DifFRactions Theatre and TNC to Present IN THE RING as Part of 2014 Dream Up Festival; Runs 8/26-9/6

DifFRactions Theatre and Theater for The New City (Crystal Field, Artistic Director) present, as part of the Dream Up Festival, the American Premiere of IN THE RING, written by Leonore Confino (a 2014 Moliere Award Best Playwright nominee for the play). Directed by Alexandre Oppecini, this production will mark the World Premiere of the English translation by Perrine Moran.

IN THE RING will be presented for six performances only (August 26th through September 6th, 2014) as part of the Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue, NYC). Tickets are on sale now through SmartTix.com. For more information, visit intheringplay.com.

When they are IN THE RING, couples confront each other...instead of traditional scenes, in this acclaimed play the action is played out as rounds of a boxing match. Two actors interpret different lovers, exploring the universal conflicts between men and women. From tears to laughter, IN THE RING is an honest and often provocative exploration of love and human need. In the end, can Love be the winner?

The cast of IN THE RING includes Nathalie Bryant and Kyle Tuck.

IN THE RING has costume design by Sarah Thea Swafford; lighting design by Kryssy Wright; sound design by Ann Warren and video by Marie N. Guex. The Assistant Director is Beverlix Jean Baptiste.

IN THE RING will be performed for six performances only: Tuesday, August 26th at 6:30 pm; Thursday, August 28th at 9:00 pm; Friday, August 29th at 6:30 pm; Saturday, August 30th at 8:00 pm; Wednesday, September 3rd at 9:00 pm; and Saturday, September 6th at 5:00 pm.

For Dream Up Festival information, visit www.dreamupfestival.org. Tickets for IN THE RING are $15.00 and are on sale now at www.SmartTix.com. For more information, visit www.diffractions.org and intheringplay.com.

Leonore Confino's (Playwright) first play Un Ange Passe won the Paris young talent award in 2002. In 2008 and 2009, respectively, she wrote IN THE RING and Building. Both plays are published at L'OEil du Prince. Building received the Grand Prix Scene in 2011. Her play erHe One Upon Another won the 2012 Influenscènes Reading Comittee and the Actuelles Festival in Strasbourg. In April 2014 IN THE RING was nominated for a Moliere Award in the Best Author/Playwright category.

Alexandre Oppecini (Director) adapted the novel Microfictions (winner of the dark Comedy novel award by Télérama) by Régis Jauffret, for the Clavel Theater in 2010. In 2011, he directed The Bear and The Proposal by Anton Chekhov at the Akteon Theatre in Paris. In 2012, he co-founded La Compagnie Spirale (Spiral Theater Company) in France. In one year, the company produced and he directed two shows: Romeo et Juliette: La rencontre (Romeo & Juliet: An encounter) and L'Enseigneur (The God Teacher) by Jean Pierre Dopagne. L'Enseigneur was then selected by the Festival E Teatrale 2013 in France. As a writer, his first screenplay Sur Tes Traces was selected by Roland Nguyen and Christophe Taudière, head of France Television shorts program, to participate in "Les Nuits Mediterraneennes 2011" and is now in production with QUI VIVE ! Production with Eric Bu and Emmanuel Whal. During the Winter of 2013 he was invited by the Lycée Français of New York, to coach and direct the high-school students for the Theatre Festival "Première Scène". He also co-created Diffractions Theatre, a theatre collective willing to promote French-speaking authors on the NY scene by producing their works in English and in French. This year, Alexandre also directed L'Affaire de la rue de Lourcine by Eugène Labiche with GDS Production for the Royal Factory in Versailles and A temps with French actress Rachida Khalil.

DifFRactions Theatre is a Theatre Collective created by French actors and directors living between Paris and New York City. Its goal is to produce plays based on cultural exchanges between French-speaking countries and the US, by presenting classic plays in French as well as contemporary Francophone authors in English on the NY scene.

Theater for the New City (TNC), a venue for new artists and playwrights, presents performances that would probably otherwise not be seen by the general public. TNC is unique in its commitment to both high artistic standards and community service. In an effort to make theater accessible to all, TNC sponsors several free, multi-ethnic events a year, including the Lower East Side Festival of the Arts, which celebrates the artistic and cultural diversity of TNC's Lower East Side community, and the Annual Summer Street Theater, which travels to thirteen neighborhoods in all five boroughs. As the cultural hub of its downtown New York City location, TNC develops new artists and inspires future audiences. Theater for the New City has won over 42 Village Voice OBIE Awards for excellence in every theatrical discipline.

Now in its fifth year, the Dream Up Festival is Theater for the New City's summer showcase. Founded by Crystal Field and Michael Scott-Price, the Dream Up Festival allows TNC, which customarily presents new work by local artists, to open itself up to theater from the country at large and to artists from overseas. This year's festival, taking place August 17 -- September 7, 2014, will feature 24 productions -- 19 World premieres, two American premieres, two New York premieres and one workshop production.

Pictured: Nathalie Bryant and Kyle Tuck in IN THE RING. Photo by Alexandre Oppecini.