Bethany Arts Community Presents IMPACT, Written & Performed By Amy Engelhardt, Directed By Kira Simring

Bethany Arts Community (BAC) has announced the presentation of IMPACT, written and performed by 2022 BAC artist-in-residence Amy Engelhardt, directed by Kira Simring. IMPACT is a fascinating story told through the lenses of music, multimedia and memory.

Shortly after the 30th Anniversary of the bombing of PanAm Flight 103, a remarkable chain of "follow-signs" lead award-winning playwright/composer/performer Amy Engelhardt (Bastard Jones, Grammy nominees The Bobs) to Lockerbie, Scotland. What begins as a bucket-list trip to honor lost friends evolves into a personal and global exploration of grace, kindness and simplicity. A multimedia scrapbook of the journey, Impact unfolds through photographs, video, storytelling and soul-stirring original songs as Engelhardt's previous and newfound connections to the tragedy unexpectedly yield a renewed hope for humanity.

There are no coincidences... only connections.

Writer and performer Amy Engelhardt shares, "I don't like most one-person shows and I don't go for the woowoo stuff. I mean HELLO, I'm from New Jersey. But in 2019, a series of 'follow-signs' started pointing to a major world event 30 years ago. I followed these prompts to Lockerbie, Scotland. What began as a bucket list trip turned into an exploration of compassion, grief, kindness and community. With some singing Satanic nuns thrown in for good measure. Because I'm from Jersey."

IMPACT will be performed at Bethany Arts Community on Saturday, March 18th at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 19th at 3pm. Tickets are $25/Adult and $10/Student & Senior. Tickets can be purchased on the Bethany Arts Community website.

For this production at Bethany Arts Community, IMPACT will be performed with local musicians Shadman Mirza on cello, and Bill Votava on percussion.

Composer/lyricist/bridge-and-tunnel kid Amy Engelhardt scored OBA Best New Musical nominee/Richard Rodgers Award finalist BASTARD JONES at the cell theatre (Resident Artist). Other writing credits include ANNIE DREAM WILL DO (Prospect Theatre Musical Writers Lab), TRIPTYCH (NY Transit Museum commission), CONTACT (CenterStage Seattle) and A COMEDY OF ERAS (Flying Karamazov Brothers). A MAC Songwriting Award winner, Amy co-created TUNE IN TIME, NYC's Musical Theater Game Show (at the York). As a songwriter/performer, she toured with Harry Shearer and Judith Owen's CHRISTMAS WITHOUT TEARS (BAM NYC, Hollywood, Chicago) And from 1998-2012, Amy wrote, recorded, produced and toured with Grammy-nominated, genre-busting band The Bobs. Proud member of ASCAP, MAESTRA, the Dramatists Guild and Facebook's "I Hate Cilantro" group. www.amyengelhardt.com

Kira Simring has been the Artistic Director of Nancy Manocherian's the cell since its inception in 2006. A professional director for 20 years, Kira has worked closely with writers to develop and realize their work. Recent directing credits include the premieres of Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom (Irish Rep) Crackskull Row by Honor Molloy (New York Times Critics' Pick), Hard Times: An American Musical by Larry Kirwan (New York Times Critics' Pick), and The McGowan Trilogy by Seamus Scanlon (New York and UK Premieres). She received a BA in Anthropology from Smith College and an MFA at The New School for Drama.

IMPACT was developed at the 2020 National Winter Playwrights Retreat in Grand Lake, CO. In 2021, a filmed version was co-produced by Nancy Manocherian's cell theatre (NYC) and The Playhouse at White Lake (Whitehall, MI). The live version was incubated at the cell in NYC. IMPACT was recently awarded a Spring 2023 developmental residency at the Creative Centre in Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland.

IMPACT has been developed with immense thanks to Alex Stein, Colin Dorrance, Judith Dorrance, Kim Cirillo Wickham, Renee Boulanger, Ron & Jeannine Boulanger, Josephine Donaldson, Pauline & Jamey Carruthers, Judith O'Rourke, Paul Provenza, Babs Romen, Gina Rae & Tom Bancroft, Hal Kirkland, John Eisner, Manuel & Ann Pittman Zarate, Franky Gonzalez, Jeff Rubin, Brian Reager, Jonah Levy & the cell staff.

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