Oberon Theatre Ensemble Begins THE DRAWER BOY Tonight

Oberon Theatre Ensemble will kick off its 15th season with the long awaited, New York premiere of Michael Healey's THE DRAWER BOY, directed by Alexander Dinelaris (Playwright: "Red Dog Howls," "Still Life" ) with preview performances beginning tonight, March 1 prior to an official press opening on March 5 at the June Havoc Theatre in The Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (312 W. 36th Street) in Manhattan.

THE DRAWER BOY looks in on the lives of two aging bachelor farmers in 1972 rural Ontario. World War II veterans and lifelong friends, The Farmers share a quiet and uneventful life based on stories and routine. Their lives are comically disrupted when a young, energetic actor from the big city shows up on their doorstep wanting to live and work with them as research for a play about farming. As the actor immerses himself, The Farmers' darkest secrets become part of the actor's play and the lines between theatre and life, and memory and reality, become blurred. Heartbreak and levity mix in this extraordinary play about storytelling and how it transforms our lives.

Since its premiere in 1999 at Toronto's Theatre Passe Muraille, THE DRAWER BOY has won countless awards, including Canada's Governor General's Literary Award and The Helen Hayes Award. It often makes Theatre Communications Group's "Top Ten Most Produced Plays," and in 2001, THE DRAWER BOY was selected as one of Time Magazine's top ten plays, and called "a new classic," by the publication.

Now, 14 years after it made its world-premiere THE DRAWER BOY will receive its New York debut, helmed by Alexander Dinelaris (Book "The Bodyguard," "Red Dog Howls;" director "American Rapture," "The Chaos Theories"), featuring a cast that includes: Alex Fast ("The Awesome 80's Prom," "Ivanov"), Brad Fryman ("Order," "American Rapture") and William Laney ("True Face," "Order").

Design team for THE DRAWER BOY will be Rebecca Lord-Surratt (scenic design), David Murin (costume design), Nick Moore (sound design), and Amith Chandrashaker (lighting design).

Michael Healey is a Canadian playwright and actor. His other plays include "Plan B," "Rune Arlidge," and "Generous" for which he was awarded the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play.

Alexander Dinelaris - a two-time Drama Desk nominee - is currently represented as a playwright with the West End production of "The Bodyguard, a New Musical." His other playwrighting credits include: "Red Dog Howls" (New York Theater Workshop) and "Still Life" (Manhattan Class Company). His directing credits are: "American Rapture" (Oberon Theatre Ensemble), "The Chaos Theories" (Shotgun Productions), and "After Hours" (Dramatists Rep Co.).

The Oberon Theatre Ensemble is a New York-based, not-for-profit theatre committed to cultivating and invigorating a diverse theatre community by confronting contemporary issues through classic, original, and contemporary works. Currently celebrating its 15th season, Oberon has produced 55 full-length plays as well as over 50 staged readings.

The New York premiere of THE DRAWER BOY will run tonight, March 1 through March 23 with a performance schedule of Wednesday through Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 3:00pm (with the following exceptions added performance on Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00pm, no performance on Wednesday, March 6 or Sunday, March 17) at the June Havoc Theatre in The Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (312 W. 36th Street) in Manhattan. Tickets are $25 general admission, $15 students/seniors and can be purchased by calling866-811-4111 or online at www.oberontheatre.org.

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