Rising Sun to Bring THE GLORY OF LIVING to Planet Connections This Summer

Rising Sun Performance Company will be presenting a Revival of "The Glory of Living" By Rebecca Gilman, to take place at the 9th annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. The Festival will take place June 12th through July 9th at the Clemente.

Coming off a critically acclaimed run of the NYC Premiere of "Child's Play" at the Kraine Theatre last month, Rising Sun Performance Company returns to Planet Connections Theatre Festivity for a Fourth consecutive year for the New York City revival of "The Glory of Living." Founding Artistic Director, Akia will direct the production.. 2017 Marks Rising Sun Performance Company's 16th Producing season in NYC. This is the second full production of the Rising Sun 2017 season, which to presenting female protagonists and gender parity.

This is Rising Sun Performance Company's 4th consecutive year at Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, RSP previously produced "DONKEY" which was published by Indie Theatre Now, Next Stage Press & Smith and Kraus Anthologies, and received 12 Award Nominations from PCTF and taking home 4 awards. In 2015, they presented "The Firebird" by Tim Errickson, receiving 5 Festival Award nominations, and last season they presented "Helvetica" which garnered 7 Award Nominations and won for Outstanding Ensemble, Script and Sound.

The Glory of Living is a brutal and riveting exploration of the human condition. This is the story of Lisa, a 15-year-old girl, and her marriage to Clint, an ex-con twice her age. Systematically abused by her husband, Lisa is coerced into helping him commit crimes of varying magnitude. As we quickly watch Lisa's world unravel into both tragedy and redemption, the play poses the question of what can happen when we discard our "undesirables" and what their alternate outcomes could be.

"The Glory of Living" will feature the talents of RSP's critically acclaimed ensemble and guest artists: Featuring: Sophie Gagnon, John Hart, William Serri, Eric Parness, Nora Kaye, Julia Geromin, Katie Lynn Esswein, Hayden Field, ElizaBeth Burke, Michael Pichardo, Michael Pierce & Desiree Pinol

The Creative Team of The Glory of Living includes Anna Hogan - Assistant Director (Helvetica, Child's Play), Jak Prince who received rave reviews for his design of the 2010 smash hit "Last Supper" and won Outstanding Set Design for "DONKEY" at The 2014 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity , Sound Design by Ian Werhle , Lighting Design by Christina Tang, Dramaturgy by Maggie Kissinger, Fight Direction & Dialect by Monica Blaze Leavitt, Costume Design by Allison Crutchfield, Stage Manager Emily Hart and Assistant Producer Ronald Kitts.

THE GLORY OF LIVING Plays the following Performance Schedule as a part of Planet Connections Theatre Festivity: Saturday June 24th 9:30PM; Tuesday June 27th 7:15PM; Friday June 30th 5PM; Wednesday July 5th 7PM; Friday July 7th 9:30PM; and Sunday July 9th 3PM.

All performances will be at Flamboyan Theatre at The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 (Between Rivington & Delancey; Subway: F, M, J, Z to Delancey/Essex). Run Time: 90 Minutes.

Tickets for the festival are now on sale for $18-$20 and are available online at www.planetconnections.org or at the door. Additional information can be found online at www.risingsunnyc.com.

Advisories: Partial Nudity, Violence, Some Sexual Content

Rising Sun Performance Company is a vital part of the Off-Off Broadway landscape; being one of the longest running ensemble companies at our producing level in NYC. Founded in September of 2001, RISING SUN PERFORMANCE COMPANY (RSP) is 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. 2016 marks the beginning of RSP's 15th producing season, culminating in 100 plus productions and events. This includes the development of countless NYC and World debut plays, over 70 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: Goodnight Lovin' Trail, The Shape of Things, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, Hellcab The Last Supper, Fool For Love, Bug and Brilliant Traces. RSP has been Artist in Residence at Horse TRADE Theater Group, The Field's Far Space, Hosteling International and Space on White. RSP has received 7 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominations, 23 PCTF Nominations and 7 Awards from Planet Connections Theatre Festivity and is a 5 time FRIGID NY Festival Award Winner. Check out our website www.risinsunnyc.com for more information about us.

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.

Our Charity Cause: As a part of the PCTF Mission, each show partners with a charity. Rising Sun will be partnering with The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), a social change organization, is dedicated to creating a social, political and economic environment in which violence against women no longer exists.

Rebecca Gilman was Born in Trussville, Alabama, she attended Middlebury College and is a graduate of Birmingham-Southerm College in Birmingham, Alabama. Her plays include The Glory of Living, Boy Gets Girl, and Spinning Into Butter. She is a three-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner. The Glory of Living was also named a Time Magazine Top 10 play for 2001, and it won Gilman the George Devine Award and the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright.

Akia, Director & Founding Artistic Director is an active member of the flourishing Off-Off/Indie & Off Broadway theatre communities having produced, directed, and performed with numerous NYC companies for over 19 years. She is the Company Manager for the international sensation, Blue Man Group at the Astor Place Theater. She has received critical praise for her direction of RSP long running hits such as "Hellcab", "Goodnight Lovin' Trail", "The Last Supper", "Crapshoot", "Bug" and most recently "Sprucehaven B". She served as an advisory Board Member for The Paul Butterfield Fund & Society, and is the Company Manager & Producer for The New York Innovative Theatre Awards & Foundation, where she serves on their honorary awards committee as Sub-Committee Chairman and as an At-Large Judge. Past notable credits include working on staff at Horse Trade Theatre Group, serving as General Manager for FRIGID New York's inaugural year, and returning as Volunteer Coordinator in 2009, and House Manager for subsequent years since. She also served as Production Coordinator for nationally acclaimed Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, overseeing the Playwrights Unit and INSIGHT 13 production series. She is a recipient of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards "Founders Award" for her contributions to the organization and Off Off Broadway Community. She was awarded the Congeniality Award in both 2014 & 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity for RSP's productions of Donkey & the Firebird.

Photo Credit: N-K Photography

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