Brooklyn Hosts BORSCHT BASH Benefit for NACL Theatre

On November 15th the Catskills come to Brooklyn as NACL Theatre (North American Cultural Laboratory, www.nacl.org) hosts the BORSCHT BASH, a party to benefit the theatre and its NYC premiere of "THE UNCANNY APPEARANCE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES" this December at HERE Arts Center in Soho. The event will be co-chaired by actors Susan Dey, Judd Hirsch, and Mary Stuart Masterson.

The evening will kick off with live jazz and NACL’s own Harvest Borscht, prepared with organic farm fresh vegetables from the Catskills, and served with hearty bread and cheese. In addition, actress, Susan Dey (Laurie on The Partridge Family and Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law) will auction off luxurious items "for the body, mind, and soul." Following the auction there will be a sampling of performances from some of the extraordinary New York artists who have been presented by NACL over the years. Also included will be a sneak peek into NACL's newest performance, "The Uncanny Appearance of Sherlock Holmes" which will play at HERE Arts Center in SoHo this December. A dance party to the big brass sounds of the Hungry March Band will finish off the evening.

The BORSCHT BASH will begin at 7:00 pm. To evoke the spirit of the Catskills, organic Borscht, prepared in the NACL retreat center kitchen, will be served up with hearty bread, specialty local cheese and other farm fresh Catskills delicacies.

At 7:30 p.m.: Actress Susan Dey will auction off items geared to nourish the body, mind and soul. These items include a makeover at The Stephen Knoll Salon (Christie Brinkley, Anne Hathaway, and David Bowie, clientele); one night at Ecce Bed and Breakfast in Barryville, NY (recently featured in the New York Times); a $200 gift certificate to dine at Allen & Delancey, recipient of a Michelin star and winner of Time Out NY's Reader's Choice for Best New Restaurant 2008; tickets to a Nets game (fourth row!) and a Giants game (lower deck!); a weekend at the NACL theatre and artist residence, a converted 1920s summer hotel; private Pilates sessions at Chelsea Movements; a collection of signed books by wine and food connoisseurs, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg; and more… Plus, try your luck in a raffle to win prime seats to a Knicks game (tenth row!).

At 8:00 p.m.: Performances from NACL and other New York-based theatre artists that have performed at the NACL Catskill Festival of New Theater will begin with a sneak peek of NACL’s newest show "The Uncanny Appearance of Sherlock Holmes." The other artists performing include: Jennifer Miller (from Circus Amok), Strike Anywhere, Bond Street Theatre, Lollo Birgitta, Keith Bindlestiff (from The Bindlestiff Family Circus) and The New York Neo-Futurists.

From 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.: The Hungry March Band (who appeared in John Cameron Mitchell's film Shortbus) will take us through the rest of the evening. Boasting "a reputation for mythical revelry," they will stir the very borscht that runs through your veins and have you dancing the night away.

All proceeds benefit NACL Theatre, an ensemble-based theatre company that is devoted to actor training and the development and presentation of original devised theatre.  NACL (North American Cultural Laboratory) operates a theatre and artists residence in Highland Lake, NY and performs in New York City, the Catskills, and internationally.

For further information contact: 1-845-557-0694 or tannis@nacl.org

Photo: Tannis Kowalchuk as Dr. Watson in "The Uncanny Appearance of Sherlock Holmes." Photo by Terry Murphy