Monica West Joins IT'S ONLY KICKBALL, STUPID thru This Sunday

Monica West has joined the cast of the kef theatrical production of IT'S ONLY KICKBALL, STUPID -- the new play by Caroline Prugh and directed by Adam Fitzgerald. She will step in for Autum Hurlbert, who had to leave the production do to scheduling conflicts, for performances through Sunday, September 14 at The Hartley House (413 West 46th Street).

Monica's Off-Broadway credits include The Glass Menagerie (Roundabout), Red Light Winter (Barrow Street Theatre), Short History of Women (NYS&F), A Contemporary American's Guide to a Successful Marriage © 1959 (Cherry Lane), Germans in Paris (59E59). Toronto shows include Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Royal Alexandra Theatre). Featured regional are Eastland (Lookingglass Theatre Company), Lady With a Lap Dog (Guthrie), The Diary of Anne Frank (Westport Country Playhouse), The 39 Steps (Geva Theatre Center), A Christmas Carol (Actor's Theatre of Louisville) and The Last Bridge (George Street Playhouse). Film and television credits include playing "Mave Adams" in Blood, Sand and Gold (2015 release), "Chicago Fire" (NBC), "Law & Order" (NBC) and "Underemployed" (MTV). Monica's online work with "MVPleez" can be seen on Lorne Michael's Above Average, Official Comedy, Huffington Post Comedy, and New York Magazine.

IT'S ONLY KICKBALL, STUPID is a sly time-bending comedy in a special immersive production that tosses the audience into the center of the action. On a playground in 1988, Fiona Moore fights off Margo Finley's efforts to convince her to join the all-girls kickball team in their daily recess battles against the boys. This totally annoys young Fiona and yet there's something more to her feelings, but what? As she struggles to figure this out, the play opens up, moving between the late 80s and today. As the playground fades into memory, adult Fiona and her friends attempt to figure out just what was happening and maybe re-write a little of her-story.

This new play reminds us that as the world changes, we must not forget what it meant to grow up before gay rights. What about a young girl who was without a role model in popular culture - no Rosie, no Ellen, no Wanda, and had no one to ask questions of - what was her struggle? This play addresses the universal story of finding oneself in a world that does not offer an explanation.

The IT'S ONLY KICKBALL, STUPID cast also features Eric T. Miller (Sweet Storm at LAByrinth, Betrayed at The Culture Project), Lori Prince (Lyric is Waiting with kef productions, Sarah, Sarah at Manhattan Theatre Club) and Debargo Sanyal (Queens Boulevard at Signature Theatre Company). The production features scenic design by David L. Arsenault, sound design by Christopher J. Bailey, lighting design by Travis McHale and costume design by Lisa Zinni.

kef theatrical productions is an artist-run company producing exciting and relevant theatrical works. Recent productions include The Awake (New York Times "Critics Pick"), Methtacular! (Time Out NY "Critics Pick"), Marisa Wegrzyn's Killing Women (starring Lisa Brescia), Israela Margalit's First Prize and the critically-acclaimed extended run of Michael Puzzo's Lyric Is Waiting. Kef also presented Island Song at 92Y Tribeca (Carner and Gregor), Artists Rising (a composer/lyricist showcase) at Theatre Row and (as Associate Producer) the Drama Desk Award winning revival of Israel Horovitz' Lebensraum www.kefproductions.com.

The kef theatrical productions staging of IT'S ONLY KICKBALL, STUPID will be presented at The Hartley House (413 West 46th Street in Manhattan) through Sunday, September 14. The performance schedule is Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 5:00 PM. Tickets, which are $18, are on sale now through www.kefproductions.com or by calling Ovationtix at (866) 811-4111.

CAROLINE PRUGH (Playwright) is a playwright and songwriter. Her work has been produced and/or developed in New York by independent producer David Carpenter, New Georges, kef productions, 54 Below, Abingdon Theater, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Royal Family Productions, Babel Theatre Project, La MaMa Etc., Vital Theater, At Hand Productions, Captiva Arts, Random Access Theater, Boomerang Theater Company, vilde chaya collective and Manhattan Shakespeare Project; regionally by Theatre Offensive and Brava Theater and internationally by Nous Theatre Productions (The Netherlands). Her plays with music include estate, At Daybreak, and the original musical Highway Blue. Manhattan Shakespeare Project commissioned Highway Blue after a one-act version was the winner of their 2010 Emerging Female Playwrights Festival. In addition to playwriting, she worked for over a decade at Stuart Thompson Productions as a management associate on nearly thirty Broadway and Off-Broadway productions including four Tony Award winners: Proof, Take Me Out, Doubt, and God of Carnage; other favorite credits include Exit the King, Deborah Warner's production of Medea, The Year of Magical Thinking, The Retreat from Moscow, The Shape of Things and the musical Caroline, or Change. She holds an MFA from Columbia University's Graduate Playwriting Program.

ADAM FITZGERALD (Director) is the Artistic Director of kef theatrical productions With kef: The Awake (New York Times "Critic's Pick"), METHTACULAR!, (Time Out NY "Critics Pick") Killing Women, Lyric Is Waiting; Other select NYC: A Dish For the Gods and Getting The Business (Rachel Reiner Productions), Songs for a Funnier World (NYMF), Letter from Algeria (GroundUP Productions); Concerts: Ali Ewoldt and Adam Jacobs HEART FULL OF LOVE (Town Hall), Carner and Gregor's Island Song (92YTribeca); Are You Working on Something New? (BC/EFA); Infinite Joy (Las Vegas benefit). Selected Regional: Defiance (Playhouse West: Critics' Circle Award nominations for Director and Production), Santaland Diaries (Homemade Theater), METHTACULAR! (Cincinnati Fringe: Pick of the Fringe Award); 2008-09 Directing Resident at Playwrights Horizons assisting Wilson Milam, Bartlett Sher and Kate Whoriskey on plays by Nicky Silver (Three Changes with Maura Tierney), Craig Lucas (Prayer for My Enemy with Victoria Clark, Michele Pawk and Jonathan Groff) and Christina Anderson (Inked Baby with LaChanze). Film/TV: PSA for the Ad Council and GLSEN (winner of a national Talent House competition judged by Brett Ratner and Tom Ford); Season 1 of FIFTY2&NINE's web series, Conversations with My Ex for GWIST TV; American Blend (talk show, pilot), Behind The Tiara with Randy Rainbow (mockumentary web series). www.directorfitz.com

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