Madonna and Child and Other Divas to Play FringeNYC

Boy Howdy Productions has announced the cast and performance dates of the new play Madonna and Child and Other Divas, written by Tom Johnson and directed by Julie Hamberg to be presented at the New York International Fringe Festival/ FringeNYC in August.

The production, which will showcase the talents of six seasoned actors with stage and film credits from London to Los Angeles will be performed on the MainStage of The Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village for five performances:  Saturday, August 11 at 4:00 pm; Tuesday, August 14 at 5:00 pm; Friday, August 17 at 2:45 pm; Tuesday, August 21 at 9:00 pm; and Friday, August 24 at 7:00 pm.

Originally developed by the Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Lambs Theatre Company, the show "is based on a personal account of lives torn apart by the clash of Christian fundamentalism and homosexuality.  It chronicles the painful and turbulent marriage that led to one of the most scandalous divorce trials in this history of Colorado," state press notes.

Johnson is the author of Just the Red Parts, recently produced at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and co-author of a musical adaptation of Aesop's Fables commissioned by Our Endeavors Theatre in Dallas. As an actor, Johnson has performed in six productions at ATL including the Humana Festival premiere of Craig Lucas' Back Story, as well as work in NYC with The Barrow Group, Peculiar Works Project, Vital Theatre Company, Unity Festival and others.

Director Hamberg's work has been seen in NYC at The Public Theatre, The Drama League, New Georges, Peculiar Works Project, LCT Directors Lab, Westbeth, Circle Rep Lab, Six Figures and others. She is the former Associate Artistic Director of Vital Theatre Company where she directed five productions at the McGinn/Cazale and on Theatre Row, garnering two OOBR Awards for Excellence.

Starring as the young couple in this World Premiere production are Joe Pindelski, returning to FringeNYC following regional work at Virginia's Signature and Maryland's Olney Theatre's, and Kay Wilson, recently featured in Theatre for the New City's The Art of Love and "As The World Turns" on CBS-TV.  The couple's story is played out in the drug-fueled imagination of a young gay New Yorker, battling demons of his own in the form of crystal meth and sex addiction.  Performing the role will be Christopher Illing, seen in the Central Park production of All's Well That Ends Well, the Samuel French Festival award-winner The Ex, and John Woo's Windtalkers, starring Nic Cage.

Other actors performing multiple roles in the production include:  Samantha Desz (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts); Craig Fitzpatrick (Obie award-winning Peculiar Works Project, Vital Theatre at McGinn/Cazale); and Dan Via (Washington DC's Studio Theatre, Theatre J, NYC stage debut). Anna Oldham will serve as Production Stage Manager.

Visit www.myspace.com/madonnaandchild to learn more about the production and the true story of homosexuality and religious zealotry that inspired the play.  Madonna and Child and Other Divas, part of the 11th Annual New York International Fringe Festival, will be performed on the MainStage of The Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street, New York, NY.  The current five performance schedule is: Saturday, August 11 at 4:00pm; Tuesday, August 14 at 5:00pm; Friday, August 17 at 2:45pm; Tuesday, August 21 at 9:00pm; and Friday, August 24 at 7:00pm.

All tickets are $15.00 and may be purchased online at www.FringeNYC.org or by phone at 212-279-4488 (1-888-FringeNYC outside New York.)

 

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