The Playwrights Realm Presents DRAMATIS PERSONAE, Opens Tonight

The Off-Broadway theatre company The Playwrights Realm begins its 4th season with the U.S. Premiere of DRAMATIS PERSONAE - South American playwright Gonzalo Rodríguez Risco's darkly witty new play directed by Erik Pearson. Press opening is October 7 Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street) in Manhattan.

In DRAMATIS PERSONAE, Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco delves into the intersecting lives and minds of three authors searching for inspirational triggers amid the trigger-happy environment of Peru's political coup in the early nineties. When the writers' demons emerge, the lines between fiction and reality blur in this dark and wickedly witty play that forever changes what it means to be based on a true story.

"It's very exciting to be introducing Gonzalo's work to a New York audience, when I first read Gonzalo's work I was immediately drawn to the way he juxtaposes a focus on the everyday struggles of his characters with the broader political themes that surround them," stated The Playwrights Realm Artistic Director Katherine Kovner. "DRAMATIS PERSONAE creates an intimate portrait of artists struggling to create set against a backdrop of violence that can never be ignored. What immediately struck me in reading Dramatis Personae is that the question Gonzalo and his characters are dealing with is one that we all grapple with: How do you live your life and continue to feel that it is meaningful when the larger issues that surround you are threatening to engulf you?"

Directed by Erik Pearson, the all Latino cast of DRAMATIS PERSONAE features: Felix Solis (Sarah Ruhl's PASSION PLAY - Helen Hayes Nominee; OUR LADY OF 121st STREET), Liza Fernandez (THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET, Jason Well's PERFECT MENDACITY both at Steppenwolf Theatre), Gerardo Rodriguez (American Repertory Theatre's THREE FARCES AND A FUNERAL, opposite Thora Birch and Keith Carradine in "Winter of Frozen Dreams"), Bobby Moreno (Emily Ackerman & KJ Sanchez's ReENTRY, Time Out NY said "Moreno's performance sparkles" for his work in SOUTH BEACH RAPTURE), and Laura Esposito (Yale Rep's production of PASSION PLAY, CAVIAR ON CREDIT at The Guthrie).

Design team for DRAMATIS PERSONAE is Michael Locher (Scenic Design), Amy Clark (Costume Design), Burke Brown (Lighting Design), Nathan Roberts (Sound Design, Composer), and Sven Nelson (Props Design).

DRAMATIS PERSONAE premiered at Casa Espacio Libre in Lima, Peru (playwright Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco's homeland) in 2008. The Casa Espacio Libre production of DRAMATIS PERSONAE was directed by Diego La Hoz and featured Franklin Dávalos, Claudia Sacha, Paco Caparó, Omar Del Águila and Camila Maclennan.

Gonzalo Rodríguez Risco is a playwright and translator from Peru, where ten of his plays have been professionally produced. He is a recent graduate of the Yale School of Drama. His plays in English include THE FRENCH PLAY, DRAMATIS PERSONAE, FATHER/SON, and JOURNEY TO SANTIAGO. At the Yale Cabaret: GAY PLAY and THREESOME. Other plays in English: EXPIRATION and the short radio play TAXI SCENE, broadcast by the BBC World Service in 2003. Plays in Spanish: UN VERSO PASAJERO, LA MANZANA PROHIBIDA, JUEGOS DE MANOS, GENERACIÓN Y, RAINBOW, MAL CRIADAS (written with Diego La Hoz), ASUNTO DE TRES, EL MUSICAL, TV-TERAPIA, and the recently produced Spanish version of DRAMATIS PERSONAE. His translation credits include: MARISOL by José Rivera, A CHORUS LINE by Hamlisch and Kleban, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW by Richard O'Brien and THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP by Charles Ludlam. He has also written for film and television.

Erik Pearson (Director). New York directing credits include: FINDING WAYS TO PROVE YOU'RE NOT AN AL-QAEDA TERRORIST WHEN YOU'RE BROWN (HERE) and SPEED for (terraNOVA Collective). Regional directing credits include: WASTE (The Shakespeare Theatre's ReDiscovery series), FOOLS IN THE FOREST (Shakespeare Santa Cruz), THE BURIAL AT THEBES (BRAVA!), THE TROJAN WOMEN: A LOVE STORY, LIFE IS A DREAM, and OEDI (Quixote Project), and BIG BOYS (60grit). At Yale School of Drama Erik directed JOURNEY TO SANTIAGO (by Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco), FLY BY NIGHT (by Kim Rosenstock, Michael Mitnick and Will Connolly), MAN=MAN, PERICLES, ONE FOR THE ROAD, THE ILLUSION, THE BEDTRICK, IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO CHARLES DARWIN, and GUERNICA!. Erik has developed new work with The Playwrights Realm and NYU Tisch Graduate Playwriting Department. He is the founding artistic director of The Quixote Project and served as co-artistic director of Rococo Risqué, and Yale Cabaret's 40th anniversary season. Erik has designed projections for the Asia Society of NYC, The Magic (San Francisco), Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Marin Theater Company, Center Rep, and works regularly as Wendall Harrington's associate designer. He has taught for the theater department of the University of California at Santa Cruz and holds an MFA in directing from Yale School of Drama.

The Playwrights Realm is a nonprofit Off-Broadway Theater Company dedicated to nurturing the next generation of exciting theatrical voices by providing sustained support to early-career playwrights. Their past productions include: Christopher Wall's DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING, Anna Ziegler's critically acclaimed production of DOV AND ALI and Anton Dudley's SUBSTITUTION. The Playwrights Realm is led by Artistic Director Katherine Kovner and Producing Director Stephanie Ybarra.

Scheduled through October 23, performances of DRAMATIS PERSONAE run Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:00pm (with an added performance on Wednesday, October 13 at 3:00pm), at the Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street). Tickets are $20 - $30 and can be reserved by calling TeleCharge at 212-239-6200, or online at www.playwrightsrealm.org.

For more information, please visit www.playwrightsrealm.org.

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