Jake Cannavale, Alfredo Narciso and More Headline Rattlestick's BASILICA

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Basilica, written by Mando Alvarado and directed by Jerry Ruiz. Basilica will begin performances on Wednesday, May 8th, 2013 at the Cherry Lane Theatre at 38 Commerce Street. The official opening night is set for Thursday, May 23rd at 7pm. The production is scheduled to run through June 16th.

In South Texas, two things loom large-the Catholic Church and Texas pride-and Joe Garza, a strong, hard-working man, embodies one more than the other. But when he learns that Gilbert Gonzalez has returned as the new pastor at the Basilica, Joe's confronted with the choices he made in life and questions the past the only way he knows how-with anger, pride, and a biting tongue.

The cast includes Jake Cannavale, Rosal Colon, Bernardo Cubria, Selenis Leyva, Yadira Guevara-Prip, Alfredo Narciso, and Felix Solis.

Mando Alvarado is an award winning playwright/screenwriter. His first off-Broadway play Post No Bills was produced by Rattlestick. His other plays include A King of Infinite Stage and Sangre which were produced by NYC SummerStage. He also wrote the book for the bilingual musical A Yellow Brick Road that premiered at the Lortel for TheaterWorks USA. His first feature film, Cruzando, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Michael Ray Escamilla is available on DVD and was distributed by Vanguard Cinema. He's currently working on Tyrant for FX which will be directed by Ang Lee.

Jerry Ruiz's recent directing credits include Enfrascada by Tanya Saracho at Clubbed Thumb, Love Goes to Press at the Mint Theater, A King of the Infinite Space for Summerstage and HERE Arts Center, and Mariela in the Desert. Other credits: 26 Miles by Quiara Hudes, The King is Dead by Caroline V. McGraw, Election Day by Josh Tobiessen, The Near East by Alex Lewin, and Rattlers by Johnna Adams. Regional credits include Waiting for the Hearse at Mixed Blood in Minneapolis and Twelfth Night for Chalk Rep in Los Angeles. Jerry has developed work at Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, Soho Rep, The Public, The Atlantic, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Playwrights Realm. Jerry collaborates with Two River Theater Company as the curator of their new play series, Crossing Borders. Jerry was a recipient of the 2009-2011 NEA/TCG Career Development for Directors Grant. He was the 2011 Phil Killian Directing Fellow at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He was a Van Lier Directing Fellow at Second Stage Theater from 2007-2009. Member of Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, 2008-2009. Resident Assistant Director on La Boheme (dir. Baz Luhrmann) from 2002-2004. Lincoln Center Director's Lab, 2002. Directing MFA: UCSD. BA: Harvard.

The scenic design for Basilica is by Raul Abrego; costume design is by Carisa Kelly; lighting design is by Burke Brown; sound design is by Jane Shaw; property design is by Andrew Diaz;fight direction is by David Anzuelo. The production manager is Eugenia Furneaux; the production stage manager is Michael Denis; the assistant stage manager is Andrew Slater.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theateris a multi-award-winning company which has produced over sixty world premieres in the past seventeen seasons and was the recipient of the 2007 Ross Wetzsteon Memorial OBIE Award for developing new and innovative work. Previous plays include Two Boys in a Bed, Message to Michael, Carpool, Volunteer Man, A Trip to the Beach, Ascendancy, Stuck, Vick's Boy, The Messenger, Saved or Destroyed, Neil's Garden, My Special Friend, Faster, Bliss, St. Crispin's Day, Where We're Born, Five Flights, Boise, Finer Noble Gases, God Hates The Irish: The Ballad of Armless Johnny, Miss Julie, Acts of Mercy: passion-play, Cagelove, It Goes Without Saying, Dark Matters, Stay, American Sligo, Rag and Bone, War, Geometry of Fire, That Pretty Pretty or The Rape Play, The Amish Project, Killers and Other Family, Post No Bills, Blind, Little Doc, underneathmybed, There Are No More Big Secrets, The Hallway Trilogy, Carson McCullers Talks About Love, The Wood, Asuncion, Horsedreams, Yosemite, Massacre (Sing to Your Children), 3C, the Off-Broadway GLAAD Award-nominated hit The Last Sunday in June, Craig Wright's The Pavilion (Drama Desk nominee - Outstanding Play of 2005) and Lady (Drama Desk nominee - Outstanding Play of 2008), as well as The Aliens by Annie Baker (2010 Obie Award winner for Best New American Play). Currently running in at Rattlestick on Waverly Place is Jonathan Tolins' Buyer & Cellar starring Michael Urie, at at the Cherry Lane Theatre is Rattlestick's production of Eisenberg's The Revisionist, in which he co-stars with Vanessa Redgrave.

Basilica plays Tuesday through Friday at 8pm; Saturday 2pm and 8pm; Sunday at 3pm at Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street. Tickets are $75 for general admission, $25 for patrons under 30 and $20 for students (with valid ID), and are available through www.rattlestick.org or by calling Ovationtix at 866.811.4111.