Rising Sun Performance Company's DONKEY Receives 3 Publishing Agreements; Runs 5/18-6/8

Rising Sun Performance Company's Founding Artistic Director announced today that their upcoming production of "Donkey" by John Patrick Bray is slated to be published and licensed with Next Stage Press. This is will be Bray's third publishing with Next Stage Press, Bray's other plays available for licensing with Next Stage Press include Hound and Liner Notes, which were also produced at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity (2009, 2010); Trickster at the Gate, and short plays in 64 Squares and Game Night. Donkey will be available for licensing in late June 2014.

Founded by playwright Gene Kato in 2009, Next Stage Press operates as an independent play publisher and licensing agent serving professional, community, and academic theatres.

Donkey will also soon be added to Indie Theatre Now's catalog, via special arrangement with Next Stage Press. Indie Theatre Now is a website dedicated to primarily NY Indie Theatre, created and operated by Martin and Rochelle Denton. Bray's other published works with Indie Theatre Now include Hound, Liner Notes, Goodnight Lovin' Trail, and On Top. The latter two plays are frequently performed in Rising Sun's repertory of short plays.

Eloise's monologue from Donkey will be published in the forthcoming Smith & Kraus anthology The Best Stage Monologues for Women 2014 edited by Lawrence Harbison.

Donkey was a finalist for the 2012 Last Frontier Theatre Conference, and earned Bray the status of Finalist for the 2010 Hangar Theatre Playwriting Residency.

This summer, Rising Sun Performance Company will be presenting Donkey, directed by Tim Errickson, as part of the 6th Annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. The Festivity will take place May 15 through June 8 at the Paradise Factory.

An indie coffee shop owner who hates coffee and people fails to learn his lesson when a corporate coffee shop threatens to take over his business. A satire of small-town politics, Donkey reminds us that for every decision we fail to make, there is another decision.. waiting not to be made .

Donkey will feature the talents of RSP's critically acclaimed ensemble and guest artists Ashley Bloom, Elizabeth Burke, Samantha DeSimone, Tom Frank, Bret Hoskins,Christopher Sanchez, and Mark Saunders. The Creative Team of Donkey includes Jak Prince who received rave reviews for his design of the 2010 smash hit "Last Supper", Sound Design by Rich Johnson, and Costume Design by Ashleigh Herndon and Samantha DeSimone.

Donkey plays the following performance schedule as a part of Planet Connections Theatre Festival: Sunday May 18th at 9:00pm, Friday May 23rd at 4:00pm, Sunday May 25th at 6:30pm, ADDED SHOW Tuesday May 27th at 5PM, Tuesday June 3rd at 8:00pm, Wednesday June 4th at 6:30pm, and Friday June 6th at 7:00pm.

Tickets are $18 and available online at www.planetconnections.org or at the Door. Additional information can be found online at www.risingsunnyc.com.

All performances will be at the The Paradise Factory 64 E 4th St, Btw 2nd Ave & Bowery.

Founded in September of 2001, Rising Sun Performance Company (RSP) is an Off-Off Broadway theatre company dedicated to producing ensemble-based work. It is run by artists for artists to allow them to create their own opportunities instead of their opportunities creating them. RSP is the full time artistic home for a wide range of theatre artists, including actors, writers, directors, designers, singers, and dancers. 2014 marks the beginning of RSP's 13th producing season, culminating in 60 plus productions and events. This includes the development of countless NYC and World debut plays, over 40 One Act Plays as part our annual series, 3 musical cabaret series, free outdoor performances, children's theatre, immersive themed theatrical experiences and its trademark revivals, including sold out critically acclaimed hits: The Shape of Things, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, Hellcab The Last Supper, Fool For Love and Bug RSP has received 6 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominations.

The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York's premiere eco-friendly/socially conscious not-for-profit arts festival. Fostering a diverse cross-section of performances and events, the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally, in a festive atmosphere forming a community of like-minded artists. At the heart of the Festivity are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, music and film, while supporting organizations which give back to the community at large.

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA was the first humane organization in the Western Hemisphere. Their mission, as stated by founder Henry Bergh, is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States." While there are SPCAs and humane societies all over the country, the ASPCA is not directly affiliated with them. However, the ASPCA works nationally to rescue animals from abuse, pass humane laws and share resources with many shelters across the country.

Actors' Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence.

Tim Errickson (Director) is the Artistic Director of Boomerang Theatre Company. Previous Boomerang credits include directing productions of Hamlet, Fenway, Burning The Old Man (6 NYIT Nominations, including Outstanding Direction), Stoppard Goes Electric, Much Ado about Nothing and As You Like It. Other recent directing credits include The Desk Set for Retro Productions (6 NYIT Nominations including Outstanding Production), Brad Fraser's Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love, Racine's Phaedre, Jamie Pachino's Famous for Fifteen Years, Michael Weller's Moonchildren(OOBR Award for Outstanding Production) and Brian Smallwood's The Wedding Play. His recent playEndless Summer Nights recently premiered with Boomerang in September 2010, and was a "Pick of the Week" by nytheatre.com. Tim has previously developed projects with John Pielmeier, Bill C. Davis and Mike Folie, including the treatment for the feature film script "Places". He continues work with his band Mother Tortilla recording songs for their upcoming album "Mental Salad".

John Patrick Bray (playwright) has written plays under grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Acadiana Center for the Arts, and Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. His works have been produced in NYC with Rising Sun Performance Company, Rachel Klein Productions, Full Circle Theatre Co., (re:)Directions Theatre Co., At Hand Theatre Co.; he has had productions in the Samuel French OOB Festival, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, and the Strawberry One-Act Festival. His plays are published with Applause, Smith and Kraus, Next Stage Press, Indie Theatre Now, Heartland Plays, JACPublishing, and in two of the Strawberry One-Act Festival anthologies. He has worked with Rising Sun for over ten years! John has an earned PhD in theatre studies from LSU, an MFA in Playwriting from The New School for Drama/Actors Studio Drama School, and he is a lecturer at the University of Georgia.

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