Every day is opening night.

Contact:
Rick Miramontez / Philip Carrubba
rick@oandmco.com   / philip@oandmco.com
212-695-7400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

SPECIAL STAGING OF
“ THE SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY”
CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY JIMMY MAIZE
**FEATURING A CAST OF ONE-HUNDRED PERFORMERS**
TO PLAY
2 LIMITED ENGAGEMENTS IN NYC

APRIL 18 – APRIL 21
AT THE RIVERSIDE THEATRE IN MANHATTAN

APRIL 24-28
AT INVISIBLE DOG ART CENTER IN BROOKLYN

New York, NY (March 6, 2012) – Edgar Lee Masters’ epic work, The Spoon River Anthology, will receive an all-new production, of unprecedented scale and scope, conceived & directed Jimmy Maize, with music by Eli Zoller, choreography by Jon Cooper & Marine Sialelli, and music direction by Ethan Wagner, and featuring a cast of one-hundred performers, will be presented for two special limited engagements:  April 18 – 21 at The Riverside Theatre (91 Claremont Avenue located inside the Riverside Church between 120th and 122nd Streets), in association with Columbia University School of the Arts;  and April 24 – 28 at the Invisible Dog Art Center (51 Bergen Street in Brooklyn).

In Jimmy Maize’s sweeping re-imagining of Edgar Lee Masters’ seminal 1915 book of poetry, a cast of one-hundred brings to life the collection of epitaphs that vividly depict life in the fictional Midwestern town of Spoon River, as told from the perspective of its deceased residents.  Maize’s epic adaptation incorporates live music, and dance, giving new life to the innovative spirit of Masters’ work and updating it for contemporary audiences.

This extraordinary staging will feature Sophie Amoss, Will Arbery, Elissa Aron, Michael Barringer, Andrew Belcher, Sloan Bradford, Michael Brahce, Katie Broad, Clare Brower, Sheyenne Javonne Brown, Kevin Bunge, Marianna Caldwell, Christian Caldwell, Juan Cardenas, Michael Cicetti, Yvonne Cone, Hannah Corrigan, Zoe Costello, Rachel Craw, Will Dagger, Meghan Dalton, Shea Davies, Paul Eddy, Abby Eletz, Benjamin Fisher, Rohan Flinn, David Gautschy, Matthew Gehring, Jonathan Gordon, Megan Grace, Nate Grams, Anna Greenfield, Kate Gunther, Eddie Gutierrez, Logan James Hall, Joseph Dale Harris, Anna Hendrick, Su Hendrickson, Leah Henoch, Kate Hopkins, Jacqui Jarrold, Brandon Jones, Anna Konkle, Daniel Kurtz, Kristie Larson, Joanna Levinger, Andrew Lynch, Leemore Malka, Charlie Mann, Amanda Lea Mason, Molly McAdoo, Katie Melby, Helyn Messenger, Melissa Mickens, Ambien Mitchell, Christine Mottram, Sean Patrick Murray, Javan Nelson, Kyle Nesbit, Chelsea Niven, Greg Nussen, Sean O’Hagan, Anastasia Olowin, Juliette Pannone, Jose Paz, Adam Petchel, Duncan Pflaster, Alexandra Pucci, Edward Raube-Wilson, Keith Reed, Sam Reeder, Miguel Reis, Rachel Richman, Michael Rosengarten, Bertrand Roy, Patrick Scheid, Sandra Schneider, Dana Scurlock, Nadia Sepsenwol, Phillip Shinn, Franny Silverman, Jeri Silverman, Brendan Sokler, Elise Sokolow, Gianmarco Soresi, Ryan Stinnett, Erica Swindell, Andy Talen, Chanel Thomas, Sarah Todes, Kelsey Torstveit, Max Waszak, and Jeffrey A. Wisniewski.

There will be a special Talkback panel with Moisés Kaufman (Tectonic Theater Project) and the artists following the performance on Friday, April 20 at The Riverside Theatre.

The creative team includes Mikaela Liakata (Scenic Consultant), Abigail Hahn (Costumes), David Bengali (Lights), and Matthew Kagen (Producer).  The Production Stage Manager is Aislinn Curry.

The Spoon River Anthology performance schedule is, as follows:
April 18-21

Riverside Theatre
91 Claremont Avenue (located inside the Riverside Church between 120th and 122nd Streets)
Presented by Columbia University School of the Arts – Theater Arts

Wednesday–Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $15;  $5 for Seniors and free with valid Columbia Student ID.  All seating is general admission.  PLEASE NOTE: Through March18th, reservations can be made at: matt@spoonrivernyc.com.  Beginning March 19th, tickets may be purchased by visiting The Riverside Theatre Box Office, or via the website at http://columbiastages.org/season/2012/spoonriver.html.

April  24-28

Invisible Dog Art Center
51 Bergen Street in Brooklyn

Tuesday-Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $15.00 plus $1.52 facility fee.  All seating is general admission and may be purchased by visiting Brown Paper Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com

Additional information is available by visiting www.spoonrivernyc.com .
BIOGRAPHIES________________________________________________________________________________

Jimmy Maize (Conceiver/Director) is an award-winning director, playwright, dramaturg and member of Tectonic Theater Project.  Recent directing credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Classic Stage Co.), the rock musical Hypochondria by Kyle Jarrow, Estate, A Dream Play and The Seagull (Columbia University); The Skin of Our Teeth (Strasberg Institute); A Different Kind of Animal (Theater Row) and You’re Invited (Old Vic).  He recently associate directed and dramaturged Tennessee Williams’ One Arm (The New Group) and has assistant directed Moisés Kaufman on numerous projects including Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo and the Broadway production of 33 Variations starring Jane Fonda.  He is currently assistant director for the Tina Landau/Regina Spektor musical Beauty.  As a dramaturg he has sheparded many projects for Tectonic Theater Project, most notably The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, which debuted in 150 theaters worldwide, and will feature a New York run in fall of 2012.  As a playwright, Jimmy is the recipient of the first annual Bailiwick playwriting award and the David Nord Award for his interview-based play In One Room, which has been performed nationally.  Other credits include Between Life and Nowhere (3-Legged Dog); In The Belly (Player’s Loft); Making Time (The Bureau Theater); and American Falls (Epiphany Theater Co).  As a performer he has appeared at P.S. 122, The Flea, 3-Legged Dog and Abingdon Theater.  He is an Old Vic New Voices Fellow, Associate Artist of Classic Stage Company, and is obtaining an MFA in directing from Columbia University’s School of the Arts.

Eli Zoller (Composer) Spoon River Anthology marks Eli’s compositional debut, and he is beside himself with the artistic company and overwhelming support that he has experienced with this wonderful project.  Recent Music Direction/Orchestration includes The Fantasticks (Virginia Stage, Norfolk).  Love Trapezoid, a new musical by Matt Schatz (A.P.A.C.), Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge (Prospect Theatre/59E59 & N.A.M.T. 2011). Mrs. Jones and the Man From Dixieland (E.S.T.), a play by Tony® Award-winners Steven Sater; music by Duncan Sheik.  Caroline Prugh’s Highway Blue (Player’s Theatre) and Estate (Columbia).  Eli is also a performer with the Peter Paul & Mary folk revival concert group: “A Band Called Honalee”, as well as the symphony pops show “Back to the 50’s”.  Proud graduate: University of Michigan (BFA Musical Theatre).

Ethan Wagner (Musical Director) joins Jimmy Maize once again after last year’s Hypochondria and Songs from the Pac-Man in 2006.  Past music directing credits include The Threepenny Opera, Into the Woods and Ragtime at Heights Players. Also as a composer, Ethan’s musical, Sunday Best,  performed at the 2009 Fringe Festival.

Jon Cooper (Choreographer) Originally from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, Jon started his dance and theater training at age 10 with Elaine Colaneri, Carolyn Dutra and Lisa Bracket at the Wheeler School in Providence. From 2000-2006 Jon was a principle director and choreographer for Rhode Island Youth Theater, an educational theater program under the direction of Dr. Ann O’Grady. Cooper received a B.S. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Skidmore College in 2008 where he also studied acting and voice. Since moving to NYC, he has performed in regional theater, cabarets, corporate events, event production, and feature film. From 2008-2010 Jon was a principle dancer with the A.O. Movement Collective contributing choreography and performance in 90 Ways to Wake From Drowning at the Joyce SoHo. Recently, Jon filmed his choreography with Darren Criss for the upcoming independent feature Imogene scheduled for release this year.  He is currently a member of Roschman dance and just completed work on the premier of Lord of the Fly Girls at Westside Dance Project.

Marine Sialelli (Choreographer) is a playwright, dancer and choreographer from France. As a dancer, she performed in France, England, Spain, and the US, where she is currently pursuing a MFA in Playwriting at Columbia University. New York credits include: Broken Wings, Ease on Down with Hinton Battle at Manhattan Movement Arts Center and the launch of the BAP Windows Phone at Herald Square. Upcoming: Birthday Triage at Horace Mann Theatre and  her thesis play Looking for Beethoven will premiere April 11, 2012 at New York Theatre Workshop.

The Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at the Columbia University School of the Arts presents an annual series of original productions and a festival of new plays by emerging artists from the MFA Theatre Arts Program. Taught by a faculty of internationally renowned creators, practitioners, producers and scholars, the program provides students with a foundation for a career in professional theater, with programs in acting, directing, playwriting, dramaturgy, stage management and theatre management and producing.

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http://columbiastages.org/season/2012/spoonriver.html
www.spoonrivernyc.com
www.brownpapertickets.com

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