Rapp & Cuccioli Head Cast of 'The King Stag' for Resonance Ensemble, March 24

Anthony Rapp (Rent) and Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde) will head the cast of a one-night-only performance of The King Stag, written and directed by Jeremy Dobrish (adapted from the original Carlo Gozzi play) on Monday, March 24 with a 6PM reception and 7:30PM performance at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street) to benefit Resonance Ensemble's 2008 season.

"Based on Carlo Gozzi's Comedia d'ell arte play, Jeremy Dobrish's The King Stag is a Shakespearean-like fairy-tale about a bachelor king who wants proof of a woman's love before he will consent to marry. With entrapped wizards, talking animals, and magic spells that cause the souls of the characters to switch bodies, this farcical look at faith and love is a comedic delight," describe press notes.

The cast of The King Stag features Robert Ari as Pantalone; Becca Ayers as Angela; Michi Barrall as Clarissa; Robert Cuccioli as Tartaglia; Sean Dugan as Leander; Adam Green as Joe Smith; Jennifer Mudge as Smeraldina; and Anthony Rapp as Deramo.

Jeremy Dobrish's many Off-Broadway directing credits include: Spain at MCC, Election Day at Second Stage, In The Wings at the Promenade, Drift at the '06 NYMF festival (outstanding performance award for Christian Campbell), Ted Kaczynski Killed People with Bombs at SPF , the musical The Joys of Sex at The Variety Arts Theatre (excellence in directing award - NYC fringe festival), The Tutor, a musical starring Anthony Rapp at The York,  Class Mothers '68, a one woman show starring Tony award winner Priscilla Lopez (Drama Desk nomination, best solo performance), and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at the Century Center. Other Off-Broadway directing credits include WPA, The Kirk, Soho Playhouse, Actor's Playhouse, and two seasons with the Young Playwrights Festival. Jeremy was Artistic Director of the acclaimed adobe theatre company (which he co-founded) from 1991 to 2004.

Under the Artistic Direction of Eric Parness and Managing Direction of Rachel Reiner, Resonance Ensemble is dedicated to developing new theatrical work inspired by the timelessness and universalism of the classics, and to producing resonating groups of theatrical presentations that echo across countless cultures and eras to confront themes and ideas significant to audiences of today.

Resonance Ensemble's one-night benefit performance of The King Stag will be held at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street) on Monday, March 24 with a 6PM reception and a 7:30PM performance.

Tickets are $80 ($70 of which is tax deductible) and are available for purchase online at www.ResonanceEnsemble.org (through Paypal), or by check made payable to Resonance Ensemble and sent to Resonance Ensemble, P.O. Box 771, Times Square Station, New York, NY 10108. Checks must be received by Friday, March 21

For additional information, please call Resonance Ensemble at 646-263-6673, or visit www.resonanceensemble.org.

top-bottom: Anthony Rapp & Robert Cuccioli (photos by Linda Lenzi)