Dragon's Eye Theatre Debuts A MYSTERY? at FringeArts, Now thru 9/22

Dragon's Eye Theatre, a Philadelphia ensemble committed to creating theatrical experiences that celebrate the power of imagination for audiences of all ages and backgrounds, presents A Mystery? in the 2013 Philly Fringe Festival. When a group of friends discovers something unusual, they form a secret society to tackle the case and enlist the audience to help them. The creators of sold-out Fringe 2012 hit Seek and Hide bring a new interactive adventure through Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse that invites audiences to use their imaginations alongside the actors. This show is best enjoyed by audience members ages 4 to 104.

The adventure begins tonight, September 7, with performances at 10:00 am, 11:30 am, and 1:00 pm Saturdays and Sundays through September 22. The performance lasts approximately 50 minutes with no intermission.

A Mystery? reunites Seek and Hide playwright P. Seth Bauer (The Lysistrata Project) with Dragon's Eye artistic director Suzana Berger(The America Play) to create a unique and immersive experience for an intergenerational audience. The ensemble includes Taysha Canales (The Lysistrata Project, Simpatico Theatre Project), Isa St. Claire (The Bends, Flashpoint Theatre Company), and Patrick Lamborn (Othello,Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre). Through a whimsical and collaborative development process, Berger and Bauer have worked with the ensemble to design a theatrical journey that invites the audience to engage directly with the performers and the many surprises The Playhouse has to offer.

"The feedback we received from families and educators who participated in Seek and Hide was amazing," says Smith Executive Director Meg Wise. "We are very excited to welcome Dragon's Eye Theatre back for the Fringe this year, and proud to help provide a unique, creative experience for children and their families."

SUZANA BERGER (Director) is a theatre artist and educator with a deep love of Philadelphia. Directing credits include Suzan-Lori Parks' The America Play (Plays & Players); Spring Awakening (Penn Players, director and choreographer); Jester's Dead, a Shakespearean parody of Top Gun (The Outfit at the Philly Fringe); Shakespeare Remix Macbeth and Leila Buck's One (Epic Theatre Ensemble, NYC); If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Synchronicity Performance Group, Atlanta); Naomi Wallace's A State of Innocence (Culture Project, NYC); Zohar Tirosh's Pieces (New Repertory Theatre, Boston); Doug Wright's The Stonewater Rapture, and Shakespeare's Cymbeline. As the Artistic Director of Dragon's Eye Theatre, Suzana developed and directed Seek and Hide an interactive, site-specific theatrical adventure for children (and anyone who's ever needed help finding their imagination). She is a member of Lincoln Center Theater Director's Lab. She holds an MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College, and a BA in English and Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches for the Graduate School of Education and the Department of Africana Studies.

SETH BAUER (Playwright) is the author of Early in the Mourning, The Lysistrata Project, The Karma Cookie, Over the Line, Dahlia, Iphigenia, The Umbrella Play, The Burgular of Suburbia, The Tip, numerous one-acts and the book to the new musical Leading Lady. His children's plays include Seek and Hide (written with Dragon's Eye) and The Sweet Revenge of Hansel and Gretel. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, and Smith and Krause, and have been produced throughout the US, Canada, and in Europe. His plays have won awards from Actors Theatre of Louisville, the New York Innovative Theatre Awards, Samuel French Play Festival, ACTF, the Barrymore, Remi-Coeur Award, and the NYC 15 Minute Play Festival. He was named one of the "People of the Year" by NYTheatre.com for making a significant impact on theatre in New York. He teaches playwriting at The University of the Arts.

MIRIAM WHITE (Co-Producer) is a Philadelphia based actor and educator. She most recently played Aloysia in the Arden Theatre's production of Cinderella and Lysistrata in The Lysistrata Project with Simpatico Theatre Project. Recent credits include: Brighton Beach Memoirs (Old Globe, u/s/performed), Elliot, a Soldier's Fugue (Ion Theatre, San Diego Critic Circle Award Nomination), Peaches En Regalia, Hazardous and Restaurant Shorts (PPP), Frida Libre (La Jolla Playhouse), Hearts of Man (Riot Group), Wildflower (PlayPenn and the Lark),House of Spirits (PlayPenn), Have a Nice Life (Edinburgh Fringe, NY Fringe and NPTC.) Miriam served as the Co-Artistic Director of Nice People Theatre Company. She graduated from Washington University, with a BA in Theatre and received her MS in Non Profit Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Next up: We Are Proud to Present... with InterAct Theatre Company.

The schedule is Saturdays & Sundays, September 7 - 22, 2013, 10:00 am, 11:30 am, and 1:00pm. The production will run at the Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, Reservoir Drive in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia 19121 (Just above Kelly Drive. Near 33rd and Oxford Streets.) Plenty of free parking on site. Also easily accessible by public transportation. For detailed directions, visit Smith's website: www.smithkidsplayplace.org

Tickets: $10 general admission, $5 for Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse Members; purchase through the FringeArts box office or at the door.

The 2013 Fringe Festival will take place September 5-22. Tickets can be purchased online at www.FringeArts.com or by calling the box office at 215.413.1318.

FringeArts (formerly Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe) exists to commission, develop and present a range of high-quality contemporary performing and visual arts. Every September the Fringe Festival features boundary-breaking work created by some of the most renowned contemporary artists from our region and around the world, and serves as a collective home for artists to bring their artistic visions to audiences without any curatorial barriers. The community is enriched as art takes over neighborhoods, animating the spaces of Philadelphia from traditional theaters to corner bars and vacant storefronts.

Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse is a non-profit organization located in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. Founded over 100 years ago, Smith welcomes over 146,000 visitors annually from more than 200 zip codes for creative exploration and imaginative play. Smith's beautiful facilities include three floors of activities in the 16,000 square foot Playhouse; the 106-year old Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide and TD Bank Tree Walk; 6 ½ acres of new outdoor play equipment designed for children of all abilities and tailored to different age ranges, including infants and toddlers; equipment and toys to inspire imagination, creativity, and social interaction; and unlimited opportunities for children and caregivers to enjoy quality time together.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about A Mystery?, visit www.dragonseyetheatre.wordpress.com; about Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, visit smithkidsplayplace.org; about The Philly Fringe, visit www.FringeArts.com.

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