; AMAZONS AND THEIR MEN by Jordan Harrison, directed by Ken RusSchmoll; and VENDETTA CHROME by Sylvan Oswald, directed by Alexis Poledouris. Clubbed Thumb has also premiered Anne Washburn's I HAVE LOVED STRANGERS, Adam Bock's MEDEA EATS and THE TYPOGRAPHER'S DREAM; Gina Gionfriddo's US DRAG, Lisa D'Amour's 16 SPELLS TO CHARM THE BEAST and RED DEATH; Rachel Sheinkin's THE DOCTOR OF LAST RESORT, Rinne Groff's INKY and Jimmy Carter WAS A DEMOCRAT; Sarah Ruhl's LATE (A COWBOY SONG); and Sheila Callaghan's CRUMBLE (LAY ME DOWN Justin Timberlake).

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