THE LONG RAIL NORTH Set for Planet Connections Theatre Festivity

C.A.G.E. Theatre Company presents Michael Hagins's Civil War drama The Long Rail North, where friendship grows out of a most unlikely situation. Directed by Emily DeSena, The Long Rail North will be performed on Sunday, June 21st at 1pm, Thursday, June 25th at 4:30pm, Tuesday, June 30th at 7pm, Saturday, July 4th at 4pm, Wednesday, July 8th at 8pm and Saturday, July 11th at 5pm in the Downstairs Theatre at The Paradise Factory, located at 64 East 4th Street, as part of the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

On a train in 1863 South Carolina, Private Thomas Morgan, an escaped slave turned Union soldier, hides in a boxcar with 12 year-old Molly, a slave owner's daughter Thomas saved from her family's burning plantation. However Molly has no use for Thomas, regarding all black people as both slaves and evil, taught from birth to despise them, and fearing the worst at his hands. As the train heads north and the two encounter visitors from both sides of the conflict, Molly begins to realize Thomas is the only person on whom she can depend. A tale of second chances, The Long Rail North shows the horrors committed in the name of war, people's blind prejudice and hatred, and the possible chance for redemption.

The cast of The Long Rail North features Natalie Johnson, Sam Lopresti, Morgan Patton, Michael Rehse and Xavier Rodney. The running time of the show is 80 minutes.

Michael Hagins is the Artistic Director of C.A.G.E. Theatre Company. His awards from Planet Connections include the Choreography and the Activist Award for his 2014 work The Quest of the Hero, and the Best Playwriting in Short FormOne-Act for his 2013 work Hit and Match. He is also a FringeNYC playwright and has published work as part of www.indietheaternow.com. Like C.A.G.E. Theatre Company at www.facebook.com/CAGETheatre and follow them on Twitter at CAGETheatreCo.

Emily DeSena is a graduate of Florida International University's BFA program and Actor's Movement Studio Conservatory in New York City. She was last seen as the Movement Director of the Planet Connections award-nominated production of Interpreting Her Martyr'd Sins. Visit her website for resume and contact information: www.emilydesena.com.

Started in 2004 by Michael Hagins, the C.A.G.E. (Classical Avant-Garde Experimental) Theatre of New York City has brought classical and classic-themed works to a modern audience for over seven years. Their mission is to bring a renewed understanding of famous works of the Greeks, the Renaissance and the Restoration to a new and updated audience while bringing out the appeal that have lasted for thousands of years. This is done by giving new looks and concepts to the projects by modifying costuming, sets, props, etc., but without changing the text or plot in any way. C.A.G.E. showcases the works of authors from varying times and shares the themes of other ages to better understand history and how similar the life and times of then are very close to now. Past works by C.A.G.E. Theatre include award-winning and critically acclaimed productions of Macbeth, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Quest of the Hero!, Taming of the Shrew, The Shape of Things, Hit and Match, Hamlet, Two Gentlemen of Verona: A Swashbuckling Comedy! and A 1940's Comedy of Errors.

A portion of the proceeds from The Long Rail North will go to Rebuilding Together, which provides low-income homeowners with critical home repairs, accessibility modifications and energy-efficient upgrades. Rebuilding Together has provided extensive home rehabilitation and modification services to low-income homeowners across the country for over 25 years. Their network of affiliates brings together nearly 100,000 volunteers and completes about 10,000 projects each year. http://rebuildingtogether.org/

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York's premiere socially-conscious theatre, music and film festival. The entire festival is aligned to help artist shine a light on the issues facing our society and support the organizations working to make a difference. The 2015 Theatre Festivity will run from June 15-July 12 at the Paradise Factory (located at 64 East 4th Street between the Bowery and 2nd Avenue), and will also play host to special events at various locations in New York City's East Village. For more information on Planet Connections, visit: www.planetconnections.org.

All tickets are $18.00. Tickets can be purchased by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111, or at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/946345. Tickets for all 2015 Planet Connections Festivity shows are available at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/27385.