Page 73 Productions will present a workshop presentation of the new play COMMCOMM, May 13 at 8PM, May 14 at 3PM and 8PM and May 15 at 3PM at the 3LD Art & Technology Center, 80 Greenwich Street, New York, NY.
It's another day in the office of Community Communications at the DeLong Air Force Base-except the base is closing, pink slips are flying, and there's a funny smell coming from the copier closet. Ron Rimney, boss from hell, promises Jim employment at the soon-to-be-built Dirksen Center for Terror-if he'll just help him get rid of that smell. But Jim soon finds himself caught in an outlandish conspiracy that leads to a life-altering choice. This offbeat, witty and moving new comedy is the latest collaboration between adaptor
Seth Bockley and MacArthur Fellowship-winning fiction writer
George Saunders.
The cast of COMMCOMM features
Erin Gann* (The Hurt Locker, The Aliens),
Conan McCarty* (When We Go Upon the Sea, A Life in the Theatre),
Michael Chernus* (In the Wake, The Aliens),
Laura Esterman* (Marvin's Room, The Waltz of
The Toreadors),
Tom Bloom* (Timon of Athens, Jack's Precious Moment),
Marylouise Burke* (Hung, Creature, Kimberly Akimbo) and
Greg Hildreth* (Peter and the Starcatcher, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson).
Seth Bockley is a playwright, director and performer. Recent commissions include the book for February House, a collaboration with lyricist and composer
Gabriel Kahane for
The Public Theater, WHICH WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC'S 2011-2012 SEASON, and his adaptation of
George Saunders' COMMCOMM for the Goodman Theater. Chicago directing credits include 1001 by Jason Grote; Jon, winner of the 2008 Jeff Citation for Best New Adaptation (Collaboraction); The Twins Would Like To Say (Dog & Pony); and Laika's Coffin and Winter Pageant 2010 for Redmoon Theater, where he spent two years as a Directing Apprentice through TCG's New Generations program. In July he will direct the world premiere of Jason Grote's Civilization (all you can eat) for Clubbed Thumb's SummerWorks series at
HERE Arts Center. In August he begins a collaboration with Mexico City-based clown artist Artus Chavez through TCG's "Global Connections: On The Road" grant. He is a member of the Goodman Theater's Playwrights' Unit and a recipient of the Goodman's Ofner Prize.
George Saunders is the author of the short story collections Pastoralia, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline and, most recently, In Persuasion Nation. He is also the author of the novella-length illustrated fable, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, the New York Times bestselling children's book, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, (illustrated by
Lane Smith), and (most recently) a book of non-fiction, The Braindead Megaphone. A 2006 MacArthur Fellow, he teaches in the Creative Writing Program at
Syracuse University.
Scenic Design is by
Jason Simms, Video Design by Mike Tutaj, Lighting Design by
Eric Southern, Costume Design by Valerie Bart, Sound Design by
Benjamin Furiga, Production Stage Manager is Shayna O'Neill and Assistant Stage Manager is
Jamie Rog.
Performances of COMMCOMM are on May 13th at 8PM, May 14th at 3PM and 8PM and May 15th at 3PM. A post-performance discussion with
George Saunders and
Seth Bockley will follow the 3PM presentation on Saturday, May 14th. Bockley and Saunders will discuss their collaboration and the remarkable experience of developing COMMCOMM.
Tickets for COMMCOMM are $10 and can be purchased online at www.p73.org/commcomm. For industry tickets, please e-mail info@p73.org or call 718-398-2099.
* Equity approved showcase, actors appearing courtesy of
Actors' Equity Association
ABOUT PAGE 73 PRODUCTIONS
Under the executive direction of Liz Jones & Asher Richelli, Page 73 Productions develops and produces the work of early-career playwrights who have yet to receive substantial production opportunities in New York. Page 73 awards the P73 Playwriting Fellowship each year to one early-career playwright; during that year, the company serves as that fellow's artistic home and offers a cash grant and development support to the writer. Past fellows are Kirsten Greenidge,
Quiara Alegria Hudes, Jason Grote, Krista Knight, Tommy Smith,
Heidi Schreck and
Eliza Clark. The current fellow is
Janine Nabers. Page 73 also hosts a year-long writing group called "Interstate 73″ and a week-long summer residency at Yale for 3 to 4 early-career playwrights. Page 73 developed and produced the world premiere of Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue by
Quiara Alegria Hudes (2007 Pulitzer finalist - directed by
Davis McCallum), the New York premiere of 1001 by Jason Grote (Time Out New York - Top 10 of 2007 - directed by
Ethan McSweeny), the world premiere of Sixty Miles to Silver Lake by Dan LeFranc (co-produced with
Soho Rep - directed by
Anne Kauffman), the world premiere of Creature by 2009 P73 Playwriting Fellow
Heidi Schreck directed by
Leigh Silverman at the Ohio Theatre (co-production with New Georges), and the world premiere of Jack's Precious Moment by Samuel D. Hunter and directed by
Kip Fagan. This past fall, Page 73 produced the world premiere of
Eliza Clark's Edgewise directed by
Trip Cullman at Walkerspace. Visit www.p73.org for more information.
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