Flux Premieres Adam Szymkowicz's Gender-Bending Tale of Robin Hood, MARIAN, Tonight

Flux Theatre Ensemble presents the world premiere of Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood by Adam Szymkowicz (Clown Bar, Ubu, Pretty Theft) tonight, January 28, through February 11 at the New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street, Ste. 1E, New York, NY 10014).

The production will be directed by Kelly O'Donnell (Hearts Like Fists, Dog Act) and will feature Jessica Angleskhan* (Rizing, Flux), C. Bain (Salome, Sacred Circle), Becky Byers* (The Honeycomb Trilogy, Gideon Productions), Alexandra Curran (Wolf in the River, The Flea), Kevin R. Free* (The Fantasticks, Welcome to Night Vale), Aaron Parker Fouhy (Night of the Living N-Word!!!), Jack Horton Gilbert (The Mysteries, The Flea), Mike Mihm* (Blood Potato, Apothecary Theatre), Nandita Shenoy* (Washer/Dryer, Ma-Yi Theater Company), T. Thompson (Exit: An Illusion directed by Tonya Pinkins), Matthew Trumbull* (The Temple, or Lebensraum), and Marnie Schulenburg* (How I Learned To Drive, Second Stage). *Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.

Adam Szymkowicz's Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood is a gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale. Robin Hood is (and has always been) Maid Marian in disguise, and leads a motley group of Merry Men (few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin? What is the cost of revealing your true self in a time of troubles? A play about selfishness and selflessness and love deferred and the fight. Always the fight. The fight must go on. Marian is the first play to come out of Flux's FluxForward program.

The creative team includes Scenic Design by Will Lowry (Jane the Plain, Flux), Lighting Design by Jessica Greenberg (Phantasmagoria, La Mama), Costume Design by Izzy Fields, and Props Design by Sara Slagle. The Fight Director is Rocio Mendez (Hearts Like Fists), Assistant Director is Sol Crespo, and the Production Stage Manager is Jodi M. Witherell.

"When we first chose to produce Marian, we were delighted by the humor and heart, as well as the opportunity for women, LGBTQ, and gender non-conforming artists to redefine the story of Robin Hood," said Heather Cohn, producing director and founding creative partner, Flux Theatre Ensemble. "Coming now on the heels of a divisive election, these themes of economic inequality, community resilience, and self-sacrifice in the name of justice have even greater urgency. Our Living Ticket program will also be a fitting match for this story of taking from the rich to give to the poor!"

Continuing the successful experiment pioneered with their last two productions, no financial transaction is required to attend a Flux performance. Instead, attendees reserve a "Living Ticket" and are prompted to donate based on Flux's open budget and commitment to reach living wages for all staff and artists. Living Tickets will be available in January at fluxtheatre.org/marian.

"We're particularly excited that Marian not only launches the first full production from our FluxForward commission program, but that the cast features Kevin R. Free and Nandita Shenoy--two of our other FluxForward playwrights," said Sol Crespo, producer, creative partner, and assistant director, Flux Theatre Ensemble. "FluxForward was designed to more fully integrate playwrights into Flux's community--welcoming their whole selves as artists and leaders--and Marian is a great step in that direction."

Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood will be presented by Flux Theatre Ensemble at the New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street, Ste. 1E, New York, NY 10014), January 28 - February 11, 2016. Previews are January 28 and 29 at 7:00pm with the opening January 30 at 7:00pm. The run continues with performances February 1 - 4 and February 7 - 11 at 8pm, with a 2pm matinee on February 5. Find more information at fluxtheatre.org/marian.

Adam Szymkowicz'S (Playwright) plays have been produced throughout the U.S., and in Canada, England, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Greece, Slovenia and Lithuania. Adam received a Playwright's Diploma from The Juilliard School's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University where he was the Dean's Fellow. Szymkowicz is a two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner, a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writer's Guild of America, and was a member of Primary Stages' Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer's Group, the MCC Playwright's Coalition and of the first Ars Nova Play Group.

He has been to The Orchard Project and to JAW at Portland Center Stage, served twice as Playwright in Residence at the William Inge Center, and took part in The Dramatists Guild Fund's Traveling Masters program. Szymkowicz has been commissioned by South Coast Rep, Rising Phoenix Rep, Texas State University,The NOLA Project, Single Carrot Theater, and Flux Theater Ensemble. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Playscripts and Original Works Publishing. His plays Pretty Theft and Hearts Like Fists were both produced by Flux Theatre Ensemble to critical praise, inspiring many subsequent productions. Visit adamszymkowicz.com.

KELLY O'DONNELL (Director) is a Flux Creative Partner and co-founder. Directing work includes Tiny Houses by Stephanie Zadravec (New Dramatists Playtime LAB), Colchester by Adam Szymkowicz (Portland Center Stage, JAW), Hearts Like Fists by Adam Szymkowicz, Jane the Plain by August Schulenburg, Dog Act by Liz Duffy Adams, Honey Fist, and Riding the Bull by August Schulenburg (Flux Theatre Ensemble), 3Christs (Peculiar Works Project), A Flea in Her Ear (NYU Tisch Undergraduate/Lee Strasberg School), Tartuffe (Lafayette College), Our Lady of 121st Street (The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute). A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet (Stages on the Sound). She has been nominated twice for Outstanding Director by the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. Plays that she has directed have been named "Critics' Picks" by the New York Times, Backstage, and Theatre is Easy; and "Audience Favorite" by the Village Voice. Go to kellyod.com.

FLUX THEATRE ENSEMBLE produces transformative theatre that explores and awakens the capacity for change. As an ensemble-artist driven company, Flux believes that long-term collaboration and rigorous creative development can unite artists and audiences to build a creative home in New York.

Hailed as one of "8 Young (and Mighty) New York Theater Companies" by Backstage, Flux Theatre Ensemble is a twenty-time New York Innovative Theatre Award nominee, including wins for Jane the Plain, Ajax in Iraq, and The Angel Eaters Trilogy. NYIT has also awarded Flux the prestigious Caffé Cino Fellowship Award for "consistently producing outstanding work." In 2016, Flux was named a Fractured Atlas' Arts Entrepreneurship Awards Honoree. Flux is the proud recipient of two NYC Fringe Festival Awards (2007 Village Voice Audience Favorite Award for Riding the Bull; 2008 Outstanding Direction Award for Other Bodies), received a Citation for Excellence in Off-Off Broadway Theatre from the Independent Theater Bloggers Association, and is one of Indie Theatre Now's "People of the Decade."

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