THE INVESTED Opens Off-Broadway 9/14

Madeline Austin, S.D. Wagner and Carrie Schoenfeld present the world premiere of Sharyn Rothstein's ripped from the headlines new play THE INVESTED - about greed, ethics, loyalty and corruption inside one of the most powerful banks in the world. Preview performances of THE INVESTED begin Monday, September 12 prior to an official press opening of Wednesday, September 14 at the 4th Street Theatre (83 East 4th Street, 1st Floor) in Manhattan. Ron Canada directs. Featuring a cast which includes: Patricia Randell (HBO's "Too Big to Fail," DURANG DURANG, RANDOM HARVEST), Tom Hildreth (THE AMERICAN CLOCK, WIDOWS) and Turna Mete (OFFICE HOURS, LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS).

Catherine Murdoch is the head of wealth management at MetroBank - one of the largest and most powerful banks in the world - where she was just passed over for CEO. When the corruption of the new CEO threatens her world and her values, Murdoch must decide where her loyalties will lie - does she follow her ambitions or does she follow her conscience? Drawn from the financial crisis of 2008, THE INVESTED shows the rivalries, betrayals and alliances that could bring the world to the brink of economic disaster.

"Literally millions of words have been written by now about the financial crisis of 2008. The mistakes have been listed, the losses estimated and totaled, and most of the malefactors identified. The bulk of the monstrosity that dragged us to the brink of disaster has been weighed and deliberated upon," stated Mr. Canada. "What Sharyn Rothstein has done with THE INVESTED is something different. Her play is a speculation about the kind of human conduct that was necessarily at the heart of the debacle. Her characters are fictional, but the issues driving them are all too real."

Directed by Ron Canada, the cast of THE INVESTED includes: Michael Daniel Anderson, Bill Cwikowski, Judith Hawkins, Thomas Hildreth, Turna Mete and Patricia Randell.

Design team for THE INVESTED is Lauren Helpern (Scenic Design), Emily DeAngelis (Costume Design), Traci Klainer Polimeni (Lighting Design), Toby Algya (Sound Design) and Pam Traynor (Projection Design).

Sharyn Rothstein's full-length and one-act plays have been produced and work shopped in New York and around the country by companies such as The Williamstown Theatre Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New Georges, 3Graces Theater Co., Bay Area Playwrights Foundation and Soho Think Tank. Sharyn holds an MFA in dramatic writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Ron Canada (Director) Directing credits include: LIGHTS UP ON THE FADE OUT (Lillian Theatre, Los Angeles, CA) THE MAIDS (ICAP Theatre Co., Los Angeles, CA), SPLIT (Independent Production/Elephant Asylum); NOBODY (Ace Theater Co., Los Angeles, CA), SOAP OPERA (Washington, D.C.), BEYOND YOUR COMMAND (Poet & Peasants Theatre Co., Washington, D.C.) and MASH NOTE TO AN OLD CODGER (New Playwrights' Theater, Washington, D.C.). Mr. Canada is best known as an actor - having appeared in numerous films, including "Wedding Crashers," "Cinderella Man," "National Treasure," "The Human Stain," "The Hunted," "Adventures in Babysitting" and more. He received the Dallas Film Critics Award for his performance in John Sayles' feature, "Lone Star." On stage, he recently appeared in ZOOMAN AND THE SIGN at Signature Theatre, as Iago opposite Patrick Stewart in OTHELLO at the National Shakespeare Theatre of Washington, D.C., and has worked extensively in the American theatre, winning a Drama-Logue Award for THE BOYS NEXT DOOR and in other LA productions including MACBETH, MISS JULIE and LOVE SUICIDE AT SCHOFIELD BARRACKS directed by Harris Yulin. He has performed at the Mark Taper Forum, San Diego's Old Globe, San Jose Rep, and Cincinnati Playhouse. Mr. Canada began his professional acting career at Washington D.C.'s Arena Stage after achieving acclaim and an Emmy Award in the broadcast news world. He has performed in over 300 episodes of TV during his 34 year career.

Madeline Austin (Producer) has a background in producing, theatrical administration, teaching and acting. Producing credits include: Off-Broadway, MAYBE BABY, IT'S YOU, Soho Playhouse; Producer, STEALING SWEETS & PUNCHING PEOPLE, 2004 NY Summer Play Festival. She worked as a Producing Consultant for Zenith Films and East of Doheny. As an AFTRA, SAG and AEA actress, she worked extensively in commercial, industrials and TV, most notably as Officer Joanna Parla in "Homicide, Life on the Street" and two principal leads in "America's Most Wanted". She spent a season with the Maryland Shakespeare Festival and was a member of the Folger Shakespeare Library's Touring Company for five years. With casting director Brette Goldstein, she co-founded "Audition Mastery" providing coaching for actors. As Director of Theatrical Arts for Hakoah Sports and Arts Club, she created and taught Shakespearean workshops for K-12 after school programs in NY City, and with Chock Global Communications, co-taught media communication workshops for professionals at Princeton University and Prudential Life. For more than a decade, she worked with Gerald Schoenfeld, legendary producer and Chairman of The Shubert Organization. She is currently the Executive Director of The Shakespeare Society and serves on the Artistic Advisory Council for Naked Angels.

S.D. Wagner (Producer) is currently represented on Broadway with the 2009 Tony Award winning revival of HAIR. Other recent Broadway credits include: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (starring Al Pacino), and LOMBARDI. With E.I. McCann & Joey Parnes: EQUUS (starring Daniel Radcliffe & Richard Griffiths), Stew & Heidi Rodewald's PASSING STRANGE, Lisa Kron's WELL, BUTLEY (starring Nathan Lane), Edward Albee's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINA WOOLF starring Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin, BECKETT/ALBEE, and WAITING FOR GODOT. On the West End: THE LADY FROM DUBUQUE (starring Maggie Smith), DUET FOR ONE, Edward Albee's THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA?.

Carrie Schoenfeld (Producer) has been involved with Internet video and website design for more than 15 years. She worked for the Eliran Murphy Group and Rave Advertising as a web architect and designer for Broadway and Off Broadway shows. Prior to this she was a webmaster for Getageek.com. She has written, directed and animated two internet video show pilots for ABC's Digital Stage 9 called "Animals Vs Battlebots" and "Dis n' Bitz". Some of her other recent projects were the design and development of Wurbble.com, Lolatext.com and idesk101.com. Most recently, Carrie worked with the University of Hartford Engineering School developing a Magnetic Turbine Generator. Carrie also worked as a scenic artist and was a member of Scenic Artist Union Local 829. She painted sets for many Broadway shows, "Saturday Night Live" and the Metropolitan Opera. Being an accomplished fine artist she has also had numerous one-woman shows in New York City galleries. She had 6 of her paintings on the Joe Franklin show in1990 where she was interviewed with her father Gerald Schoenfeld.

Sternman Productions (Associate Producer) is an independent Production Company based in Los Angeles that seeks out original material from emerging screenwriters and playwrights for development and production in film and theatre. Sternman Productions developed and produced the critically acclaimed film "Islander." a full length feature film which opened in film festivals nationwide in 2006 and played in theaters in major markets throughout the US in 2007. In June 2011, Sternman produced the world premiere of LIGHTS UP ON THE FADE OUT by Padraic Lillis as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Scheduled September 12 through September 24, THE INVESTED will perform Mondays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm (with added 3:00 pm matinees on Friday, September 16, Sunday, September 18 and Saturday, September 24), and no performances on Thursday, September 15 or Tuesday, September 20 at the 4th Street Theatre (83 East 4th Street, 1st Floor). THE INVESTED is an Equity approved showcase. Tickets are $18.00 and can be purchased online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/190150 or one hour prior at the box office.

For more information, please visit www.TheInvested.com.

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