World Premiere of MARRIAGE, LIZARDS, AND LOVE Presented at Capital Fringe Festival, Now thru 7/27

From today, July 10th-27th, the 9th Annual Capital Fringe Festival will host the world premiere of Jean P. Bordewich's MARRIAGE, LIZARDS, AND LOVE. The performances will take place at Fort Fringe (607 New York Avenue. NW, Washington, DC). The cast features Stephanie LaVardera, Erik Harrison, Karen Kelleher, Mike Silver, and Roxy Reynolds.

Julia and Henry are struggling in their marriage, haunted by buried secrets, conflicting desires and a mysterious presence. She wants a baby; he wants to write opera. New and unsettling revelations push their relationship to its limit - and beyond.

Adi Stein is a local director, actor and playwright. His work has been seen at Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co., Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Round House Theatre, Studio Theatre, Theater J, Imagination Stage, and The New Victory Theatre in New York. Stein previously directed Jesus Le Momo in the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival and produced the smash hit One Night in NY (winner of Best Overall Show) in last summer's Festival. He is thrilled to be directing this exciting new work.

"What's important about this piece to me," says Stein, "is how it speaks to the modern state of relationships and marriages across the country. We've reached the point, as a culture, where we have started to accept that not all marriages should be saved. What Marriage, Lizards and Love brings to the forefront is how we decide that. How do we know if a relationship needs to be saved or if it even should be? Jean has created these amazing characters that speak to so many different components of the modern relationship and I can't wait for people to see the fantastic work this cast is doing with them."

Jean P. Bordewich served as a U.S. Senate committee staff director until May, and also directed the 2013 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which planned the second inauguration of President Barack Obama. Bordewich also has worked as a reporter, magazine writer and editor.

"I'm fascinated by when and how much partners are willing to change in order to make a relationship work, and when they decide not to," says Bordewich. "A good, long-lasting marriage is still something many people want, but some relationships are able to survive the mysterious and unforeseen forces that may emerge over time and some are not."

Inspiration for Marriage, Lizards and Love came unexpectedly in 2011. "My husband and I saw Harold Pinter's play, 'Old Times,' at the Sidney Harman Theater and I couldn't stop thinking about it, especially the spare dialogue, the failure of the characters to connect with each other, and the way color and shapes were used in the staging. The ideas just started coming and wouldn't stop."

Bordewich completed the initial draft of Marriage, Lizards and Love in August 2013, held a reading with professional actors in September, and then applied to the 2014 Capital Fringe Festival. She is working now on a political play for next year's Fringe Festival.

Capital Fringe is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2005 with the purpose of connecting exploratory artists with adventurous audiences by creating outlets and spaces for creative, cutting-edge, and contemporary performance in the District. Capital Fringe's vital programs ensure the growth and continued health of the local and regional performing arts community by helping artists become independent producers while stimulating the vibrant cultural landscape in our city.

For more information, visit www.marriagelizardsandlove.com or call 202-731-7209.

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