THE BULLPEN Heads to Otisville Correctional Institution This Week

The Bullpen, a one-man, 18-character comedy, will travel upstate today, March 26th for two performances at Otisville Correctional Institution, where actor/writer Joe Assadourian served 12 years of a 25 year sentence for attempted murder.

After his release in October 2013, he went from the cage to the stage after discovering his theatrical ability while reluctantly participating in a workshop behind bars led by Off-Broadway solo-show actor/director Richard Hoehler.

Developed by the duo over two years, both inside and outside the state prison system, The Bullpen premiered Off Broadway at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46th Street -- just east of Broadway) on June 22, 2014 for a strictly limited engagement. Produced by Eric Krebs (in association with The Fortune Society), the show has been extended several times and will now continue through Saturday, May 23 with a new performance schedule.

In The Bullpen, a man is arrested, arraigned and put on trial for a crime he claims he did not commit. Consequently he is judged by two systems of jurisprudence -- one a jury of his peers in an actual courtroom and the other, the fascinating and hilarious denizens of The Bullpenin which he is being held. Mr. Assadourian mercurially transforms from character to character and court to court as the play steamrolls toward both verdicts that literally range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Beginning Wednesday, March 25th, the new performance schedule will be Wednesday at 9pm & Saturday at 4pm.

BIOS:

While in prison, Joe Assadourian (Writer/Performer), who had never before even seen a play, began creating an 8-minute scene that incorporated characters he had met during his incarceration. The Bullpen evolved from that short sketch into a full-length production, which premiered at Otisville Correction Facility. Upon his release from prison, Assadourian also performed at the Fortune Academy (The Castle) - a residence in NYC for formerly incarcerated men and women. Assadourian received the 1st Place PEN Prison Writing Award for his play,Heaven and a 2nd Place PEN Award for Joey Shakespeare, co-written with Brandon Cochrane, which was featured at the New Work Now reading series at The Public Theater and subsequently presented by The Collective Theatre in Miami. He is also the author of a full-length play, Deliberation, a modern recounting of the Armenian Holocaust. As an actor, Joe has appeared in Race by David Mamet, Tuff Love(including works by Sam Shepard and John Patrick Shanley) and Inside Out, an original theatre piece co-written with the inmates at Otisville Correctional Institution.

Richard Hoehler (Director) has premiered three original solo shows Off-Broadway, New Jersey-New York, Working Class (OOBR Best Solo Performance) and Human Resources (Best of the Fest, MITF). He was the founding Artistic Director of the American Line Theatre Company that premiered over forty new plays. His original play Fathers and Sons opened Off-Broadway in 2009. As an actor he has performed in New York, regionally and abroad. He's also been featured on "Law and Order," "NYPD Blue," "Third Watch," and "The Black Box." Richard is alsothe creator and director of Acting Out, a professional acting class and performance workshop for at-risk teens and adults in-residence at theFortune Society and Otisville Correctional Facility.

Eric Krebs (Producer) has been a theatrical producer for over 40 years. On Broadway he produced Electra, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, Bill Maher in his Victory Begins at Home, Avery Brooks in Paul Robeson and Neil Simon's The Dinner Party. His Broadway productions have received 10 Tony Award nominations. Off-Broadway, he produced over 40 productions, including Sam Shepard's Fool For Love, Neil LaBute's Bash, The Capitol Steps, and more.

The Fortune Society's vision is to create a world where all who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated can become positive, contributing members of society. We do this through a holistic, one-stop model of service provision. Our continuum of care, informed and implemented by professionals with cultural backgrounds and life experiences similar to those of our clients, helps ensure their success. Fortune serves approximately 4,500 men and women annually via three primary New York City-area locations: our service center in Long Island City, and both the Fortune Academy (a.k.a. "the Castle") and Castle Gardens in West Harlem. Our program models are frequently recognized, both nationally and internationally, for their quality and innovation.

Pictured: Joe Assadourian. Photo by Bella Mucari.