New City Stage Company presents the world premiere of ASYMMETRIC by award-winning New York City playwright Mac Rogers. The script was commissioned for the 2011-12 season entitled “The Terror Within,” looking at the war on terror 10 years after 9/11. May 17 to June 10, 2012
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) April 19, 2012
New City Stage Company is pleased to announce the last show of the 2011-12 season, the world premiere of “Asymmetric” by award-winning New York City playwright Mac Rogers. The script was commissioned for New City’s season “The Terror Within,” looking at the war on terror 10 years after 9/11. This exciting new thriller will run May 17 to June 10, 2012. Opening night is Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m. Performances will be held at the Adrienne Theater Second Stage at 2030 Sansom Street in downtown Philadelphia. Tickets are $22 – 35 and available at http://www.NewCityStage.org and by calling the box office at (215) 563-7500.
This one act 75 minute play follows the return of black ops agent Josh Ruskin to the mysterious Fifth Floor, an elite anti-terrorist intelligence wing of the CIA. A former top interrogator, he’s been recalled to break a traitor who has been leaking sensitive information. His career, marriage and life fell apart when he became a depressed alcoholic. Now he has one last chance at redemption but it could mean destroying the only person who ever really mattered to him.
Full of sophisticated dialogue and intriguing interrogation tactics, the play makes an often complicated subject accessible to a contemporary theatre audience. That’s exactly what attracted Producing Artistic Director Ginger Dayle to the play. “This is really a love story hiding inside a spy thriller, that also reflects mental health issues and substance abuse. How far would you be willing to go to protect this country, and the ones you love? Is any act of terrorism or assassination justified?” asks Dayle. The play moves from high level interrogation rooms to the outskirts of Reykjavik, Iceland for its thrilling conclusion.
The show marks Co-Artistic Director Russ Widdall’s directing debut. Russ, a native of York, PA, has been a professional actor for over 20 years and has considerable television, screen and stage credits, including 7 shows with New City, where he became Co-Artistic Director in 2009. He most recently appeared in the HBO film “Game Change” with Julianne Moore. He is also appearing in the remount of Sam Shepard’s “Savage/Love” and “Tongues”, which runs in reparatory with “Asymmetric” (for more info see the end of this release).
The production features several of Philadelphia’s hottest actors all of whom are making their New City Stage debut.
KEVIN BERGEN (Josh) was recently seen in Arden Theatre Company’s fall production of Tracey Letts‘ “August: Osage County”. He is a company member at People’s Light and Theatre Company in Malvern where he was nominated for a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his work in another Letts’ play, “The Man from Nebraska”.
ROSS BESCHLER (Zack) was part of the ensemble of the Wilma Theater’s “Our Class” this past fall and most recently in the original ensemble piece “The Golem” with Ego Productions. He also appeared in EgoPo’s Barrymore-nominated 2010 Fringe production “Marat/Sade” and is an adjunct professor of theatre at Rowan University.
KIM CARSON (Sunny) most recently played the title role in “Becky Shaw” at Montgomery Theatre Project, where she is also a teaching artist and playwright. An accomplished musical theatre performer, she won the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a musical for her work in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” in with Azuka Theatre.
ERIC ROLLAND (Ford) a Monmouth, New Jersey native and accomplished film and television actor, is making his professional Philadelphia theatre debut with “Asymmetric”. A new member of Actors’ Equity, he has performed with the Two Rivers Theatre, Revision Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.
All of the actors in this production appear courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.
Mac Rogers is an award-winning Brooklyn-based playwright, professional writer, and performer who writes and produces emotionally gripping thrillers, science fiction, horror, and dark comedies for the stage. As a professional writer, Mac has contributed columns to Slate.com and New York Magazine’s Vulture site. He is a founder and producer of Gideon Productions, which is currently in residence at the Secret Theatre in Long Island City, New York. His most recent play, “Blast Radius”, debuted in March to critical acclaim. The New York Times called the production a “suspenseful second part of an alien invasion trilogy by Mac Rogers… whose confident writing displays deep affection for the genre…. [the] cast [was] hewing to the realism of this fantastical material… [the] two hours zip by.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR PRESS TICKETS:
Contact publicist Ginger Dayle at Publicity(at)NewCityStage(dot)org. You can also visit the production page for photos and media related to the show at here or contact the publicist directly.
All complimentary press tickets should be requested at least 24 hours in advance.
ABOUT THE SHOW:
ASYMMETRIC
Written by Mac Rogers
Directed by Russ Widdall *
Previews: Thursday Friday May 17 18 at 8 p.m. Saturday May 19 at 3 p.m.
Opening Performance: Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m.
Closing Performance: Saturday, September 17 at 11 p.m.
About New City Stage Company:
New City Stage Company, founded in 2006, is dedicated to presenting high quality professional theatre that engages audiences on a variety of levels; not only entertaining them but also encouraging awareness of issues relevant to the community. We draw our season from contemporary and classical works, with a special focus on including Philadelphia premiers from playwrights whose work and stories are not normally found in the region.
Also being performed by New City Stage Company at the Adrienne Theatre Second Stage:
As an added bonus, New City Stage Company is happy to present an encore limited run of our 2011 Philadelphia Fringe hit. Audiences were enchanted by these rarely performed modern soliloquies, which the City Paper hailed as a “soaring soul plunge.” Click here for more information.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebNewCityStage/Asymmetric/prweb9417900.htm
