Juniper Productions Announces Inaugural Partnership With Arts + Crafts Holdings To Present World Premiere Of SPLINTER AND CRACK

Juniper Productions continues its mission to open the doors to exciting and enriching theatrical experiences in unconventional venues throughout Philadelphia with its newest project and first full-length production, staged at 1025 Hamilton in the city's Spring Arts District designed especially for entrepreneurial creatives. Juniper has partnered with developer Arts + Crafts Holdings to present the world premiere of Philadelphia theatre artist Jessica Bedford's new play, Splinter And Crack. The production, which is directed by Harriet Power, and features Akeem Davis, Alex Hughes, MB Scallen, and Julianna Zinkel will be performed at Hamilton Studios at 1025 Hamilton from April 26 to May 13. Press are invited to the April 28 performance at 7:30PM, or any performance thereafter.

"I'm excited about Splinter And Crack being produced by Juniper for too many reasons to count," said Bedford. "It's been so clear from the very beginning that Juniper Productions has their priorities in the right place: everything they do is for the artists and for the art."

Splinter and Crack introduces us to Rosemary, a sharp, successful academic. She's immensely proud of her daughter, Andie, who has recently had a child of her own. However, Rosemary's deep obsessions threaten to crack and break her cherished relationships with her daughter and granddaughter. A TV personality has been invited by Andie's husband to meet Rosemary, in a desperate effort to "heal" her. But will Rosemary be able to let go of the dreams and demons of her past?

Splinter and Crack marks the first full-length play for Juniper Productions, and is also the inaugural project between Juniper and their partner Arts + Crafts Holdings, an active investor and the leading developer on the northern edge of Center City Philadelphia that currently owns in excess of 1,200,000 SF of commercial, residential and mixed use real estate. As such, the organization is focused on establishing Philadelphia's authentic creative class commercial district at the northern edge of Center City Philadelphia. The company seeks to reimagine historic buildings and the urban spaces between them, creating a vibrant canvas for the new economy's entrepreneurs and makers.

The production will be staged at Hamilton Studios, part of a 3-story, 35,000 SF building. In the mid-1800's, it served as the location of a school until the late-1800's where it acted as part of the marble yard that existed in the neighborhood. In the early-1900's, the property was used as a machine shop that manufactured boring bars for locomotives and lathe work. Today, the building is comprised of a large open industrial space with clerestory windows and exposed structural trusses that is designed specifically for creative class users.

Directed by celebrated theater artist Harriet Powers, the production features MB Scallen as Rosemary, Akeem Davis as Rick, Julianna Zinkel as Andie, and Alex Hughes as Craig. Sara Outing serves as set/props/costume designer, with Lily Fossner designing lighting and Chris Sannino designing sound.

Splinter And Crack will run April 26th to May 13th, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30PM and Sundays at 2:00PM. Tickets are $30, $25 for previews, with $40 packages for opening night + reception party, and for the closing matinee + Mothers Day afternoon tea For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit juniper-productions.ticketleap.com/splinter-and-crack/.

SERVICE DETAILS

Juniper Productions Presents

Splinter and Crack

By Jessica Bedford

Directed by Harriet Power

DATES: Thursday, April 26 - Sunday, May 13

LOCATION: Hamilton Studios, 1025 Hamilton Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

PRICE $25 - $40

juniper-productions.ticketleap.com/splinter-and-crack/

BIOS

MB Scallen (Rosemary) has lived and worked in Philadelphia since 1987. She holds an M.F.A. from Temple University. She has been an Equity member for 24 years, and a resident artist at People's Light for 27 years. She also works with the Arden, the Wilma, Act II, the Lantern, and PlayPenn, among others. This will be her first collaboration with Juniper Productions. Recent appearances include Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (Arden), Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo (People's Light), and Kate Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Act II.) In addition to acting, MB writes, project manages, and teaches for People's Light, and consults in communication skills, interactive learning, and cultural competency for FAIMER, an international medical education foundation headquartered in Philadelphia. She lives in Ardmore, PA, with her partner, stage manager Tom Shotkin.

Julianna Zinkel (Andie) Off Broadway/NYC: Three Men on a Horse (TACT), Harold Pinter's The Lover (Soho Playhouse). Regional: Ironbound (Simpatico Theatre), Blackbird (Theatre Exile), Stick Fly, Rabbit Hole, Crime & Punishment, As Like It, Under the Skin (Arden Theatre), Mauritius, Brighton Beach Memoirs (Act II Playhouse), Barcelona, Pride & Prejudice, The Crucible, The Harassment of Iris Malloy, Moon Over Buffalo, The Miser, A Tale of Two Cities, Auctioning the Ainsleys, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Theophilus North, Biloxi Blues, The Trip to Bountiful (People's Light), The Language Archive (Bristol Riverside), The Eclectic Society (Walnut Street), Love & Communication (Passage Theatre), From Prague (CATF), Big Love, Wintertime (Wilma Theater). Member of The Acting Company at People's Light and Theater since 2007.

Akeem Davis (Rick) is from Miami, Fl, and is a graduate of Florida State University. Based in Philadelphia, Akeem was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for his work as Lancelot in the Folger Shakespeare Library's production of District Merchants (2016). Regionally, Akeem has credits at South Coast Repertory Theatre, People's Light and Theatre Company and InterAct Theatre Company, among others. Akeem has been nominated for 5 Barrymore Awards and was the 2015 recipient of F. Otto Haas Emerging Theatre Artist Award. Akeem is a proud man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Alex Hughes (Craig) is a proud Philadelphia native thrilled to be working with Juniper Productions and this amazing team of artists! He is a graduate of Atlantic Acting School at Tisch School of the Arts. Favorite recent credits include Abe in "Disgraced" and Sandeep in "Ideation" at Theatre Exile. For Uncle Pat. Everything I do is for you brougham. RIP.

Lily Fossner (Lighting Design) Recently: The Revolutionists at Theatre Horizon, I Will Not Go Gently at People's Light, A Christmas Carol at RCT, Red Herring at Act II, Red Velvet at The Lantern. Theatre Includes: 1812, People's Light, WAM, TACT, Culture Project, Public Theatre, Prospect Theater Company, NYU/Grad Acting, Chautauqua Theater Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Dance Includes: Nichole Canuso, Doug Varone & Dancers, Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Wideman/Davis Dance. Opera Includes: Juilliard Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass Festival. Training: MFA, NYU/Tisch. Adjunct faculty at Bryn Mawr College. Upcoming: Camelot at Act II. Website: lilyfossner.com

Chris Sannino (Sound Design) is a sound designer, musician, composer, and audio engineer currently based in Philadelphia. Chris' work has been heard at The Public Theater, Theatre Exile, 1812 Productions, Curio Theatre Co., BRAT Productions, Orbiter 3, New Georges, Passage Theater, FringeArts, Anonymous Bodies, and WXPN amongst many other companies and music groups. Other favorite design credits include Nothing's Gonna Change My World (New Georges), Jean and Terry (Melissa Krodman and Kelly Bond), Really (Theatre Exile), FIXED (Passage Theatre Co.), Spinning Immigrant (Emmanuelle Delpech), Marie Antoinette (Curio Theatre Co.), Cinematic Human (BRAT Productions), and The Brownings (Orbiter 3).

Sara Outing (Set/Props/Costume Design) is a scenic designer, fabricator, and puppeteer from Chapel Hill, NC. Recent scenic work includes 2.5 MINUTE RIDE (Theatre Horizon), Tilda Swinton ADOPT ME PLEASE (The Greenfield Collective), MARCUS/EMMA (InterAct Theatre), BREATHE SMOKE (Orbiter 3), and a Barrymore nomination for the set of HOW WE GOT ON (Azuka Theatre). Her props have been featured by Orbiter 3, The Greenfield Collective, Act II Playhouse, EgoPo Classic Theatre, and puppetry with The Renegade Company and the University of Pennsylvania. Sara is an alumna of the apprenticeship program at InterAct, U Penn Theatre Arts, and Paperhand Puppet Intervention.

Jessica Bedford (Playwright) is a Philadelphia based theatre artist. Her play Blessed Are premiered at Passage Theatre in 2012. She was a finalist for the 2012 New York Stage & Film Founders' Award. Her solo play Pretty was workshopped with 1812 Productions as a part of their Jilline Ringle residencies and later produced as a part of JillineFest in 2016. She was a proud contributor to Act II Playhouse's "White Mountain Project" with her short play Three Wives Wait. Her play Reveille won the 2014 Sue Winge Playwriting Award (Villanova University). Her children's play A Fairy Tale will premiere at Montgomery Theatre this fall.

Harriet Power (Director) is thrilled to collaborate with Jessica Bedford, Juniper Productions, and this superb cast and creative team. A nationally-recognized director and dramaturg, she's recently directed at Orbiter 3/FringeArts (The Brownings); Simpatico (Ironbound; In a Dark Dark House); 1812 Productions and People's Light (I Will Not Go Gently - also at People's Light; Why I'm Scared of Dance); and Act II Playhouse, where she was Associate Artistic Director 2008-12 (Mystery of Irma Vep, Boeing-Boeing, Sylvia, Pride of Parnell Street, her 7-actor adaptation of The Tempest et al). She's worked extensively with new plays at RADA (London), New Dramatists, PlayPenn, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, West Coast Playwrights, Iowa Playwrights Festival, and International Women Playwrights Festival. Artistic Director of Venture Theatre, Philadelphia's multiracial theatre, 1994-98. Awards include three Barrymore nominations for "Outstanding Direction," winning for Angels in American: Perestroika. This season's world-premiere directing includes John Yearley's Eight Minutes, Twenty Seconds (Temple PlayFest) and Seth Rozin's Human Rites (InterAct)

ABOUT 1025 HAMILTON: 1025 Hamilton is a 3-story, 35,000 SF building. In the mid-1800's it served as the location of a school until the late-1800's where it acted as part of the marble yard that existed in the neighborhood. In the early-1900's the property was used as a machine shop that manufactured boring bars for locomotives and lathe work. Today, the building is comprised of a large open industrial space with clerestory windows and exposed structural trusses, and several commercial loft spaces. 1025 Hamilton Street awaits new creative class users to enliven its amalgam of spaces. More at 1025hamilton.com.

ABOUT JUNIPER PRODUCTIONS: Juniper Productions serves Philadelphia theatre artists and audiences by developing, commissioning, and producing original plays by local talent. We open the doors to exciting and enriching theatrical experiences in unconventional venues.We stir conversation.We infuse theatre into the community.

We create a playful city for all.

To post a comment, you must register and login.