Walking Fish Theatre to Present HANDS ACROSS VERONICA, 11/6-30

HANDS ACROSS VERONICA, a biting comedy about women and their relationships to men, food and their bodies by Philadelphia playwright, Gin Hobbs, will have a newly staged production, November 6 - 30, 2013 at Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia PA. Ticket prices are $20.00 and can be purchased through the Walking Fish website http://www.walkingfishtheatre.com, or at the door. In addition, every Wednesday of the run is Pay-what-you-can.

HANDS ACROSS VERONICA was first produced in Philadelphia by Theatre Catalyst /Eternal Spiral Project in 2003. Hilarious, irreverent and deeply poignant, J. Cooper Rob of the Philadelphia Weekly had this to say about its first incarnation:"You have to love a play that combines the Violent Femmes and artificial limbs in a rollicking musical number. But that's just one of the many delights."

The play follows the exercise routines, eating habits and love lives of a pair of best friends who strive for self-love at the gym, only to find heartache in their refrigerators. Their personal journey is supported by a Greek chorus of three Phat Ladies who offer their own perspective on weight and femininity in rap, song and dance.

Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod, Director/Co-Producer of HANDS ACROSS VERONICA, said she wanted to bring back Ms. Hobbs' play because of the great impact it made on her 10 years ago.

"I want women to walk away from the play with a sense of empowerment and self-acceptance. I've talked to dozens of women, all shapes and sizes - and almost every one of them from size 2 to 22, hates her body. Why is that? I want to address it with this play"

Kirsten Quinn, will be picking up her weights and donning her gym clothes once again as she recreates the role of Aubrey (which she originated with Eternal Spiral Project in 2003) - a weight obsessed city girl striving for the perfect work out, the perfect boyfriend and the perfect life. Shelli Pentimall Bookler plays desperate yet determined Veronica, who discovers self love through food and though her best friend's boyfriend, the well meaning yet imperfect Tony, played by Dan Tobin. Meryl Lynn Brown, Zarah Ivans and University of the Arts Senior, Shelvy Paredes, play the chorus of Phat Ladies, who beguile the audience with comedic cabaret acts that capture the imagination as well as the heart of the play.

Previous productions by playwright Gin Hobbs, include CLUCKS AND WHIRRS AND OTHER SOUNDS OF LOVE. In VERONICA, Miss Hobbs wants to address the problems of body image in America while also giving larger actresses an opportunity to work.

"Larger women don't always get as many opportunities as other actresses do in Philadelphia, in America. The female body sells clothes, cars, food, swimming pools, televisions, computers - everything. It is not us, but advertisers, who own our bodies and tell us what they should look like, what is 'ideal'."

This is Naked Feet Productions and B. Someday Productions' second co-production, the first being Women of Fire and Blood by Lili Bita in April 2012.

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