Dialogue With Three Chords Announces Cast For THE EMPIRE NEVER ENDED

Dialogue with Three Chords (D3C) starts their ninth season of independent theatre with THE EMPIRE NEVER ENDED this Thursday, August 22 at 8pm downstairs at Von Bar on 3 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012. Admission is free for the show, which features two new works written by Stephen Gracia and directed by Michael LoPorto, and includes a live performance by acoustic-Riot Grrl-pop-punk duo Dolltits.

THE EMPIRE NEVER ENDED sees D3C open their new season with two shorts, "The Moment Before the Die is Cast" and "Nicaea," both set in Ancient Rome. In "The Moment Before the Die is Cast," Gaius Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger take to the senate floor to "Cato debate the death penalty for a group of traitorous former senators," Gracia explains. "Along the way they argue about everything from the afterlife, to sexuality, to the very purpose of a republic."

In contrast, "Nicaea" is set 12 years after the Roman persecution of Christians officially ended, and nearly 500 years before the start of the Holy Roman Empire. Gracia's second work stars Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena as they moderate two very different discussions on the future of Christianity. "A group of bishops meet to unite all the disparate Christian sects under one creed," the playwright says, "and to decide whether Jesus Christ was fully human, fully divine, or something different."

Dolltits, the NY Times notable musicians, will return by popular demand to perform their songs between the scenes. THE EMPIRE NEVER ENDED is the first of three evenings of themed theatre D3C presents at the start of their ninth season. September's takes inspiration from the Noir genre, while October will draws on Pulp-era writings. Co-founders Gracia and LoPorto plan to expand their theatrical reach to Hoboken with a special performance before the end of 2019.

The Empire Never Ended features: Jessica Bathurst, Patrick Delaney, Anthony DeVito, Chris Donovan, Sadie Kay, Mel Nieves, Anthony Noto, and Tess Richie.

More information on Dialogue with Three Chords can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/dthreec. More information on Dolltits can be found at: http://www.dolltits.com/.

Dialogue with Three Chords was founded by Stephen Gracia and Michael LoPorto in 2011 and applies the do-it-yourself philosophy of punk to the stage and features short plays and live music. Their work has also been produced at HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, The SOHO Gallery of Digital Art, Sargent Theatre, Makor Theater, DUMBO Theatre Exchange, Levenson Hall at Brooklyn College, and the Theaters at 45 Bleecker.