New Light Theater Project, in association with Luis A. Miranda Jr., is thrilled to present the New York premiere of MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION by Owen Panettieri, directed by Anaïs Koivisto. MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION begins performances Saturday,September 8 for a limited engagement through Saturday, September 22. Press opening isWednesday, September 12 at 7:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Friday at 7:30 PM;Saturday at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM. Please note there are added performances on Sunday, September 9 at 2:30 PM & 7:00 PM and Monday, September 17 at 7:30 PM. Performances are at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at the A.R.T./New York Theatres (502 West 53rd Street, between 10th & 11thAvenues). Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets, visit www.newlighttheaterproject.com.
During a blackout, new neighbors David and Nat engage in unusual conversation and wind up revealing more about themselves than they intend. Two years later, they are thrust back into each other lives when a domestic dispute erupts in their building, forcing them to reexamine their initial encounter in unexpected ways.
Set in a one-bedroom apartment in Queens during the 2006 Astoria blackout, MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION is a quintessential New York play. Through the paper-thin walls, apartment dwellers learn the most personal details of their neighbor's lives. They coexist as intimate strangers until an unexpected occurrence forces them together.
Playwright
Owen Panettieri, a 2017
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center National Playwrights Conference Finalist, has crafted a play that asks: how do we make a real connection?
The cast features John-Peter Cruz (Upright Citizens Brigade); Bethany Geraghty (Strange Country andStill Dance the Stars with NLTP); SJ Hannah (Hercules Didn't Wade In The Water with The Negro Ensemble Co.); Bertha Leal (Lucy Loves Me at INTAR); and
Denver Milord (Terms of Endearment at 59E59).
The design team includes
Matthew S. Crane (scenic design); Christina Tang (lighting design); Hahnji Jang (costume design);
Andy Evan Cohen (sound design); and Leila Ben-Abdallah (prop design). The Stage Management team is Nikki Castle (PSM) and Lindsey Hurley (ASM).
Owen Panettieri (playwright) is the writer of the award-winning Vestments of the Gods (Overall Excellence in Ensemble, 2014 FringeNYC) and The Timing of a Day (Outstanding New Play 2010, Talkin' Broadway, Summer Theatre Festival Citations). His additional full-length plays include Whatever The Weather (
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 2017 National Playwrights Conference Finalist) and Who's There? (The Fresh Fruit Festival's 2018 Outwright Developmental Play Reading Selection). Short plays produced across the United States include More Than a Memory, Processing, Searching, Our View From Paradise, Calendar Girl, A Charmed Life and The President is Gay! (And Other Delicious Scandals).Owen was a contributing Writer/Performer for four seasons with The Nitestar Program (currently known as S.T.A.R. at
The Directors Company) creating original health education theater pieces for primary school, secondary school and college audiences. He co-wrote the web series "Legally Brown: The Search for the Next Piragua Guy" with
Lin-Manuel Miranda. Owen is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Conservatory Program at The Actors Center. He is currently a member of the Playwrights Gallery Writers Group. For NLTP: A Burial Place (2016, Dorothy Strelsin Theatre.)
www.owenpanettieri.com
Anaïs Koivisto (director) is an NY-based freelance director, and the Artistic Director of Everyday Inferno Theatre Company. She has directed for Pipeline Theatre Company, FringeAL FRESCO, Hunger & Thirst, Match:Lit, Spicy Witch Productions, the FRIGID Festival, CORE Artists' Ensemble, and is currently in her second year of developmental residence at The Access Theater. BFA: Boston University. New York Affiliate member of Seiche Productions.
www.anaiskoivisto.com
Led by Artistic Director
Sarah Norris and Producing Director
Michael Aguirre, New Light Theater Projectis an ensemble-driven theater company that strives to capture the Little Theater Movement (artistry over commerce; producing new and classic works), supporting independent and emerging artists by providing and promoting growth opportunities through exposure to new audiences. Since 2013, NLTP has mounted over 20 productions that have received critical praise including Best of Theater 2014 (The L Magazine forPicture Ourselves in Latvia), TimeOut NY Critics' Pick (Bubba and Breeders), recipients of the The
Flea Theater's Anchor Program, Woodstock Byrdcliffe Residency Fellowship,
Chicago Dramatists Grafting Project, and the Access Theater Residency Program. NLTP is a 501(c)3 organization.
The A.R.T./New York Theatres are a project of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York), which provide state-of-the-art, accessible venues at subsidized rental rates, plus free access to top-line technical equipment, so that the city's small and emerging theatre companies can continue to experiment, grow, and produce new works. Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York is the leading service and advocacy organization for New York City's 400+ nonprofit theatres, with a mission to assist member theatres in managing their companies effectively so that they may realize their rich artistic visions and serve their diverse audiences well. We accomplish this through a comprehensive roster of real estate, financial, educational, and community-building programs, as well as research, advocacy, and field-wide initiatives that seek to improve the long-term health and sustainability of the industry. Over the years, A.R.T./New York has received numerous honors, including an Obie Award, an Innovative Theatre Award, a New York City Mayor's Award for Arts & Culture, and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. For more information, please visit
www.art-newyork.org.
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