The Flea to Premiere Jonathan Caren's THE RECOMMENDATION, Begin. 8/23

The Flea Theater is proud to announce the New York Premiere of Jonathan Caren's THE RECOMMENDATION. This play about friendship, class and where loyalty has its limits will be directed by Flea Resident Director Kel Haney and feature members of The Bats. Previews begin August 23 with opening slated for September 6. Says Producing Director Carol Ostrow, "we are thrilled to open our fall season with a play that speaks to our times and shows off the talents and diversity of our company."

In THE RECOMMENDATION, Aaron Feldman is popular and connected. He is everything his best friend Iskinder Iudoku is not, but when Feldman gets pulled over for a broken taillight, he is introduced to a world where privilege means nothing and Iskinder has the advantage.

The production stars Barron Bass (a cautionary tail), James Fouhey (Restoration Comedy), Alex J. Gould (a cautionary tail, Job), Donaldo Prescod (Future Anxiety), Orlando Rivera, and Austin Trow.

Jonathan Caren (playwright). Plays include The Recommendation (The Old Globe, '12 Craig Noel Outstanding Play), The Morning The Sun Fell Down (MTC 2013 7@7), The Venerable Raman Gupta (Sundance Lab '13 Finalist), Open Heart Meditation (Ars Nova Out Loud '11), and Catch The Fish (NY Fringe, Outstanding Play). 2011-12 Dramatist Guild Fellow, 2011 New York Stage And Film Founder's Award, T.S Eliot Old Vic/New Voices Network member, SPACE @ Ryder Farm fellow, two-time Lecomte du Nouy award winner. Jonathan graduated from the The Juilliard School and Vassar College where he studied mythology and religion.

Kel Haney (director). Recent directing credits include: The Shakes: Romeo and Juliet (The Flea), The Dance Company by Jonathan Caren (Keen Company/Keen Teens), El Fugo by Edith Freni (Partial Comfort Productions), Row After Row by Jessica Dickey, Little Rock by Rachel Bonds (both at Williamstown Theatre Festival), The Consequences music & lyrics by Nathan Leigh & Kyle Jarrow, book by Kyle Jarrow (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre). She has directed and developed new work at Ars Nova, The Directors Company, Cherry Lane Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre and Youngblood, The Lark, Ma-Yi, New Dramatists, New Georges, NY Fringe Festival, Rattlestick, Rising Phoenix, Studio 42, Vampire Cowboys, Westport Country Playhouse, & the 52nd Street Project. Also: Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellow, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Old Vic/New Voices Exchange Program and a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre.www.kelhaney.com

The Bats are the resident Acting Company members of The Flea Theater. Each year over a thousand actors audition for a place in this unique company. The Bats perform in extended runs of challenging classic and new plays. The Bats have recently appeared in premieres by A.R. Gurney, Will Eno, Adam Rapp, Beau Willimon, Mac Wellman, Elizabeth Swados, Thomas Bradshaw, Itamar Moses, Sheila Callaghan, Julian Sheppard, Ken Urban, Tommy Smith, Jonathan Reynolds, Trista Baldwin, Laurel Haines, Qui Nguyen, Sean Graney, and Amy Freed.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement, Obie Awards and an Otto for political theater, The Flea has presented over 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include the premieres by Steven Banks, Thomas Bradshaw, Bathsheba Doran, Will Eno, Karen Finley, Amy Freed, Sean Graney, A.R. Gurney, Hamish Linklater, Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio, Itamar Moses, Anne Nelson, Qui Nguyen, Adam Rapp, Jonathan Reynolds, Roger Rosenblatt, Elizabeth Swados, and Mac Wellman. Recent successes include Drama Desk nominated She Kills Monsters, These Seven Sicknesses and Restoration Comedy.

THE RECOMMENDATION runs August 23 through September 22. Wednesday - Sunday at 7pm. The Flea Theater is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/Z and 1 subway lines. Tickets $15 - $35 with lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. They can be purchased by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.

Graphic Design: Jaime Vallés

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