WWII Tale THE TEMPLE Premieres Tonight at The Brick

Set in World War II, a German U-boat's mission becomes a journey into terror as its crew is trapped within on the ocean floor. Award-winning playwright Nat Cassidy directs his fascinating, terrifying, immersive theatrical experience like no other: The Temple, or, Lebensraum at The Brick Theater, at 579 Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, tonight, February 18-28, 2015. Show times are Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30pm.

The captain so believes in his job that he strafes survivors of any ship his U-boat torpedoes. The SS officer tries to get along with everyone on board, while the rest of the crew simply wants to do their job and get home alive. Yet their practice of blindly following anyone in charge may lead to their undoing, as unfolding events keep turning more and more surreal. With the finding of a mysterious stowaway, the very real possibility of a spy in their midst, and a strange knocking against the hull coming from outside, the question soon ceases to be who can they believe and becomes instead why believe at all? With their shipmates' screams ringing in their ears as they desperately try to stay alive, they find that the one true horror they face comes from within.

Using immersive seating and effects, The Temple, or, Lebensraum's designers have heightened the claustrophobic terror of the story by enabling the audience to feel as if they are actually inside the control room of the sunken U-boat.

Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's 1920 story, which details the horrors of a doomed U-boat crew, Cassidy updates the action to the middle of World War II to the "Black May" of 1943, the sudden and cataclysmic reversal of fortune experienced by Germany's once unstoppable U-boat force. The play is based on the logs and memoirs of the few U-boat captains and crewmen who survived a war with an almost 80% casualty rate for German submariners, while also examining the tensions between the German Navy and the Nazi government.

The cast of The Temple, or, Lebensraum features Matthew Trumbull*, Arthur Aulisi*, Zac Hoogendyk*, Tristan Colton*, Eric Gilde*, John Blaylock*, John D. Gardner, Ridley Parson*, and Adriana Jones. (AEA Showcase approval pending.) Scenic design by Saundra Yaklin, lighting by Morgan Zipf-Mesiter, costumes by Ben Philipp, sound by Jeanne Travis, and gore effects by Stephanie Cox-Williams.

Nat Cassidy (Playwright & Director) is one of New York's premiere playwrights of horror and suspense. His scripts include: Any Day Now (NYIT Award winner); Charon (commissioned by The Kennedy Center); The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots (NYIT Award winner); I Am Providence (NYIT Award winner); Old Familiar Faces (NYIT Award nominee); and many others. Critics have called Cassidy's work "mesmerizing ... one of the creepiest [plays] I've ever seen" (StageBuzz), "brilliant ... remarkable" (The Washington Times), "amazing, unforgettable [and] absolutely electrifying" (Bloomberg Radio), "anyone who appreciates theater that aims at both the head and the gut will appreciate [this play]. And it will haunt you for days to come" (Tulsa World).

Montserrat Mendez (Producer) is an award winning writer and director. Directing highlights includes. Billy Carver and the Children in Mind (NYIT Nomination), The Birthday Boys, Luft Gangster (co-director with Austin Pendleton, winner NYIT Award). Montserrat is the founder of MozzleStead, a film and TV production company. Their first film Chisholm, about America's first black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, is currently in pre-production.

Running February 18 - February 28, The Temple, or, Lebensraum will be performed at the Brick Theater, located at 579 Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. To get to the Brick by subway, take the L to Lorimer Street or the G to Metropolitan Avenue. Show times are Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30pm. Running time: 110 minutes with one intermission. Tickets are $18.00. To purchase, call 718-285-3863, or online at www.bricktheater.com. *denotes a member of Actor's Equity

Photo Credit: David Saavedra

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