Lee Cortopassi's THE BIG to Play The Sedgwick Theater This February

New York actor and Quintessence Theatre Group ensemble member Lee Cortopassi has announced a limited three-show run of THE BIG, a satirical riff on film noir for the stage at The Sedgwick Theater, after a successful stand-alone production in New York City.

THE BIG is a full on farce. A farce-noir, if you will. The play is a cross between films such as The Coen Brother's Miller's Crossing and pure comedy such as David Wain's Wet Hot American Summer, except created for the stage to be presented right in front of you live. Set in the late 1930's, the play revolves around three colorful characters: Aspiring Actress and Feral Cat lover, Scotch Esperanza, Notorious Criminal and Sensitive Irishman, Matty McFadden, and Detective Frank Springfield, a man who needs no introduction. Esperanza (played by Dana Kreitz) and McFadden (Cortopassi) are lovers. A chance encounter by Esperanza with her lover's enemy, Detective Frank Springfield (played by Andrew Block), puts her life and her relationship in dire circumstances, for she finds herself trapped in a love triangle for the ages. Complete with kidnappings, fights, poetry, jazz, sexual tension, and nods to classic film-noir, THE BIG promises to be one uninterrupted hour of non-stop laughs and style.

The play was written by Lee Cortopassi early in 2016. It has been produced once, on The Striker Mainstage at The People's Improv Theater (The PIT) in New York City, NY this past January. The play was so well received, Cortopassi and the cast were invited to perform the show again for a New Group of adventurous comedy lovers. The play has also been accepted to the NYWinterFest Festival, and is awaiting further results from similar East Coast Theatrical Festivals. An Ensemble Member of Quintessence Theatre Group, Cortopassi is thrilled to be presenting his piece at Quintessence's home, The beautiful Sedgwick Theater in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia for a limited one weekend performance run.

IF YOU GO:

THE BIG
Written and directed by Lee Cortopassi

At The Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Avenue (Mt. Airy), Philadelphia, PA 19119

Performance Dates: Friday February 3, 2017 @7:30pm, Saturday February 4, 2017 @7:30pm, Sunday February 5, 2017 @2pm

Show Length: 1 hour with no intermission

Ticket Prices: $10 - $15; All tickets available for purchase at the door.

ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE:

Andrew Block (Frank Springfield): Andrew was last seen in the season premiere of CBS's Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg, and has done a variety of small T.V and commercial spots. Andrew is also a founder and active member of FOREVER DOG PRODUCTIONS, an NYC based Production Company for whom he has performed a one man show among other productions, and partakes in the weekly podcast, The News.

Lee Cortopassi (Matty McFadden): Other than The Big, Lee was last seen onstage in QTG's Production of Mother Courage and her Children. This is his first completely original finished play (though he has a handful in the works). In New York, he has performed Off-Broadway at The Elektra Theater in Times Square in The Imbible: Christmas Carol

Cocktails. Lee will be performing in QTG's upcoming repertoire of Love's Labor's Lost & The Broken Heart.

Dana Kreitz (Scotch Esperanza): Dana lives a duel life between Philadelphia and New York. Regionally, Dana has performed at The Walnut Street Theater and New Candlelight Theater, among others. She is currently wrapping post- production on the short film, Loaded, which was produced by her own company, Hapa Media. She will be seen next alongside Mr. Cortopassi is QTG's upcoming repertoire of Love's Labor's Lost & The Broken Heart.

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