New City Stage Company to Present HINCKLEY, 3/6-30

New City Stage Company has announced the third play of the 2013-2014 Season, the world premiere of Hinckley, written by award- winning theatre artist Ginger Dayle and directed by television and film actor Russ Widdall. This is the first play written from the perspective of the would-be assassin of President Ronald Reagan. A collaborative work created by the New City Stage artistic team, the play will be presented as a fever-dream first person account of his life , including the events leading up to the assassination attempt. On March 30, 1981 the course of American history is irrevocably altered by this schizophrenic lovestruck loner. Obsessive fantasy sidelines Presidency. Featuring Sam Sherburne, from the hit Philadelphia premieres of Frost/Nixon and American Sligo .

The show runs from March 6 -30, 2014 at the Adrienne Theatre Main Stage. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.NewCityStage.org or calling (215) 563-7500.

The structure and story was written by Ginger Dayle, who directed New City Stage's Philadelphia premiere of RFK for the 2012-13 season, a sold-out hit which then premiered in Washington, D.C. at the Studio Theatre in July 2013. New City Stage decided to bring the production back to start the 2013-14 season entitled A Presidential Era: The 60s, 70s, 80s and Beyond. Ms. Dayle won the 2013 Broadway World Award (Philadelphia region) for Best New Work for directing RFK, which was her directorial debut. She began researching and crafting the Hinckley story and format while studying for her masters degree in playwrighting at Villanova University. After receiving the rights to produce the Philadelphia premiere of Frost/Nixon, the board of directors unanimously agreed to commission a full production of the John Hinckley, Jr. story to round out the season.

Russ Widdall starred as Bobby Kennedy in the hit one-man show RFK and has always had a passion for politics and theatre. He recently starred as David Frost in acclaimed Philadelphia premiere of Frost/Nixon and was promoted to Producing

Artistic Director for the 2013-14 season. With over 25 years of acting experience, Mr. Widdall has worked on new and collaborative pieces with the University of the Arts, InterAct Theatre Company, renown Philadelphia theatre artist Greg Giovanni, and many others. He made his directorial debut with the world premiere of Asymmetric by New York Innovative Theatre Award winner Mac Rogers. He jumped at the chance to take Ms. Dayle's story and develop it into a fully realized play from the perspective of John Hinckley, Jr. "No play or movie that has featured John Hinckley has ever shown his side of the story," says Widdall. "I relish the opportunity to tell the third political story of our season from someone who was outside looking in, and eventually became a part of Presidential history."

After a successful professional debut in Adam Rapp's American Sligo, New City Stage tapped Sam Sherburne to play the title roll in this 3 person play. A recent graduate of Florida Atlantic University's M.F.A. program in Acting and Theatre Education, Mr. Sherburne was already cast as Bob Zelnick in Frost/Nixon and named the new Director of Education at New City Stage. Mr. Widdall felt he was the perfect young actor to explore this character. With over 10 years of experience with improvisation and sketch comedy, Mr. Sherburne has become invaluable in creating a non-traditional theatre piece from the the assassin's point of view

Adding the unique elements of the production are singer-songwriter Meghan Cary and sound designer and collaborative theatre artist Adriano Shaplin. With 4 solo albums under her belt and an M.F.A. in Acting from the Asolo Conservatory at Florida State University, Ms. Cary will be providing original music for the show as well as playing multiple roles of women in Hinckley's life and imagination. A member of several collaborative theatre groups including Applied Mechanics, the Flea Theatre, and the Riot Group, Mr. Shaplin is thrilled to return to New City Stage after he created the sound design for Frost/Nixon.

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