Face to Face Films to Present Anthony M. Laura's THE GIRL WITH THE RED HAIR in November

Mental health takes center stage in Anthony M. Laura's new play The Girl with the Red Hair which will play The Gene Frankel Theatre in Manhattan. Anthony directs the production which features a diverse predominantly female cast of nine and tackles tough issues such as loneliness, abuse, institutionalization and sexuality in all forms. The production runs November 3 - 12 with opening night slated for November 3.

The Girl with the Red Hair follows a young girl as she is admitted into a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide. Slowly, she finds herself unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy as she navigates learning who she can trust in this new environment. As she pushes against the doctors' treatment, her memory begins to deceive her, leading her and us on a journey to discover the truth of what lies beneath us.

The Girl with the Red Hair was originally produced in 2010 at Theater for the New City. Playwright and founder of Face to Face Films, Anthony M. Laura shared why he chose to remount the production, "During COVID while I was rewriting the show, I found that as I was getting feedback, people were responding more to our themes of isolation due to being quarantined. On a massive scale for a period of months, everyone all over the world was understanding the effects of being alone with yourself and how that began to affect your mental health".

He went on to say, "Mounting the production immediately after the pandemic felt like a way to unite people who have now had the experience that many others have been dealing with their whole lives. Mental health has always been an important topic in my work, mostly because it's something I've struggled with myself. My goal for this show is for people to see themselves in these characters, to hear a piece of dialogue that sticks with them and makes them feel understood and less alone. We are making great strides in accepting that mental health is a topic we need to take seriously and not to attribute shame to".

This play deals with issues of suicide and trauma and is not recommended for anyone under the age of 16.

The cast features Jaclyn Holliday (Lizzy, The Musical/Post Theatre Company) and Alexandra Rooney (Mr. Robot/USA Network) as the main characters Hayley Jones and Young Hayley Jones and features Delano Allen (Lysander/A Midsummer Night's Dream), Olivia Fergus-Brummer (Like an Abortion/Cherry Lane Theater), Candy Dato (The Philosophy Play/Strawberry One Act Festival), Nicole Marie Hunt (Affliction/Amazon), Mia Rose Kavensky (room 9/Lionsgate), Katia Mendoza (Our Lady of 121st Street/Bellarine Theatre Company), and Chelsea Renae (Clybourne Park/American Academy of Dramatic Arts).

The creative team includes scenic design by Mengyi Liu, sound design by Trey McGee, lighting design by Yang Yu, costume design by Tuesdai Win, with original music composed by Philip Lauto, and songs by Rose Hart. The production team includes stage management Richard Urquiza, and assistant stage manager Stacie Louis-Jacques. The production is produced by Face to Face company members Jaclyn Holliday, Liv Kirby, and Anthony M. Laura.

Performances take place Tuesday - Friday at 7pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 7pm. Running time: 2:30 with intermission. The Gene Frankel Theatre is located at 24 Bond Street (Between Lafayette & Bowery), New York, NY 10012. Subways: 6 to Bleecker Street, B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette.

Tickets are $35 and are available at http://www.thegirlwiththeredhairplay.com.

Anthony M. Laura (Playwright/director) is the founder and Artistic Director of Face to Face Films, where he works with an amazing creative team year round telling stories in film and theater about people who are not regularly understood. His stories strive to shine a further light on mental illness and sexual abuse. Previous film work includes "Korinne" (Best Supporting Actress, Chain Film Festival), "Sycamore" (Best Director, Endless Mountains Film Festival), "Swingers (Best Short, Best Director, Best Actress), and three short films entitled "The Isolation Trilogy". Theatre credits include, "The Girl with the Red Hair," "Silence" and the upcoming 2023 play "Shadows," featuring Face to Face Films ensemble member Liv Kirby.. Anthony is a proud supporter of the charities To Write Love On Her Arms and The Loveland Foundation. He created The Julia Initiative to help bring awareness to mental illness, where members of the company record videos and provide resources for those suffering.

Face to Face Films has been producing film and theatre for over a decade. The company's mission is to focus on smaller stories about real people. Face to Face strives to profile unheard voices by taking stories about people that are not regularly seen and giving them a voice. www.facetofacefilms.net

www.instagram.com/facetofacefilms - www.facebook.com/FaceToFaceFilms

 

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