Photo Flash: MTWorks' SWEET, SWEET SPIRIT Begins Tonight

Manhattan Theatre Works (MTWorks), in association with the Theater Series at the 14th Street Y, will present the World Premiere of Sweet, Sweet Spirit by Carol Carpenter (Outstanding Playwriting for Good Lonely People - Planet Connections Awards), directed by Joan Kane (2011 People of the Year in Indie Theatre - Martin Denton, nytheatre.com). Sweet, Sweet Spirit will play a three week limited engagement at The Theater at the 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street at 1st Avenue). Performances begin tonight, October 10th and continue through Saturday, October 25th. Opening Night is Tuesday, October 14th at 8:00pm. Scroll down to meet the cast!

A West Texas matriarch is enraged by the news that her gay grandson has been the victim of a hate crime committed by his own father. As the boy battles for his life, the family must come together and decide who among them is best to care for this child and what place can they find for him in their world.

Sweet, Sweet Spirit received developmental readings at The Barrow Group, The National Newborn Festival (Audience Favorite Award), Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, and Acadiana Theater in Lafayette, LA. The play was also part of the High Desert Play Festival at the American Southwest Theater in Las Cruces and out of that was produced at New Mexico State University in fall, 2012 as a university production.

The production stars Carol Hickey* (Original cast of Urinetown), Gary Hilborn* (A View from the Bridge, Best Actor in a Play Nominee - Broadway World Awards), Deanna McGovern (An Impending Rupture of the Belly, Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role - NY IT Awards), Dino Petrera, Kathleen O'Neill* (The Conduct of Life, Best Supporting Actress - Hispanic Heritage Festival) and David Stallings (Farewell to Sanity, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play - Planet Connections Awards).

The production features scenic design by Saundra Yaklin (Frankenstein Upstairs and Advance Man - NY IT Award Nominees), costume design by Rachel Dozier-Ezell (MTWorks' The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Family Shakespeare; Resident costume designer Classical Theater of Harlem), lighting design by David Goldstein (NY Times Critic's Pick Cloned! at NYMF) and sound design by Jacob Subotnick (Tulpa or Anne and Me, Outstanding Sound Design - Planet Connections Awards). Rachel Denise April is the production stage manager.

Tickets are $18 ($15 Students/$12 Seniors). For more information visit www.mtworks.org/sweetsweetspirit.

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