THE BODY POLITIC Opens Off-Broadway 2/10

Romantic Comedy Looks at Love on the Political Campaign Trail THE BODY POLITIC Off-Broadway Engagement begins February 10 at 59E59

At Hand Theatre Company presents the World premiere of THE BODY POLITIC, written by Richard Abrons and Margarett Perry and directed by Margarett Perry. Previews of this limited engagement Off-Broadway run begin Thursday, February 10 at 59E59. Press opening is Sunday, February 20 at 3:15 PM.

A heartfelt and hilarious look at love on the campaign trail, THE BODY POLITIC is a new old-fashioned romantic comedy about a pair of high-ranking politcos from opposing parties who find themselves falling in love. Can this political odd couple navigate a steamy bipartisan romance behind party lines?

THE BODY POLITIC features Matthew Boston (Magic Hands Freddy, That Damned Dykstra), Eve Danzeisen (The Melting Pot with Transport Group), Brian Dykstra (HBO's Def Poetry, Clean Alternatives), Leslie Hendrix (Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers on all four Law & Order series), Daren Kelly
(Broadway's Crazy for You) and Michael Puzzo (film adaptation of Doubt, Penalties and Interest at The Public Theater).

Richard Abrons' plays include Three Travelers (Theatre at St. Clements), Whose Family Values (The Harold Clurman Theater), Every Day A Visitor (McGinn-Cazale) and The Brothers Berg (HERE). Richard has published over twenty short stories, has been nominated for a Pushcart
Prize and won the National Magazine Fiction Award. He received his BA from Yale, his MBA from Columbia and his MFA in Writing from NYU. He is a Managing Director of First Manhattan Co., an investment management firm he helped found forty years ago. He is a former President of Henry Street Settlement and a director of GrowNYC, dedicated to planting community gardens in underserved neighborhoods.

Margarett Perry has directed several plays at 59E59 Theaters including A Play On Words by Brian Dykstra, Carlo D'Amore's No Parole and the critically acclaimed production of Clean Alternatives by Brian Dykstra that went on to win the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Perry was the Producing Artistic Director of Access Theater for six years where she directed numerous plays and world premieres.

She is a regular at The Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY where she has directed productions including Rachel Axler's Archaeology, David Wiltse's A Marriage Minuet, Harold Pinter's Old Times, and Noel Coward's Private Lives. She has also directed at The Hip Hop Theater Festival, Sacramento Theatre Company, Penguin Rep, Memphis' Playhouse on the Square, and the Human Race Theatre, where she won two DayTony Awards. Film/TV credits include "The Jesus Factor" (DVD), "Wet" (Houston Film Festival Remi Award for Direction) and "The King & Me" (ABC-TV pilot). She is an Artistic Fellow at The Lark Play Development Center where she produced the Playwrights' Workshop with Arthur Kopit. Upcoming projects include First Prize by Israela Margalit with Kef Productions at the Arclight Theatre. For more info visit www.margarettperry.com.

At Hand Theatre Company (Daniel Horrigan, Artistic Director; Justin Scribner, Executive Director) was founded in 2007 with a mission to produce greener new plays in using environmentally conscious means, with limited materials. They explore simple, creative solutions that are cost effective, eco-friendly and engage the imagination of the audience. Past productions include the World Premieres of Anton Dudley's Letters to the End of the World, Lila Cante by Mark Snyder,
Dan Horrigan's My AiDS, Brian Dykstra's Silence!, Andrea Lepcio's One Nation Under, and Jono Hustis' Cake and Plays... But Without the Cake, as well as the New York Premiere of Trickster at the Gate by John Patrick Bray. At Hand also produces an annual one-act festival entitled POP! and a Staged Reading Series of new plays. For more information visit www.athandtheatre.com

THE BODY POLITIC runs February 10 - March 6, Tuesday - Wednesday at 7:15 PM; Thursday - Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM and 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM. Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). 59e59 is located at 59 East 59th Street between Park & Madison Aves (accessible from the 45,5,N,R,W trains at 59th Street/Lexington Ave. subway stop). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

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