Photo Flash: First Look at THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART

The Off-Broadway theatre company The Shelter presents its world premiere of its newest work, THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART. Preview performances begin tonight, April 19, prior to an official press opening of April 22, at the Flamboyan Theater (at the CSV Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk Street) in Manhattan. See a first look at photos from the production below!

In THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART, four playwrights "track the journey of the artist and examine art's role in the human experience. This exploration spans time and genres, and in true Shelter style, produces a seamless blend of comedy and drama."

"THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART explores the journey of the artist from the birth of art in mankind to the birth of art in the individual man. From hope to desolation, THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART examines the need to create and how it affects the relationships we have with our fellow human beings," stated The Shelter Co-Artistic Director Meghan E. Jones.

The four short plays are:

• Michael Sean McGuinness' GLYPH - a cave comedy about the origin of the artist and his struggle to survive, directed by Catya McMullen. The cast of GLYPH will feature Alec A. Head, Chris Cardona, Andy Hassell, and Tania Verafied.

• Meghan E. Jones' MARK MAKES ART - a play that examines two struggling parents whose child is creating brilliant, yet emotionally unsettling drawings, directed by Paco Lozano. This two-hander will feature Beth Jastroch and Dave Lankford.

• Michael Bernstein's play ROBOT GIRL envisions a dystopian future, where a lone street artist calls out over airwaves searching for other signs of humanity in a lifeless, robot-automated world, directed by Beth Jastroch. The ROBOT GIRL cast will feature Olivia Killingsworth.

• Ginger Kearn's THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT ARTISTS launches two self-righteous artists at one another, creating an absurdly funny - and unexpected - romantic conundrum, directed by Nicole Rosner. THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT ARTISTS will feature Ian Bell, Ginger Kearns and Michael Kingsbaker.

The Shelter will also work with several local New York artists to create a large spectrum of art, spanning many disciplines. Art will be on display at the theatre, a different guest artist will create an original piece of art during each performance, and performance art designed by Melinda Smart will be integrated into the overall production.

The design team for THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART is lead by Jonathan Ashley, Creative Director of The Shelter, and includes Jake Fine (lighting) and Andy Cohen (sound).

The Shelter (theshelternyc.org) - under the guidance of Co-Artistic Directors Meghan Jones and Michael Kingsbaker and Executive Director Dave Lankford - is a family of writers, directors, actors, and designers creating authentic theatre for the New York stage. All productions are written, directed, acted, and designed by its members and are developed through the company's weekly Shelter Sunday workshop series. The heartbeat of The Shelter, Shelter Sunday provides a safe harbor where New York's top emerging theatrical artists can collaboratively challenge themselves to explore their artistry and hone their respective crafts.

Through its productions, The Shelter strives to connect with patrons seeking innovative, independently produced theatre with a focus on character-driven storytelling. Past productions include: FAIRY TALE, seen earlier this season, and called "bold, creative and exciting," by NYTheatre.com; NIGHT WINDOWS (2011), a trio of one-act plays inspired by Edward Hopper's 1928 painting of the same name; F***ING CHRISTMAS (2010), an assortment of short plays, each providing a singular view of a joyful, sorrowful, ridiculous, and endlessly complex holiday; MOTEL (2010), eight short plays set in the same lone motel room, somewhere in Middle America; and 3:56 AM (2009), nine short plays set in an apartment building on the Lower East Side between the hours of 3 and 4 AM.

THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART runs April 19 through 29, with performances Wednesdays through Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00pm and 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm at the Flamboyan Theater (at the CSV Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk Street). Tickets are $12 during preview performances (April 19 and April 20) and $18 for the remainder of the run. Tickets can be purchased online at www.theshelternyc.org or at the door.

For more information about THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART or The Shelter, please visit the organizations website. And check out photos from the productions below!

Photo credit: Michael Bernstein

To post a comment, you must register and login.