Direct Arts Presents THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN Reading 6/8

Direct Arts, a new intercultural theater and film company, is proud to present on Tuesday, June 8th the short film FRENCH FOR FOREIGNERS written and directed by Kartik Singh, followed by a staged reading of Peter Shaffer's rarely performed play THE ROYAl Hunt OF THE SUN, with live music and a stellar ensemble cast led by John Campion, Raul Castillo and Graeme Malcolm.

Kartik Singh's 2009 short film FRENCH FOR FOREIGNERS was created in response to the 2004 French law forbidding expression of any religious signs in schools and town halls. The film takes place in a French for foreigners class in Paris, where a heated debate has arisen between two Muslim women over the right to wear a headscarf. Born to a Sikh family in Kansas, Singh moved to France in 1996 to study film and received an MFA from the Sorbonne. His most recent short film, SAVING MOM AND DAD, has won fourteen awards in festivals around the world.

Following the film will be a staged reading of Peter Shaffer's epic play THE ROYAl Hunt OF THE SUN; which is being revived by Direct Arts nearly a half century after its world premiere in 1964 at the National Theater in London. Shaffer's drama of the clash between two civilizations tells the story of how 167 Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro were able to conquer the Incan Empire of millions by capturing Atahuallpa, their sun-god ruler and Incan king. Obsessed with vanquishing the new world, Pizarro's victory leads to a crisis of faith, as two very different religions and world views are set into conflict. THE ROYAl Hunt OF THE SUN will be directed by Victoria Linchong, Artistic Director of Direct Arts, and feature John Campion as Pizarro, Raul Castillo as Atahuallpa and Graeme Malcolm as the narrator Old Martin. Campion recently played Iago in Theater for a New Audience's OTHELLO. Castillo was nominated for DC Theatre Scene's Best Actor Award for his work in THROAT by Mando Alvarado. Malcolm's credits include the 2007 Broadway revival of Shaffer's best known play, EQUUS. The reading will also feature Frankie Alvarez, Max Carpenter, Walter Krochmal, Sergio Martinez, Ryan Victor Pierce, Gerardo Rodriguez, Jorge Rubio, Juan Villa and music by Juan Castillo of Andes Fusion, who will play pan pipes and percussion.

Direct Arts is a new intercultural company, dedicated to producing plays and films that explore the intersection between different cultures. This screening and staged reading is part of their monthly reading/screening series, Take Two. Taking place the second Tuesday every month, Take Two pairs a play and a film, one short and one feature-length, both touching on an analogous sociopolitial issue. In existence since 2007, Tale Two has featured the cream of NYC's multi-ethnic theater and film community - Obie Award winners, cable TV stars, Broadway actors, Sundance and Tribeca Film Festival picks, plus a motley assortment of downtown personalities. Direct Arts has received support from the Asian American Arts Alliance, the Puffin Foundation and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for its work.

Photo Credit: Ben Strothmann