STAGE TUBE: Behind the Scenes - The Shelter's LILY & KOSMO LIVE Playwright and Director Jonathan Ashley

The Shelter - a ensemble of theatrical artists - will conclude their fourth season with the world-premiere of LILY & KOSMO LIVE, a new play the blends the exciting adventure of "Buck Rogers" and other 1950s radio space operas with the youthful mischief of "The Little Rascals", written and directed by Jonathan Ashley with preview performances beginning June 20th, 2013 prior to an official press opening of June 23rd at the Connelly Theater (220 East 4th Street) in Manhattan.

Below is the first in a series of short videos from the production. Learn more about Spacetronaut Davy C. Rocket - one of the LILY & KOSMO LIVE characters - in this exclusive, behind-the-scenes interview with playwright and director Jonathan Ashley. Click below!

Staged in the style of a 1950's radio broadcast - with a surprising twist - LILY & KOSMO LIVE is performed by The Shelter's ensemble with live sound effects, projected animations and original illustrations. The story follows six-year-old space cadets Lily Lupino, Kosmo Kidd, and the Spacetronauts as they skip across the universe and evade the clutches of the sinister Meanman of Morgo.

The cast of LILY & KOSMO LIVE will feature Danielle Beckmann, Jordan Kenneth Kamp, Howard Pinhasik, Thea McCartan, Michael Bernstein, Paco Lozano and Dave Lankford.

The LILY & KOSMO LIVE creative team includes Meghan E. Jones (production manager), Lily Robbins (assistant director), Liz Richards (stage manager), Andy Cohen (sound designer) and Jake Fine (lighting designer).

Jonathan Ashley wrote, directed and designed the 16mm film "Notes from the Acrid Plain with Burton Hoary, Volume 7" which was selected for several national and international film festivals, including the First Run Film Festival at NYU, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Film Festival in Seattle, the Guanajuato Int'l Film Festival in Mexico, the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Dances with Films in Los Angeles, etc. Additionally, Mr. Ashley illustrated the children's book "Bella Goes Bump in the Night" written by Derek & Gine Roché.

Currently celebrating its fourth season, The Shelter (www.theshelternyc.org) - under the guidance of Co-Artistic Directors Meghan E. Jones and Michael Kingsbaker and Executive Director Dave Lankford - is a family of artists creating original theatre for the New York stage. All productions are written, directed, acted and designed by its members and are collaboratively developed through the company's weekly Shelter Sunday workshop. The heartbeat of The Shelter, Shelter Sunday provides a safe haven where writers, directors, and actors challenge themselves to refine their respective crafts through hard work, creative exercise, experimentation and artistic discourse.

Through its productions, The Shelter strives to connect with patrons seeking innovative, independently produced theatre with a focus on character-driven storytelling. Past productions include: GHOST LIGHT (2013), SOARWARD HOLIDAY PARTY (2012), THE SHELTER PRESENTS: ART (2012), FAIRY TALE (2011), NIGHT WINDOWS (2011), F***ING CHRISTMAS (2010), MOTEL (2010) and 3:56 AM (2009).

Scheduled June 20th through June 30th, LILY & KOSMO LIVE will have a performance schedule of Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays at Saturdays at 8:00pm, and 2:00pm matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays (with no 2pm matinee on Saturdays, June 29). Tickets are $18. Students and seniors with ID can purchase tickets for $15 and children 12 and under will admitted for $7.50. For more information, visit www.theshelternyc.org.

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