Joshua Cohen Named New General Manager of The Flea Theater

The Flea Theater has announced the addition of two key members to the small but mighty Flea team. Joshua Cohen comes to The Flea following seven years at Roundabout Theatre Company, where he rose to the position of Manager for Financial Reporting. He holds degrees from Amherst College and New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, and spent many years as a stage manager, production manager and lighting designer in the downtown modern dance community. He is also a writer for the theater, a Jonathan Larson Grant winner whose work includes The Thirteenth Commandment (Libra Theater Co., seven New York Innovative Theater Award nominations, two wins); lyrics for Keep On Walkin' (Anna Zornio Children's Theater Playwriting Award); and book and lyrics for Tamar of the River (Prospect Theater Co., two Drama Desk nominations; world premiere recording coming out summer 2014 with Yellow Sound Label). He lives in Washington Heights with his wife Anne, an elementary school music teacher, and their baby daughter, Miriam.

Stephen Simalchik joins the staff as the new Technical Director. He is a graduate of Williams College with a B.A. in Theatre and has worked off and off-off Broadway as a production manager and technical supervisor. Recent projects include Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks festival, Transport Group's successful revival of I Remember Mama, the fellowship play, musical and free theatre at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and sound designs for Omar Sangare's adaptations of The Crucible and soon, Princess Ivana. He has collaborated with Target Margin, the Signature Theatre Company, the Berkshire Fringe Festival, the I/O New Music Festival, and others. Stephen is also a lifelong musician with a deep affinity for new music, and looks forward to bringing many a work of theater to fruition with The Flea.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement, Obie Awards and an Otto for political theater, The Flea has presented over 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include the premieres by Steven Banks, Thomas Bradshaw, Bathsheba Doran, Will Eno, Karen Finley, Amy Freed, Sean Graney, A.R. Gurney, Hamish Linklater, Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio, Itamar Moses, Anne Nelson, Qui Nguyen, Adam Rapp, Jonathan Reynolds, Roger Rosenblatt, Elizabeth Swados, and Mac Wellman. Recent successes include Drama Desk nominated She Kills Monsters, These Seven Sicknesses, Restoration Comedy, and The Mysteries along with eight world premieres by A.R. Gurney including the WSJ Best New Play of 2013, Family Furniture.

The Flea Theater is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines. Purchase tickets by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.