UP A RIVER/DOWN THE AISLE Advances To Semi-Finals in Strawberry One-Acts Festival 8/18

Up a River/Down the Aisle, a new solo show written and performed by Jake Lipman, has advanced to the Semi-Finals of The Riant Theatre's Summer 2009 Strawberry One-Act Festival, performing on Tuesday, August 18 at 7 p.m. Up A River/Down the Aisle is directed by Brian W. Seibert, and developed with Matt Hoverman.

Up a River/Down the Aisle is about a tumultuous year in the life of a girl named Jake, who loses her colorful mother three days after she turns 27.

In part one, 'Up a River', Jake's bohemian family (her father, 2 brothers, tomboy sister, sister-in-law, and uninvited, tactless family friend) embarks on a houseboat trip up the Shannon River in Ireland to scatter her late mother's ashes. From the bad weather and cramped quarters, to her father's unsuccessful attempts to get drunk and the shenanigans of her siblings, the trip is anything but smooth sailing.

In the second part of the piece, 'Down the Aisle', Jake recalls the good and bad surprises of the last year: her father remarrying on short notice, her boyfriend proposing on Valentine's Day, and a show down with an aggressive bridal sales woman named Ennis. When an unexpected letter from the past arrives just weeks before her wedding, Jake finds faith in her ability to navigate the next steps of her life.

Up a River/Down the Aisle will be performed in the Semi-Finals (Round 3) on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Theatre at St. Clement's (423 West 46th Street, 2nd Floor). This piece is the first of the evening, followed by 4 other semi-finalist pieces.

The Strawberry One-Act Festival is a competition, whereby the audience and The Riant Theatre vote on their favorite pieces to a final round, after which prizes are awarded to the best actress, actor and play.

Tickets are $20 online, $25 at the door and can be purchased online at www.tictheater.com or by phone at 646-623-3488.