Jason Odell Williams' CHURCH & STATE Begins Tomorrow Off-Broadway

Charlotte Cohn, co-producers SCS Innovations, LLC, Forty-Eight Theatrical Group, Brierpatch Productions, Neil Gooding Productions, Karen Cohen/Jack Hayflick, Ralph Meranto/JCC Centerstage, in association with NewYorkRep & The Telling Company, present the New York Premiere of Jason Odell Williams' critically acclaimed play Church & State.

A friendly reminder that performances begin tomorrow, March 3, 2017 for an open-ended run at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street - between 8th & 9th Avenues). Opening Night is Monday, March 20, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Directed by Markus Potter (Stalking the Bogeyman), the cast features Rob Nagle ("Castle," "Mad Men"), Nadia Bowers (The Farnsworth Invention, "Orange is the New Black"), Christa Scott-Reed (The Pitman Painters, Relativity) and Jonathan Louis Dent (The Broken Record, Romeo and Juliet).

Church & State is a fast-paced, seriously funny take on faith, politics, and "The Twitter." It's three days before Charles Whitmore's Senate reelection and he's decided to finally tell the public exactly what's on his mind, no filter. What could possibly go wrong?

The creative team is comprised of David Goldstein (scenic design), Burke Brown (lighting design), Dianne K. Graebner (costume design), and Erik T. Lawson (sound design). Sofia Montgomery is Production Stage Manager.

Originally developed with Artistic director Ralph Meranto and JCC CenterStage, Church & State was produced as a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere at JCC CenterStage in Rochester and The Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles where it received three Ovation Award nominations including Best Playwriting for an Original Play, Best Production (Intimate Theatre), and Best Lead Actor in a Play.?

Church & State is produced by Charlotte Cohn, co-producers SCS Innovations, LLC, Forty-Eight Theatrical Group, Brierpatch Productions, Neil Gooding Productions, Karen Cohen/Jack Hayflick, Ralph Meranto/JCC Centerstage, in association with NewYorkRep & The Telling Company. Casting is by Wojcik | Seay Casting and Brierpatch Productions provides General Management.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Jason Odell Williams (Playwright) is an Emmy-nominated writer and producer. His play Church & State was recently produced as an NNPN Rolling World Premiere at JCC CenterStage and Skylight Theatre Company where it was nominated for three L.A. Ovation Awards including Best Playwriting for an Original Play. Other playwriting credits include The New York Times Critics' Pick Handle With Care (Westside Theatre, published by DPS), Baltimore in Black & White (the cell theatre), Someone Else (NC Stage), and The Science of Guilt (DR2). Readings: Primary Stages, The Blank, The Lark, and EST. Jason's novel, Personal Statement, was optioned for a three-picture deal and he is currently adapting it for the screen with his wife and collaborator Charlotte Cohn.

Markus Potter (Director) is thrilled to return to New World Stages, where he directed Stalking the Bogeyman (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, and The New York Times Critics' Pick). Other productions include the same at London's Southwark Playhouse (Off-West End nomination for Best Production and Direction), Lost Boy Found In Whole Foods by Tammy Ryan at Portland Stage Company, Why You Beasting? by David Don Miller (Best of FringeNYC and Time Out NY critic's pick), Weston Playhouse, North Carolina Stage Company, New Jersey Rep and Pasadena Playhouse. As actor: Guthrie Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, Berkeley Rep, American Conservatory Theater, Denver Center Theatre, tour of Death of a Salesman with Christopher Lloyd. As producer: The Velocity of Autumn by Eric Coble (Estelle Parsons, Tony Award nomination). He is the producing artistic director of NewYorkRep. MFA Columbia University. MarkusPotter.com

Rob Nagle (Senator Charles Whitmore). A member of the Antaeus Theatre Company, recent credits include the world premieres of Jason Odell Williams' Church & State (Ovation nominee, Best Lead Actor in a Play, Skylight Theatre Company), Melissa Ross' Of Good Stock and Samuel D. Hunter's Rest (both at South Coast Repertory). Other theaters include Portland Center Stage, Mark Taper Forum, Old Globe Theatre, Centerstage, San Jose Repertory and Shakespeare Theatre Company. Film includes Bad Samaritan, Mother's Day, Fishing Naked, New Year's Eve, and The Soloist. Television includes "The Librarians," "Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds," "Mad Men," "Elly Stone," "Dawson's Creek," and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." Training: Northwestern University. robnagle.com

Nadia Bowers (Sara Whitmore). Broadway: The Farnsworth Invention, Doubt, Metamorphoses. Off-Broadway credits include The Way West (LAByrinth Theater Company); Collapse (Women's Project Theater); The Netflix Plays (Ars Nova); Julius Caesar (Public Theater); Dog and Wolf (Watson Arts at 59E59); Romania. Kiss Me! (The Play Company). Regional: Sideways (LaJolla Playhouse), Circle Mirror Transformation (Huntington Theatre Company), Tartuffe(Westport County Playhouse), Chapter Two (Bucks County Playhouse), and many others. Film and television include "Quantico," "The Strain," "Orange Is the New Black" "NCIS," every incarnation of "Law and Order," "Non-Stop," "Little Ones." B.A. Dartmouth College Sociology/French. M.F.A. NYU's Graduate Acting Program. nadiabowers.com

Christa Scott-Reed (Alex Klein) recently starred opposite Richard Dreyfuss in Mark St. Germain's Relativity at TheatreWorks. Broadway: The Pitmen Painters. National Tour: C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce (Fellowship for Performing Arts). Off-Broadway: Second Stage Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, Irish Repertory Theatre, Keen Company, Urban Stages, Mint Theater, MCC, Signature Theatre. Regional: Berkeley Rep, The Old Globe, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Barrington Stage Company, Denver Center Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, and many more. Television: "30 Rock," "The Impossibilities," "Gossip Girl," "666 Park Avenue," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," "Eden," "New Amsterdam," "As the World Turns." christascottreed.com

Jonathan Louis Dent (Tom/Marshall/News Anchor) is a New York City based actor and writer. Jonathan originated the role of Vin in Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam at the Roundabout Theatre Company. Regional: Romeo and Juliet (Hartford Stage Company), Sons of the Prophet (Huntington Theater Company), The Good Negro (Company One Theatre), The Etymology of Bird (Providence Black Repertory Company). Jonathan wrote and performed in The Broken Record which won the award for Best Overall Play at the 2015 International New York Fringe Festival. Credits at NYU include Free Man of Color and Describe the Night (Rajiv Joseph world premiere). TV: "Elementary." Training: NYU Graduate Acting. BA Brown University. thebrokenrecord.org