A THERAPY SESSION WITH MYSELF Goes To The Kraine For An Open-Ended Run

After a successful premiere at the Hudson Guild Theatre this past January as part of the New York Theatre Festival's 2019 NYWinterfest, A Therapy Session with Myself - Anthony J. Piccione's controversial, semi-autobiographical drama about living with mental illness and Asperger's syndrome - returns in May for an open-ended run of monthly performances at the Kraine Theater, home to some of the most cutting-edge artists in independent theatre.

Monthly performances begin May 18 at 2:00 p.m. for a proposed open-end. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by visiting atswm.brownpapertickets.com.

A Therapy Session with Myself tells the story of Alex Grayson, a young college student and aspiring writer living with severe social anxiety, depression, and Asperger's syndrome. During the summer before his senior year, he receives a mysterious visit from "himself", a human incarnation of his inner consciousness. As they interact, Alex is forced to reflect on his own flaws and personality quirks, as well as some of the darkest and most painful memories of his adolescence, while also pondering the question of whether he can overcome his inner demons, and ultimately build a brighter future for himself.

Mr. Piccione described his inspiration for the play in an interview with Five-Star Arts Journals last December. "[It's] a semi-autobiographical play that's mainly inspired by real-life events that occurred from my first year of high school up to my last year of college, [and] I'd say the actual story itself is about 80 to 90 percent the truth, with only some minor changes," according to Piccione, who went on to say that "[w]hen people come see the show, it'll likely feel more like a stream of consciousness, rather than a traditional story with a beginning, middle, and end, so I imagine it'll raise at least as many questions as answers. But still, my hope for this play is that it leaves people thinking about issues of social anxiety, depression, and Asperger's syndrome [in] a different way than perhaps they used to."

Returning to helm the play is award-winning director Holly Payne-Strange, who last year was named Best Director for her work on Opposites and Contradictions at the NYC Theatre Festival and Showcase at Theatre 80. St Marks, while acclaimed actor/director/songwriter Andres Gallardo Bustillo returns as assistant director.

Returning actors include Nick Roy, Shane Zimmerman, Nathan Cusson, Emma Romeo, Louise Heller, Tony Bozanich, Travis Martin, Rosie Coursey, and Lizzy Moreno, with additional casting announcements to be made in the coming weeks.

Anthony J. Piccione is an award-winning playwright and producer based in New York City. His full-length drama A Therapy Session with Myself premiered in January 2019 at the Hudson Guild Theatre before transferring to the Kraine Theater for an ongoing series of monthly performances. Additionally, his eclectic canon of one-acts have previously been presented in NYC at the Hudson Guild Theatre, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, Midtown International Theatre Festival, and Manhattan Repertory Theatre, as well as at regional venues such as Playhouse on Park, Hole in the Wall Theatre, the Windsor Art Center, and Windham Theatre Guild. His short drama What I Left Behind was named the NYWinterfest's Best Short Play of 2018, and he was also nominated for Planet Connections Theatre Festivity's Outstanding Playwright award for his avant-garde one-act 4 $tages. His work as a playwright has been published at JAC Publishing and Promotions, Heuer Publishing & Off The Wall Plays, and his articles and reviews are frequently published at OnStage Blog. He received his BA in Theatre from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2016 and is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

For more information, please visit www.anthonyjpiccione.com/atherapysessionwithmyself.

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