Mad Horse Theatre Company Heats Up January with Sci-Fi Thriller THE NETHER by Jennifer Haley

Mad Horse Theatre Company ushers in 2017 with Jennifer Haley' THE NETHER, a thrilling play that shines a stark light on how we negotiate a world hurtling technologically forward, and explores the moral and ethical questions that emerge along with those advancements.

In the not-so-distant future, a new virtual wonderland provides total sensory immersion. Just log in, choose an identity and indulge your every whim. But when a detective uncovers a disturbing brand of entertainment, she triggers a dark battle over technology and human desire. Winner of the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, THE NETHER is both serpentine crime drama and haunting sci-fi thriller that explores the consequences of living out our private dreams.

Mad Horse chose THE NETHER for this season having previously produced Ms. Haley's NEIGHBORHOOD 3: REQUISITION OF DOOM in 2010 as part of their acclaimed Dark Night series. Ms. Haley's wonderfully dynamic explorations of our relationship with technology, coupled with her ability to keep an audience on the edge of their seats, makes her a perfect fit for Mad Horse.

For fans of BLACK MIRROR, WESTWORLD, SURROGATES, and other recent near-future TV shows and movies, THE NETHER is sure to satisfy.

The themes of this play are mature, and ask the audience to examine difficult moral issues from a variety of unexpected angles.

Artistic Director Christine Marshall states, " THE NETHER is, on its face, a thriller. But what ultimately makes it so right for a Mad Horse audience is that it offers no easy answers to anyone who walks into the theatre expecting to hold fast to their perceptions of what is right or wrong. There is no question that the advancement of technology poses moral and ethical problems for a civilized society; but the play offers a surprising delicacy and depth of feeling that transcends those issues. At its heart, it is about isolation, loneliness and longing, and our deep desire for connection - to see and to truly be seen in return. I am so moved by the actors' work on this delicately, cannily constructed play."

The play includes in its cast a youth actor, Maiya Koloski, in a pivotal role.

"Maiya is an exceptional young actress," sayS Marshall. "Her role is very complex, and she is rising to the occasion with professionalism and grace. We have always been committed at Mad Horse to working with youth actors, particularly in plays that require them to pull equal weight with their fellow ensemble members - if not more, in many cases. Maiya has become a real anchor of our cast."

Other cast members include Company members Janice Gardner and Nicholas Schroeder, as well as Guest Artists Paul Haley and Tim Ferrell. Haley is a well-known actor who has been featured in plays throughout the state, particularly with AIRE Theatre. Tim Ferrell is an award-winning writer and director, who for many years has worked with stand up comedians and, more recently, TedX presenters throughout New England. His standup clients have included Chris Rock, Ray Romano, and Jon Stewart. Along with writing for Comedy Central, he has produced two recent hit plays for Maine's PortFringe Festival: THE BOSTON TRIAL OF A BOOK NAMED NAKED LUNCH and EXECUTIVE ORDER 1612.

"We are so proud to include Paul and Tim in our cast. They are both highly regarded in the community, and bring terrific energy and insight to their characters. All of our actors - Janice, Nick, Maiya, Tim and Paul - are really digging in to this fascinating story. It's very exciting to watch the ensemble grow tighter and tighter with each rehearsal," stateS Marshall.

The artistic team, featuring Guest Artists John Sundling and Heather Crocker as Set and Lighting Designers respectively, and Company members Jacob Cote (Sound design) and Christine Marshall (Props/Costumes), is having a ball with the challenge of depicting both real and virtual environments. Mad Horse's black box theater lends itself to the exploration of a space that immerses both the audience and the actors in an alternate world.

THE NETHER is recommended for mature audiences. Mad Horse will be scheduling two talkbacks for this production, January 22 and 29, and welcomes audiences to remain after any performance if they would like to talk further about the production and its themes.

StateS Marshall, "This is exactly that sort of play upon which Mad Horse has based its mission. What you can be assured of, when you attend a Mad Horse production, is that when it's over, you will want to talk. We're all about communication at Mad Horse, and always have been. The world is moving at a breakneck pace. We hope, through plays like THE NETHER, to honor our mission, and offer our audiences a chance to stop for a minute, and share an experience, together - face to face."

THE NETHER runs January 19 through February 5, 2017, at the Mad Horse Theater in the historic Hutchins School, 24 Mosher Street, South Portland.

Performance times are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2pm.

There will be an Opening Night Reception immediately following the Friday, January 20, performance. Everyone is invited to stay after the show, enjoy light snacks, and mingle with the cast, crew, and fellow theatre lovers.

Tickets are $23 for adults and $20 for seniors and students.

As always, Mad Horse offers Pay What You Can performances. Pay What You Can dates for THE NETHER are Thursday, January 19, Sunday, January 22, and Thursday, January 26. Pay What You Can tickets are only available at the door on a first come, first served basis.

Reservations are strongly recommended. Purchase tickets online at www.madhorse.com or call 747-4148 for more information. Please call for Group Rates.

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