Conflict of Interest Theater Co Presents WAR CRIMES, Opens 6/10

All too often a personal agenda becomes more important than justice; facts are sacrificed for expediency, and the truth is distorted beyond recognition, as shown in Sergei Burbank's intense new drama War Crimes. Directed by Sara Wolkowitz and presented by Conflict of Interest Theater Company, War Crimes will begin performances on June 10th at the Robert Moss Theatre, located at 440 Lafayette Street, as part of the 2nd Annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. Members of the Press are invited to all performances.

In the wake of repeated al-Qaeda terrorist bombings on U.S. soil, the government constructed a secret prison camp where numerous Arab-Americans were interrogated, tortured, and worse -- all in the name of national security. John Warder worked at that camp and has lived with the horrors he's seen ever since. When the former president of the United States is arrested and brought to The Hague to stand trial, Warder heads there to make sure the truth finally comes out.

Yet what Warder offers is the last thing those in charge want to hear, being more interested in a quick conviction than learning what really happened and why. With world opinion screaming for the President's head, the Chief Magistrate determined to cement her own legacy, and the ghost of a 17th century Dutch merchant visiting the key players at pivotal moments, Warder soon finds himself threatened with losing everything he holds dear, as the question becomes whether the truth even matters, and if so, whose truth will finally be told?
The cast of War Crimes features Mariam Habib*, Sarah Hartmann*, Alexis MacDonald, Chris Moore, David Nelson, Laura Piquado, Timothy Roselle*, Hugh Sinclair*, and Max Wolkowitz. The production is an Equity Showcase.

In addition to War Crimes, Sergei Burbank's other produced plays include The Third Seat, BoCoCa Arts Festival (July 2009); Wrestling the Alligator, Planet Connections (June 2009); and The Danish Mediations/Slots, Access Theater (2007). Published screenplays include Other Than Emily, A2K Productions (2008); Chords, Indecent Exposure Productions (2007); and R4Power, Reflective Learning, LLC (2006). As an actor, he has appeared in the films The D Word, Lust for Vengeance, and Divi sion III; New York theatre includes The Power and the Glory (Storm Theater); Breakfast for Dinner (Oracle Theatre Company/ FringeNYC), The GArden Party (Brick Theater), Absence of a House (Sargent Theater); and regional acting credits include The Learned Ladies and Master Harold.... and The Boys. He is the coordinating director for Conflict Of Interest Theater Company and the literary manager for Oracle Theatre, Inc.

Sara Wolkowitz is a theater director and indepen dent filmmaker who has directed both documen tary and narrative films. She is the co-founder (and director) of the all-women Brooklyn-based Production Company, Indecent Exposure Pro ductions. Films she has directed include Pretty Girl, produced for the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival, and Chords, which has been shown at the 2008 Los Angeles Women's Film Festival and the 2008 Hawaii International Film Festival, among others. In New York she stage managed and assistant directed two shows with Woodshed Theater Col­lective. She also directed and co-created a one-woman show, Eleanor Is Sibling Challenged, performed at the Magnet Theater. On Broadway she worked for year and a half as the additional Child Wrangler for Hairspray on Broadway. She recently finished directing a feature documen tary, The Acting Company: Still on the Road 2008-09. Currently, she is directing videos for non-profit organizations, including LitWorld and NARAL Pro-Choice.

Conflict Of Interest Theater Company is a Brooklyn-based group producing stage, film, and podcast productions. "We are a group of artists who distrust the power of authority, whatever form that takes: threats to constitutional freedoms from politicians, outdated performance codes that restrict arbitrarily the creative process of theater artists, or theatrical conventions that prevail simply because they are unquestioned. Our work is political: we seek to redeem the reputation of political theater by selecting works with strong narrative qualities. Moreover, we hold that any theater about human beings is inherently political, as the political and the personal are indivisible." Information: http://coitc.org/war_crimes.html

The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York's premiere eco-friendly/socially-conscious theatre festival. Fostering a diverse cross-section of performances, the festival seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally in a festive atmosphere. At the heart of the festivity are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, while supporting organizations which gave back to the community at large.
Information: www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com.

In keeping with Planet Connections' mission of connecting artists and audiences with diverse and dynamic charitable organization, each performance of War Crimes will donate a portion of its ticket sales to Amnesty International, whose mission is to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated. Information: www.amnesty.org.

Running from June 10th to June 20th, War Crimes will be performed at the Robert Moss Theatre, located at 440 Studios (440 Lafayette Street), between Astor Place and East Third Street. Show times are Thursday, June 10th at 8pm, Saturday, June 12th at 4pm, Tuesday, June 25th at 6:30pm, Thursday, June 17th at 6:15pm, Saturday, June 19th at 9pm, and Sunday, June 20th at 6:30pm. Running time is approximately 90 Minutes. Tickets are $18.00.
Reservations: www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com, 212-352-3101, 866-811-8411.
Information: http://coitc.org/war_crimes.html

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