Looking Glass Theatre Presents THE ANGEL PLAY, 3/16-4/1

Looking Glass Theatre presents the world premiere of Bella Poynton's The Angel Play, directed by Amanda Thompson, opening March 16 and running through Sunday, April 1 at Looking Glass Theatre. Tickets are $18, general admission ($15 students/seniors) and available at www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com. Group tickets are also available. Running time is approximately two hours including one intermission.

We've all heard the story: the Angel Gabriel announces the coming of a child and Mary of Nazareth is stunned but welcoming to her Lord's will. Then, The Players in this ancient tale must somehow live through nine long months of waiting. This is the untold story - the story of the Angel Gabriel and Mary of Nazareth's strange and otherworldly love affair; the play explores the humanity of Gabriel, the divinity of young Mary, and the blindness of the community around them.

What effect did these two beings of light have on one another? After Mary is visited by Gabriel, they are forced to part. She is shunned by her family and the people of Jerusalem who refuse to believe her predicament. Gabriel takes it upon himself to convince Mary's future husband Joseph that his fiancée holds a pivotal place in human history. Mary must find the strength to leave the frightened young girl behind, and become a powerful prophetess who has the courage to take control of her own destiny, and the destiny of her unborn child.
Steve Buechler's costume design incorporates both contemporary and period elements, while Elle Kunnos de Voss' scenic design is comprised of crumbling stones of the ruins of a city, the falling of this world.  Lucas Segall adds a haunting, original musical underscore, and Libby Jensen's stunning light design creates chilling shadows as well as angelic illumination.

The production features Julie Ek as Mary, Dan Lovley as Joseph and Joey Lozada as Gabriel, with Margie Ferris (Ann/Elisheva), Rebecca Nerz (Shepherd) and Zachary Zimbler (Joachim/Priest).

Creative team includes: Meg Dowling (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Arielle Parkas (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Taylor Reynolds (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), Elle Kunnos de Voss (Scenic Design), Libby Jensen (Light Design), Steve Buechler (Costume Design) and Lucas Segall (Sound Design).

OPENING NIGHT TALK BACK SESSION: Join us for an opening night talk back immediately following the Friday, March 16 performance with playwright Bella Poynton, director Amanda Thompson and the cast of The Angel Play!

BELLA POYNTON holds a BFA in Acting from the Boston University School of Theater and is currently an MFA Playwriting candidate at the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. She is the winner of the Amelia Bassano Lanier Short Play Competition at Manhattan Theater Source in 2009, and was nominated for the Christopher Brian Wolk Playwriting Award in 2010. Her play Pope Joan was a regional finalist at the American College Theater Festival, and was later produced Off-Broadway at New World Stages. Other productions include: Unpopular Devotion (New Perspectives Theater Company), Advanced Program System (American Globe Theater), The Age (Barrow Group FAB Women Project), Who is Dan Schiller? (Looking Glass Forum) and A House Full of Dust (Wings Theater Co.) A House Full of Dust will also be published later this year by Heartland Plays.

Director AMANDA THOMPSON is a New York City based director and acting teacher. At Looking Glass Theatre, she most recently directed the popular children's show Betsy is Bored… She has also directed numerous Looking Glass Forum productions including Badger and Maddy, Potato Girl, and Ampersand: a Romeo & Juliet Story Acts One and Two (winning Best Direction and Best Production among other Forum awards). NYC credits include Fate Fury and Musical Theatre (Frigid Festival), Baldy (Abingdon Theatre), Hatching (NYC Fringe), Dismemberment (Player's Theatre), Life is a Dream and Impostor Striketh Back(Festival of Fools), Dismissing RoBert Fink and Litmus (Manhattan Rep Theatre). MS. Thompson has assisted for directors Lear Desbessonet and Rachel Dickstein, and playwright (and Obie-winning actor) Heidi Schreck.

Visit www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com for more information.

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