SOUL OF A BLUE BUTTERFLY SET for Cabrini Rep, 6/17-22

Coming to Manhattan's Cabrini Rep this June - Soul of a Blue Butterfly; the true story of a young Swedish woman en route to Jerusalem to discover her roots, finds unexpected love. Upon being asked to marry, the Synagogue Rabbi declares the bride not Jewish enough for an Orthodox wedding. As despair ensues, the struggle of a lifetime begins.

Set in the 1940s, this tragicomedy - elevated by an original music score - performed live by Swedish composer Elin Palmer; a lighthearted Charlie Chaplin mime motif; and breathtaking aerial theatrics by former Cirque du Soleil artist Sara Joel, is a rare theatrical feast for the senses for all generations.

Scarred by her parents' divorce during childhood - Lavana adopts a nomadic lifestyle as an adult - schlepping ridiculous amounts of baggage wherever she goes - until unanticipated events raise self-question. An eternal optimist at heart - sometimes to her detriment; Lavana's world begins to crumble when she learns she must enter the lion's den of the country's enduring civil unrest - to undergo spiritual conversion in Jerusalem's most Orthodox Judaic schools. A conquest of both courage and devotion - while inevitable challenges surmount, a test of the couples' commitment comes into question - opening a gateway to self-discovery and ever-changing self-transformation.

Anna Duvall is an artist by design in numerous capacities; graphic designer by day, choreographic visionary by night. Having danced professionally with Colorado Ballet, Ballet Nouveau, and California Ballet; and staged works before Denver, Manhattan, and Jerusalem audiences, Duvall's keen eye for theatrics is a marvel worthy of notice. Duvall was among the first Americans invited to study at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy; a story which garnered news coverage from CNN and the Moscow Times; and was a full-scholarship student with the Bolshoi, San Francisco Ballet and Colorado Ballet; as well as an invited guest to perform, teach, and train in Japan. Constantly achieving - beginning this fall - Duvall will be attending NYU on scholarship to partake in American Ballet Theatre's Pedagogy Master's Program.

Long time hipster crush, Elin Palmer of the Lee Lewis Harlots, has finally broken out with her own heart fluttering solo project. Born in Värmland Sweden, her music roots stem back to the folk music of Sweden. Typically hired for her precision with the violin and Nyckelharpa (an ancient Swedish instrument) she is more of a "multi-instrumentalist;" even rocking out some guitar for the newest album. http://elinpalmer.com/about/

Ben Sargent has performed in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Boston, Connecticut, New York, Baltimore, and Montreal; and is a 2005 MFA graduate from the Moscow Art Theater School. Since 2008, Sargent has been directing original theater such as the Gogol Project, I Heart Chekhov, La Cueca, and Doroga; and has taught at the Lee Strasberg Institute; New GeneRussian; and Studio Six at the Moscow Art Theater, where Sargent is the founder. http://cargocollective.com/bensargent

Soul of a Blue Butterfly at the THESPIS THEATER FESTIVAL CABRINI REPERTORY THEATER / WASHINGTON HEIGHTS / 701 Fort Washington Avenue / New York, NY 10040

JUNE 17th at 8:45pm / JUNE 20th at 9pm / JUNE 22nd at 2pm
Tickets $20 + minimal fee (no discounts) / http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/637295