CRADLE TWO GRAVE, About Twin Sisters Grappling with Mental Illness, Closes Corkscrew Theater Festival

Corkscrew Theater Festival presents the world premiere of Cradle Two Grave, written and directed by Morgaine Gooding-Silverwood.

Running tonight, August 25, through September 3, Cradle Two Grave is an emotional exploration of the relationship between twin sisters, one of whom lives with Borderline Personality Disorder. The play is inspired by Morgaine's experience with her own twin sister Francis, who serves as script consultant/dramaturge on the production.

Performed by Morgaine Gooding-Silverwood, Naomë Antoinette, Patricia Sabulis, Korinne Winter, Terra Chaney, Sarah Suzuki, Sarah Kowalski, Fiona Rae Brunner, and Billie Wyatt, Cradle Two Grave concludes the inaugural season of Corkscrew Theater Festival, a new summer theater festival that provides early-career artists with a high level of production support.

Combining elements of Greek tragedy with contemporary devised theatre, Cradle Two Grave uses authentic found recordings, interviews, original music and raw text to draw its audience into the ongoing tug-of-war between twin sisters and chronic mental illness. While our patient Frances takes us on a journey through the fraught history of mental illness by way of her own experiences in and out of treatment, her twin sister, Mo, grapples with her own fears and frustrations. Mo ultimately comes to terms with that which she cannot control - her sister's diagnosis, and her unconditional love for the diagnosed.

Presented by The Brewing Dept. and Fortress Productions, Corkscrew Theater Festival features five world premieres and five readings performed in repertory over four weeks. Special attention has been given to theater makers who are developing work through innovative and unusual collaborative models. A majority of the participating artists identify as women.

The creative team for Cradle Two Grave includes Vivienne Linsley (set design), Travis Brown (sound design), Elizabeth Schweitzer (lighting design), and Oleander Furman (stage manager).

Performances of Cradle Two Grave will take place August 25-September 3 (see schedule above) at Paradise Factory (64 E 4th St, Manhattan). Critics are welcome as of August 25, which serves as the official opening. Tickets are $24 and can be purchased at corkscrewfestival.org or by calling 347.954.9125.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Morgaine Gooding-Silverwood is a theatre artist and activist based in New York who draws on their background in gender studies and Theatre of the Oppressed in their work as a theatre educator with incarcerated women. Endeavoring to bridge physical aesthetic with an authentic queer voice, Mo became a training artist with Siti Company, where they began development of Cradle Two Grave.

Raquel Chavez is a theater artist based in NYC by way of the Bay Area. Infused by her training in jazz and modern dance, her work strives to explore the subtle, yet meaningful junction of physical theater and choreographic storytelling, while keeping a watchful eye on the socio-political tides that shape our emotional landscapes.

Patricia Sabulis is thrilled and humbled to be a part of this production of Cradle Two Grave. She graduated with a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Some of her favorite productions she's been apart of are "Ambition: The American Female Serial Killer Musical" (Jane Toppan), and any and all work she's done with Liz Swados ("The Reality Show," "Revolting Rhymes," "Marat Sade").

She sends love and appreciation to her family (both biological and chosen).

Korinne Winter is delighted to be making her debut at the Corckscrew Theatre Festival. She as a degree in Theatre and Film from Barnard College and her favorite credits include 12 Angry Men, Joyriders, and Never Can Tell at the Roy Arias Theatre. Recent short films and producing credits include Edge of the Woods and Blank Slate (which was featured in Women and Hollywood). She is also excited to be producing her first feature film later this year. She would like to thank her wife, Nikita Ash, and Morgaine Silverwood, for making such an important piece of theatre and for letting her be a part of it.

Terra Chaney is from Indianapolis, Indiana. She moved to New York in the summer of 2014 to attend The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). She graduated from AMDA Fall 2015 and has been in the city ever since. This will be Terra's first show and she would like to thank her friends and family for all their love and support.

Sarah Suzuki is an actor based in New York and raised in Colorado. ReceNT Productions include Mary V (Theater for the New City), Liminal Space (Rhapsody Collective), Chokher Bali (Hypokrit Theater Company), and Bingo (Barnard College). She holds a BA in theater from Barnard College.

Sarah Kowalski is so excited to be making her NYC Theatre Debut in Cradle Two Grave! She is originally from Louisville, KY, where she attended the Youth Performing Arts School and Classic Melodies Performance Institute. She recently graduated from CAP21's professional musical theatre training program. In addition to singing in concerts at 54 Below and Birdland, some of her favorite credits include Amber (Hairspray), Viola (Twelfth Night), Wanda Woodward (Crybaby), Claire (The Breakfast Club), and Fiona (Shrek the Musical). She'd like to thank the entire creative team and cast for all of their love and hard work, and her friends and family for their endless support.

Naomë Antoinette was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She is the youngest of three children. At a very young age she learned ballet from her mother and developed a deep appreciation for dance which fueled her many passions and charted her on a path to explore the world of arts. Just before applying to university she began to consider acting as a new option and in August of 2016 she was cast for her first role in Atlantic City, directed by Miguel Alvarez. Shortly after she acted in Rich Kids, a feature by Laura Somers. This August, Naomë is taking an explorative leap from the cinema to theatre to perform in her first play.

Fiona Rae Brunner is a New York based performer and just so moved and excited to be a part of this ensemble. She is an alum of The Studio/New York summer conservatory, the National Theater Institute, and Barnard College. Thank You to Morgaine, Raquel, Travis, & Corkscrew for the opportunity to share space and thoughtfully build work.

Billie Wyatt was born and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy Studio Conservatory Program. She has made appearances in productions such as Unto These Hills (Cherokee Historical Association), One Nation, One Mission, One Promise (The Players Theatre), as well as the Strawberry One Act Festival. Her life and artistic goal is to perform work that relays important messages about the world we live in and celebrates life. She would like to thank her mother, sister, grandparents, family and best friend for their endless love and support.

Corkscrew Theater Festival is a partnership between The Brewing Dept., a nonprofit theater collective that seeks to improve and remake the traditional model of theatrical production according to the principles of artistic collaboration, and producer Alexander Donnelly's Fortress Productions, whose work on Broadway includes Sunday in the Park with George, Waitress (co-producer) and Oh Hello. Donnelly's other credits include Dream Ticket (Fringe Festival, winner for best director) and Plath (Fringe Festival, sold out run and nationally reviewed), both of which made the Producer's Perspective list of "10 shows that stand out at Fringe." Most recently, Fortress co-produced Providence, RI in The Tank's Flint and Tinder series. Visit www.corkscrewfestival.org for more information.

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