The Playwrights Realm Presents THE HATMAKER'S WIFE, Now thru 9/21

The New York premiere of Lauren Yee's new play The Hatmaker's Wife, presented by The Playwrights Realm, begins performances tonight at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street). The Hatmaker's Wife is directed by recent OBIE Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812) and will open tonight, September 5.

The Hatmaker's Wife features Megan Byrne as Wall, Peter Friedman as Meckel, Frank Harts as Gabe, Marcia Jean Kurtz as Hetchman's Wife, David Margulies as Hetchman and Stephanie Wright Thompson as Voice.

In Lauren Yee's whimsical and poignant new play The Hatmaker's Wife, a young woman (Thompson) moves in with her boyfriend (Harts) expecting domestic bliss, but instead has trouble getting comfortable. Her strange new home seems determined to help out - and soon the walls (Byrne) are talking. They reveal the magical tale of an old hat-maker (Margulies) and his long-suffering wife (Kurtz), who runs away with his favorite hat. This sweet, surreal story bends time and space to redefine our ideas of family, home and true love itself.

The creative team for The Hatmaker's Wife includes scenic design by Carolyn Mraz, costume design by Michael Krass, lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, and sound design and original music by Ryan Rumery.

Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $30 for all regular performances. The Playwrights Realm is pleased to offer a special ticketing initiative during preview performances, with tickets for the first preview starting at $1 and increasing by $1 for each preview performance that week (August 27 - $1; August 28 - $2; August 29 - $3; August 30 - $4; August 31 - $5). Tickets for September 3 and 4 are $15.

The Hatmaker's Wife runs through September 21. Performances are Monday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, with no performance on Monday, September 2.

For tickets, visit www.ticketcentral.com or call (212) 279-4200, noon to 8 pm daily.

ABOUT THE Playwrights Realm

The Playwrights Realm, helmed by Artistic Director Katherine Kovner and Producing Director Renee Blinkwolt, is devoted to supporting emerging playwrights along the journey of playwriting, helping them to hone their craft, fully realize their vision and build meaningful artistic careers. To serve this mission, The Playwrights Realm has produced one Off-Broadway play each year since its founding in 2007, giving ample time and support to every playwright who has joined theRealm. Last season, the company produced the world premiere of Ethan Lipton's Red-Handed Otter, which played to packed houses and received rave reviews (New York Post's Year-End Top Ten List, Four Stars from Time Out New York). Other previous Playwrights Realm productions include Jen Silverman's Crane Story (2011), Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco's Dramatis Personae (2010), Christopher Wall's Dreams of The Washer King (2009), Anna Ziegler's Dov and Ali(2008) and Anton Dudley's Substitution (2007). The Playwrights Realm is dedicated to providing comprehensive support to playwrights throughout their creative processes and careers, including its Alumni Playwright Program and Writing Fellows Residency.

Lauren Yee is The Playwrights Realm's second Page One playwright following on the heels of Ethan Lipton (Red-Handed Otter, No Place to Go). Page One is a program that guarantees one playwright a sweep of services for one year to aid in the advancement of his or her career. Page One services include a competitive stipend, health insurance, travel/professional development funds, a full Off-Broadway production, readings of script(s) in development, theatre tickets and midtown office space. More than just a residency for the development of one play, Page One provides a comprehensive tool kit a playwright can use to build his or her entire career. After the year-long residency, the playwright receives continued support through the Realm's Alumni Playwrights Group, which meets monthly and entitles each playwright to a public reading of a new work in the Realm's Next Edition Festival in January.

For more information, visit www.playwrightsrealm.org or call (212) 255-3089.