James M. Armstrong, Heather Cunningham & More to Star in Retro Productions' THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE

Throughout the 2013-2014 season Retro Productions has been workshopping Christie Perfetti Williams full length play, AN APPEAL TO THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE. Born out of the Retro Productions 20th Century Salon in the fall of 2012, AN APPEAL TO THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE will have its World Premiere in May 2014 and is being directed by DeLisa White.

AN APPEAL TO THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE takes place on one fateful night in May, 1961 in the farmhouse of Rose and Gideon Walker on the Alabama-Tennessee border. It is just after midnight when David and his fellow lost Freedom Riders knock on the door seeking assistance in the form of a phone and a place to stay until daylight. But Gideon, who knows this is Klan country, is reluctant to let in this band of mixed race college kids until Rose forces him to open the door with the acknowledgement that "they're just babies." What follows is a touching story of race, love, acceptance and learning how to stand up for what you believe.

Retro Productions Artistic Director, Heather Cunningham explains why AN APPEAL TO THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE is so relevant to today's culture. "On the one hand the play is about race and economics and on the other hand it's about activism and how large gestures create ripple effects. But the most relevant bit to me today is the desegregation part - because there is still racism in the world and there are still people in our country who think that segregation should be legal - whether it be against African Americans or Gays or any other minority group. And to anyone who says to me "I don't want to see a play about the past" I'd say not so fast - it's still very much a part of our present." Although AN APPEAL TO THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE is inspired by historical events it is a work of fiction. Retro Productions is thrilled to be presenting a civil rights story that is routed in love and respect for those who put themselves in harm's way for what they believe to be right.

The production stars James M. Armstrong (Member of the Workshop Theater), Heather Cunningham (The Runner Stumbles/Off Broadway), Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy (Advance Man/Gideon Productions), Laura Killeen (Sweeney Todd/London), Daryl Lathon (Volume of Smoke/Playwright Clay McLeod Chapman), Elise Rovinsky (Women and War/Bleecker Street Theater), Ben Schnickel (Billy Witch/Astoria Performing Arts Center) and Ric Sechrest (The Desk Set/Spoon Theatre).

The creative team includes set design by Ron Naversen, costume design by Jeanette Aultz, properties design by Sara Slagle, dramaturgy by Dillon Slagle, produced by Heather Cunningham, co-producer Ricardo Rust.

All performances take place at the WorkShop Theater Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, btw 8th and 9th Avenues, New York, NY 10018.

Subways: A/C/E/1/2/3/B/D/F/Q/M/N/R to 34th Street.

Tickets are available at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/931598 - $18.00 adults, $15.00 students/seniors and $5.00 for student rush (if available).

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