Dickens spoof PENNY PENNIWORTH Returns Off-Broadway

EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE will present a return engagement of their wildly popular and critically acclaimed production of PENNY PENNIWORTH by Chris Weikel. This spoof of Dickens, directed by Mark Finley, is produced on Off-Broadway contract. Performances of this limited engagement will begin September 8 at TADA Theatre.

PENNY PENNIWORTH is Charles Dickens' "lost" epic as mounted by a short-staffed theatre troupe with Royal Shakespeare Company aspirations. Set in Victorian England, it tells the story of young Penny Penniworth whose childhood love is driven out of town after nearly killing a wealthy businessman. Soon, Penny finds herself penniless, left alone to make her way through a convoluted maze of strange relationships, anonymous benefactors and ultimate justice.

NOTE: Journalists and/or awards voters who missed the last Off-Broadway run are invited to a special by-invitation-only performance of PENNY PENNIWORTH on Sunday March 28th at 3 pm at TADA.

PENNY PENNIWORTH features a cast of four playing a cavalcade of comic characters: Christopher Borg, Jamie Heinlein, Jason O'Connell, and Ellen Reilly. The production features costumes by Goody, lighting by Jennifer Granrud, set by Tim McMath, music by Peter Saxe and sound by Aaron Blank.

PENNY PENNIWORTH was first presented by Emerging Artists Theatre Company in 2002. It was subsequently produced by TOSOS II in the 2003 New York International Fringe Festival. The Off-Broadway premiere, a reworked, recast and expanded version of the FringeNYC production, opened in October 2009 and was extended twice.

Founded in 1993, the mission of EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE is to provide a dynamic home for emerging writers and artists, to develop their work from an idea to a fully realized production. In the past 16 years, EAT has premiered over 275 new works, garnered a Drama Desk Award nomination for Capathia Jenkins in (Mis)Understanding Mammy: The Hattie McDaniel Story, received the American Theatre Wing Award for Consistent Excellence in Theatre, and was named Best Off Off Broadway Theater Company in NYC for Actors to Work With by Back Stage. During its 2009- 2010 season, under the Artistic Direction of Paul Adams, EAT will showcase over two-dozen new works. For more information visit www.emergingartiststheatre.org.

PENNY PENNIWORTH runs September 8 - October 3. Performace schedule and ticketing information is forthcoming. TADA Theatre is located at 15 West 28th Street, 2nd floor (between Broadway & 5th Ave -- accessible from the the R/W train at 28th Street and F train at 23rd Street). Running time is 70 minutes. For more info visit www.emergingartiststheatre.org.