NIE's MUSEUM OF MEMORIES to Make American Premiere This Winter

The American premiere of NIE (New International Encounter) Theatre's MUSEUM OF MEMORIES, January 8-17, marks another pioneering step in The New Victory's two decades of presenting original theater for young people.

Intimate in scale and daring in subject matter, the performances, which use live music, take place at The New 42nd Street's The Duke on 42nd Street theater, where the audience is seated in facing rows on the theater's stage.

The award-winning play uses the inexplicable suicide of a teenage boy to explore the emotional, psychological, and spiritual nature of memory and the varying ways it affects our behavior and relationships. On the surface, the boy's life appears normal. He had friends, seemed to be falling in love, and his attachment to his brother was appropriately teasing, affectionate and competitive, making his sudden death even more mysterious.

His teacher, brother, a neighbor and girlfriend reveal through humor and personal stories, their unique memories of the boy who tells us that even when dead, we remain alive through the memories of others. However as the central character and the show's narrator, the boy orchestrates the ways in which he is remembered. The suggested audience is 13 years and above.

After each show, audiences are invited to explore the set and there will be a 15-minute talk-back led by members of the New Victory Education department.

The production, which premiered in Oslo on April 27, 2012, went on to be performed over 300 times in festivals, major theatrical venues and schools in ten European countries, including Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, France and Austria.

The cast is comprised of Kieran Edwards, Guri Glans, Iva Moberg, Dagfinn Tutturen and David Hlavac, who also performs the music. Kjell Moberg conceived and directed the play with Alex Byrne serving as co-director. The music was composed by Helder Deploige. Katja Ebbel Fredriksen created the set and costumes.

Founded in Prague in 2001 NIE Theater, an internationally-based ensemble of nine performers, combines physical theater, live music and story-telling-often using multiple languages-- for its productions. In its relatively short life, NIE has created 23 shows and performed in 32 countries across 4 continents. In addition to performing in conventional theatrical settings, the company is well known for creating site-specific work by adapting its shows to the environment in which it is performing. It is also well known for its sophisticated children's theater. In May 2011, NIE participated in the renowned Assitej World Congress (an international festival celebrating children's theater) in Copenhagen/Malmo where it received the prestigious Assitej Award for artistic excellence. In October 2015, 'Museum of Memories' won the award for the best performance in the Lichtblick Festival in Nuremberg, Germany.

MUSEUM OF MEMORIES has an approximate running time of approximately 65 minutes with no intermission. Learn more about Museum of Memories at the New Victory website: www.newvictory.org. All tickets for Museum of Memories at The Duke on 42nd Street (229 West 42nd Street) are $25. Purchase tickets online or by phone at 646-223-3010.

The New Victory celebrates its 20th Anniversary season of bringing kids to the arts and the arts to kids as New York City's premier theater devoted to the highest quality performing arts for kids and families. Serving the community in all its diversity, The New Victory Theater on 42nd Street presents theater, dance, circus, opera and music from around the world at affordable ticket prices. In addition to its public performances, the New Vic is also the largest provider of live performance to NYC school kids, serving 40,000 youth through more than 200 schools, after school programs and day camps each year. The New Victory has been recognized for its contributions to the cultural landscape of the city. Awards include a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award presented by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities for the NEW VICTORY Usher Corps, which provides paid employment to over 50 NYC teens each year, the national Arts Education Award from Americans for the Arts and a Special Award from The Drama Desk for "providing enchanting, sophisticated children's theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people."

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