Nicu's Spoon Presents BEAUTIFUL THING, Opens 7/10

Nicu?s Spoon proudly presents Beautiful Thing. Love can be a beautiful and dangerous thing. Written by Jonathan Harvey. Starring JULIE CAMPBELL*, TIM ROMERO*, Rebecca Lee LERMAN*, TRIP LANGLEY*, ALVARO SENA. *Performing courtesy of Actor?s Equity Association. AEA approved showcase.

Directed by MICHELLE KUCHUK

THREE-WEEK LIMITED OFF-BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT
JULY 7 ? JULY 25, 2010 AT THE SPOON THEATRE

OPENING NIGHT IS SATURDAY, JULY 10 AT 8 P.M.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT WWW.SPOONTHEATRE.ORG

NICU?S SPOON is pleased to announce the world premiere production of Olivier and John Whiting Award winning Jonathan Harvey?s BEAUTIFUL THING, directed by MICHELLE KUCHUK. BEAUTIFUL THING will play a three-week limited engagement at the Spoon Theater (38 West 38th Street, 5th Floor). Performances begin Wednesday, July 7th and continue Sunday, July 25th. Opening Night is Wednesday, July 7th (8 p.m.).

In the slums of South London two boyhood pals discover a secret, a ?beautiful thing? ? Love ? in a violent and dangerous place ? but how will their families and neighbors deal when faced with this ?beautiful thing??

The production features scenic design by John Trevellini and lighting design by Steven Wolf. Phillip Chaviras is the stage manager. S. Barton-Farcas is dialect and fight director.

BEAUTIFUL THING plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, July 25th:

Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $18 and are now available online at www.spoontheater.org Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Theatre Row Box Office, 30 minutes prior to the show.

Running Time: 2 Hours with Intermission

Website: www.spoontheater.com

BIOGRAPHIES

Jonathan Harvey (Playwright) was born in Liverpool in 1968, and was educated at Hull University (Psychology and Education) before moving to London, where he worked for four years as a special-needs teacher at a comprehensive school in Thamesmead, the area where his film Beautiful Thing (1996) is set. He started writing at the age of 16, with his play "The Cherry Blossom Tree". He continued writing whilst studying and teaching, and it was for his play "Wildfire" that he was awarded an attachment to the National Theatre's Studio at the end of 1992, prompting him to give up his teaching post and write full-time. He now lives in London with his boyfriend.
Jonathan Harvey was born in Liverpool in 1968, and was educated at Hull University (Psychology and Education) before moving to London, where he worked for four years as a special-needs teacher at a comprehensive school in Thamesmead, the area where his film Beautiful Thing (1996) is set. He started writing at the age of 16, with his play "The Cherry Blossom Tree". He continued writing whilst studying and teaching, and it was for his play "Wildfire" that he was awarded an attachment to the National Theatre's Studio at the end of 1992, prompting him to give up his teaching post and write full-time. He now lives in London with his boyfriend.

MICHELLE KUCHUK (Director) Michelle first took a stab at directing at her community theater on Cape Cod, but it wasn't until she took a few directing classes at NYU that she fell in love with the creativity involved in helping an actor develop a character. She has been involved with Nicu's Spoon since 2008, having assistant directed the world premiere of A Kite Cut Loose in the Middle of the Sky and stage managed Spoon's summer show, Hiding Behind Comets and co-directed co-directed 23 Coins. She would like to thank Stephanie for this opportunity and Thomas for a lot of stuff. She also dedicates every show to her parents.

NICU?S SPOON launched into the New York Indie Theatre scene in 2001 with their first play, Displaced, a new play written by five women, based on the stories, testimonies, songs, and poetry of women and children refugees, which was submitted for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize. Their 2002 multi-racial production of To Kill a Mockingbird was hailed by Back Stage as ?nothing short of inspiring!? In Perpetuity Throughout the Universe, a story of a woman who is a ghostwriter for hate books completed the 2002 season, and was a Village Voice ?Voice Choice?. In 2002 special performances with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation were added to the productions. In 2003, Nicu?s Spoon presented two pieces focusing on individuality: George Orwell?s 1984 and A Murder of Crows by OBIE Award winner Mac Wellman. Inclusion of handicapped actors was an important element in both shows. 2004 brought the production of SubUrbia by Eric Bogosian and was awarded the OOBR award for best production and an additional nomination for the Alliance of NY Arts Organizations? Advancing Cultural Development Award. In 2005 United Stages profiled them in their ?Seeing Stars? series and nytheatre. com picked them as an Editors Choice for The Swan, as well as Stumps, which introduced a new kind of performance for Deaf and hearing audiences, called ?co-playing.? 2006 produced a hit: the US premiere of Skin Tight, named the High5 pick of the week, as well as Buried Child, which challenged the stereotype that a Deaf actor could not speak on stage. In 2006, they were recognized by the Thom Fluellen Award by the NYU Community Fund for excellence in service to the diverse New York community. Time Warner Corporation was a 2007 season sponsor in their Diverse Voices program.

During the 2007 season, while producing Tales of the Last Formicans in a theater not their own, they searched for a home; not only to use as a company but also to rent to other artists at reasonable prices. For the second Nicu?s Spoon production in 2007 they debuted Richard lll (the lead actor was differently abled from polio) in their very own theater - a home, located at 38 West 38th Street, 5th Floor! Following that with the U.S. premiere of Kosher Harry (co-played with hearing and non hearing/speaking artists) to round out the 7th season. Celebrating the First Anniversary in the new space with Elizabeth Rex started the 8th season in NYC. The show garnered 2 Innovative Theatre Awards and an Off-Broadway run at Center Stage. In between, building and developing a space that pops with creativity for other artists and companies to come enjoy and work. The 2008 season addressed women and identity issues and Snapple awarded the company the ?Best People to work with in NY City? award. The 2010 season focuses on outcasts. Please come and support the theater in midtown where Nicu?s Spoon is changing the world one play at a time. www.spoontheater.org