New 42nd Street Ends Run of ELEPHANT at The New Victory Theater 5/2

The New Victory Theater will end its run of Elephant, a co-production between Dodgy Clutch of the UK and Johannesburg's The Market Theatre, creators of the Broadway hit musical Sarafina (1988 Tony® Award nomination for Best Musical) on May 2nd.

In Elephant, performers weave physical theater, puppetry, storytelling and tribal dance into an exultant tale of family, redemption, and ubuntu (humanity). In keeping with the show's title, elephants are central to the story. Portrayed by true-to-size, life-like puppets, these majestic creatures, with their arresting stage presence and uncanny tenderness, embody the pure spirit of ubuntu.

Elephant is directed by Ozzie Riley. Puppet Design is by Adam Riley and Sarah Riley, based on an original concept by Jane Robinson. Technical Design is by Adam Riley. The Musical Director/Composer is Simon Tarrant. Story is by Ozzie Riley, with Malcolm Purkey and input from company members.

The cast features Xolisile Bongwana, Wandiswa Gogela, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Nosikhunbuzo Mgoduka, Zamuxolo Mgoduka, Unathi Nondumo, Leigh Nudelman, Patrick O'Connor, Gabriel Ramaila and Sarah Riley.

The nonprofit New Victory Theater is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency; and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The New Vic Council, Friends of The New Victory and the theater's dedicated patrons, corporate and foundation donors also provide essential contributions, helping to make possible programming of the highest quality. 

About Dodgy Clutch Theatre Company
Dodgy Clutch, formed originally as a partnership between Elaine Beard and Ozzie Riley in 1982, is based in the northeast of England. The company produces new works of visual theater, which combine the theatrical elements of music, dance, performance and puppetry. While Dodgy Clutch works with a core team of specialist artists, including musicians, performers and visual artists, the company also draws from a wider pool of artists who work both in and outside of the region. Training and development is a key aim and is inherent in the Dodgy Clutch team structure. The company's primary areas of work include large-scale outdoor and site-specific specific events, indoor and outdoor touring productions and education and community projects.

About The Market Theatre
The Market Theatre, founded in Johannesburg in 1976 by Mannie Manim and the late Barney Simon, was constructed out of Johannesburg's Indian Fruit Market - built in 1913. The theater went on to become internationally renowned as South Africa's "Theatre of the Struggle."

The Market Theatre challenged the apartheid regime, armed with little more than the conviction that culture can change society. The strength and truth of that conviction was acknowledged in 1995 when the theater received the American Jujamcyn Award. In providing a voice to the voiceless, The Market Theatre did not forego artistic excellence, but, rather, made a point of it. Its 21 international and over 300 South African theater awards bear eloquent testimony to the courage and artistic quality of its work.

During the past three decades, The Market Theatre has evolved into a cultural complex for theater, music, dance and the allied arts. Today, The Market Theatre remains at the forefront of South African theater, actively encouraging new works that continue to reach international stages.

About The New Victory Theater
The New Victory Theater is New York City's first and only full-time performing arts theater for kids, their families and classmates. Since it opened in 1995, The New Victory has quickly become an integral part of the cultural landscape in New York City, presenting a full season of adventurous multidisciplinary works from around the globe and close to home. The New Vic seeks out sophisticated, thought-provoking, professional productions that are as artistically rich as they are entertaining. Tickets are made affordable as a result of support from a variety of public and private sources and cost an average of $17, with seats for members available for as little as $8.75.

At the heart of the New Victory Theater is its long-standing commitment to the intrinsic value of cultural participation in the lives of young people. The New Victory offers daytime school performances ($2 per student), family workshops and jobs to high school and college students. Interactive Lower Lobby Activities, FYIs (performance-related exhibits) and Talk-backs with the artists are offered in conjunction with select performances throughout the season. The theater's website, NewVictory.org, continues to be an excellent resource, providing video clips and more information about each production in the season, as well as show-related activities.

About The New 42nd Street
Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent, nonprofit organization charged with long-term responsibility for seven historic theaters on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. In addition to running The New Victory, The New 42nd Street built and operates the New 42nd Street Studios -- a 10-story building of rehearsal studios, offices and a 199-seat theater named The Duke on 42nd Street -- for national and international performing arts companies. Since its opening on June 21, 2000, the New 42nd Street Studios have been fully occupied by both nonprofit and commercial theater, dance and opera companies. With these institutions and the other properties under its guardianship, The New 42nd Street plays a pivotal role in fostering the continued revival of this famous street at the Crossroads of the World.

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