The Civilians Host IN THE FOOTPRINT Benefit 12/1

The Civilians designates December 1 as "A Celebration of Brooklyn Artists and Writers" at benefit performance of IN THE FOOTPRINT

at Irondale Center (85 S. Oxford St.) in Brooklyn

"IN THE FOOTPRINT is as fresh, inventive and frankly as entertaining as any new work of musical theater to open this fall." - NY Times

The renowned, investigative theatre company The Civilians - whose newest work IN THE FOOTPRINT: THE BATTLE OVER ATLANTIC YARDS - will host a benefit performance of the play on Wednesday, December 1 at 8 pm at the Irondale Center (85 S. Oxford St.) in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The event -- entitled "A Celebration of Brooklyn Artists and Writers" - will begin at 6:30pm with a wine and hors d'oeuvres reception followed by a performance of IN THE FOOTPRINT.

The host committee for the December 1 event includes Brooklyn-based artists and writers Jennifer Egan (Found Objects), Laurie Eustis (of Lapham's Quarterly), Amitav Ghosh (Sea of Poppies), actor Logan Marshall-Green (TV's Dark Blue), Emily Mortimer (Match Point and Lovely and Amazing), Pulitzer-Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Ruined) and Academy Award-winner Marisa Tomei.

Tickets to the benefit are $100 (including a tax-deductible donation of $75) and can be reserved by calling 718 230 3330 or online at www.thecivilians.org<http://www.thecivilians.org>.

The Civilians officially opened its world-premiere engagement of IN THE FOOTPRINT on Monday, November 22 to a host of critical praise:

Written and directed by Steven Cosson ("Gone Missing," "This Beautiful City,"), co-written with Jocelyn Clarke and with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman ("Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," "This Beautiful City"), IN THE FOOTPRINT is a lively theatrical chronicle of the widely-publicized conflicts surrounding the largest land development project in Brooklyn's history at the Atlantic Avenue rail yards.

Featured in the cast of IN THE FOOTPRINT are Matthew Dellapina (The Civilians' "(I Am) Nobody's Lunch"), Greg McFadden ("The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" on Broadway), Colleen Werthmann ("Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" at The Public Theater, The Civilians' "Gone Missing"), Billy EuGene Jones ("Passing Strange," "A Raisin in the Sun" on Broadway), Donnetta Lavinia Grays ("In The Next Room," "Well" on Broadway) and Simone Moore.

IN THE FOOTPRINT is inspired by interviews conducted by The Civilians with real-life players in the years-long controversy about the Atlantic Yards Project, which will bring high-rise housing and a basketball arena to the rail yards in downtown Brooklyn. The different perspectives represented include those of Brooklyn residents, political leaders including LetiTia James and Marty Markowitz, members of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, union members, and Project supporters such as Bertha Lewis of ACORN. IN THE FOOTPRINT is an examination of how the fate of the city and its dwellers is decided in present-day New York and what might be learned from this ongoing epic of politics, money, and the places we call home.

In fact, the Irondale Center where IN THE FOOTPRINT will perform sits a mere two blocks from the Project site, where construction has already begun.

This show is the culmination of a two-year long company investigation. The Civilians' creative team listened to Brooklynites from Borough Hall to barber shops to gain insights into both the Atlantic Yards drama and the ongoing story of gentrification in the city. The company previously presented a week of sold-out workshop performances at the Brooklyn Lyceum in 2008 under the title BROOKLYN AT EYE LEVEL.
IN THE FOOTPRINT is produced in association with The Exchange and is part of Exchange NYC 2010-11, a city wide season of new work by America's most innovative theatre companies. Tickets for IN THE FOOTPRINT are available as part of the X-Pass, Exchange NYC's flexible season pass. For more information and to purchase the X-Pass: www.exchangenyc.org<http://www.exchangenyc.org>

IN THE FOOTPRINT is developed with the support of ArtsEmerson.

Steven Cosson, with The Civilians, is co-writer/director of the company's THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, PARIS COMMUNE, the long-running hit GONE MISSING, (I AM) NOBODY'S LUNCH. He has also directed productions for Hartford Stage, Soho Rep, Williamstown and O'Neill Conference Center.

Michael Friedman has been the composer/lyricist for The Civilians' productions of THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, (I AM) NOBODY'S LUNCH, GONE MISSING and CANARD, CANARD, GOOSE? He has written the music and lyrics for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, the new musical now on Broadway, as well as the scores for SAVED, IN THE BUBBLE, THE BRAND NEW KID and GOD'S EAR.

About The Civilians
Led by Artistic Director Steve Cosson, The Civilians - which begins its 10th anniversary season with IN THE FOOTPRINT -- is a center for investigative theater, supporting the development and production of new theater from creative inquiries into the most vital questions of the present. The Civilians expands the scope of American theater and champions innovation by tackling complex and under-explored subjects, enabling artists to enrich their creative processes through in-depth interaction with their topics, diversifying artistic voices and audiences, and integrating theater with new media. The creation of work may involve community residencies, travel, face-to-face conversations, extensive research, and other investigative means. The Civilians was founded in 2001 and since have supported the creation of 12 original works. The Civilians' projects have been produced at numerous theaters in New York including The Public Theater and Vineyard Theatre; nationally at Center Theatre Group, A.R.T., La Jolla Playhouse, HBO's US Comedy Festival, Studio Theatre, and Actors Theatre of Louisville among others. Works by the company have toured extensively to arts presenters and festivals with presentations in over 40 cities nationally and internationally. The company's past work has been featured in The New York Times top ten list and received a Fringe First Award as well as Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk and Drama Guild nominations. The Civilians' work is published by Dramatists Play Service, Oberon Books, Playscripts, and Ghostlight Records.

IN THE FOOTPRINT will perform November 12 through December 11: Tuesday - Saturday at 8PM, Monday: November 22, 29 & December 6 at 7PM, Saturday Matinees: November 20 & December 4 at 2PM. General admission ($35) and student tickets can be reserved by visiting www.irondale.org<http://www.irondale.org> or calling Ovationtix at (866)811-4111. For groups of ten or more, please call (718)230-3330.

For more information, visit www.thecivilians.org.

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