Marissa Lichwick’s YELLOW DRESS Premieres at FringeNYC, 8/10

(Press Release) After her critically-acclaimed performance at the Hollywood Fringe Festival last year, writer and actress Marissa Lichwick presents her solo piece titled “Yellow Dress” at the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival.  Directed by Desdemona Chiang, “Yellow Dress” plays at the Steve & Marie Sgouros Theatre (115 MacDougal Street) from Friday, August 10 to Sunday, August 26, 2012.

Inspired by Lichwick’s life, “Yellow Dress” is the deeply personal story of Rachel, a young Korean orphan, and her experiences as an adoptee in America:  it chronicles Rachel’s early years on the streets of Seoul — abused and unwanted by her caretakers — and her strange journey to a new, bewildering land, where she was adopted and became part of a family of 10 in Upstate New York.

A kaleidoscopic one-woman performance, which presents more than 20 characters, “Yellow Dress” is a tapestry of fantasy, humor, and pathos that delivers a powerful human experience.

“The idea was born out of an experience I had in December 2006, when I suddenly received a letter from my estranged birth father after 21 years of living with my adopted family in America,” says Lichwick. “I decided to go back to Korea to reunite with my biological family, not quite understanding what it meant to go back as an Ebyoung (adoptee). I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand my trajectory in Korea, but I’m grateful for the lifetime of stories that came as a result of that visit.”

“Yellow Dress” features scenic design by Michael Minahan, lighting design by Porsche McGovern, and dramaturgy by Gina Pisasale.

About the Creative Team

Marissa Lichwick (writer/performer) is a recent graduate from the University of Washington, where she received her Master of Fine Arts. “Yellow Dress” was conceived at the University of Washington, and played preview performances at the University of Washington and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.  Lichwick has appeared on stage in New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, and South Korea.

Desdemona Chiang (director) is a stage director based in Seattle and San Francisco. Selected directing credits include: Impact Theatre, Azeotrope, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Intiman Theatre (Director, Living History), Cornish College of the Arts, Crowded Fire Theatre Company, and Playwrights Foundation. Assistant Directing /Dramaturgy: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Playmakers Repertory Company, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, ACT Seattle, Arizona Theatre Company. Drama League New York Directing Fellow. Associate Member, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). Alumna, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and Directors Lab West. BA, Integrative Biology and Theatre: University of California at Berkeley. MFA Directing: University of Washington.

For tickets to “Yellow Dress,” visit www.fringenyc.org or call 866.468.7619. $15 for advance tickets; $18 at the door; $10 for seniors and children. Industry and press comps are available.

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