Alice Pencavel and Paul Bedard Present DAPHNE at IRT Theater

Alice Pencavel and Paul Bedard will present Daphne, as part of The Arctic Group's 3B Developmental Series residency at New York's IRT Theater.

Inspired by the Greek myth, Daphne follows the journey of a young woman as she transforms from a tree back in to a human. Filled with poetry, and humor, this performance piece includes original choreography, and live music. Banjos, trinkets, guitar strums, and cello accompany this movement odyssey, taking the audience on a wild ride as our heroin -- Daphne -- confronts the traumatic limits of her tree self, and eventually finds her humanness through running. A story of healing and triumph, this performance what being a vulnerable human means once our vulnerability is violated. This hilarious and ferocious play is sure to delight, scare, and provoke audiences.

Running in conjunction with another Greek-myth-inspired play, Pomegrenade as part of the IRT's 3B Development Series, Daphne will play for a two-week run featuring a fierce group of collaborators: text by Alice Pencavel, direction by Paul Bedard, music by Daniel Emond*, choreography by Melissa Brading, production design by Claire Moodey*, and performances by Daniel and Claire, as well as Susan Mandel on cello, Jonelle Robinson, Alison Walter, and stage management by Cody Hom.

DAPHNE performs on

Thursday, September 14th at 8pm;

Saturday, September 16th at 5pm (Opening);

Sunday, September 17th at 7pm;

Tuesday, September 19th at 8pm;

Thursday, September 21st 8pm;

Saturday, September 23rd at 8pm;

and Sunday, September 24th at 3pm.

TICKETS: http://irttheater.org/3b-development-series/daphne-pomegranate/

*Appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

Equity Approved Showcase

Alice Pencavel (Playwright). Work includes The Glowing Boot (United Solo; Portland Fringe), Pie Shop Play (finalist, Bay Area Playwrights), The Dutch Goose (semi-finalist, Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference), Totally Wholesome Foods; Bubbles; Nanners in da Face; Oh My God (Politico-Comico reading series); A Box in the Mountains (reading, Naked Angels), Nightmare (Theater in the Room, Kiev, Ukraine), Nettles (semi-finalist, Manhattan Rep), Jeans Make Art (Romanian/American Play Exchange), and others. BFA Ithaca College; MFA New School for Drama. alicepencavel.com

Paul Bedard (Director) is a New York City-based theater director and activist. He is a founder and artistic director of Theater in Asylum, which strives to provide asylum to highly-charged subjects and characters. Recent directing credits include The Debates, touring stage adaptations of the 2016 Presidential Debates; Alice Pencavel's The Glowing Boot in the United Solo and Portland Fringe Festivals; The Infernal Machine at The Hangar Theatre; and ¡Olé! in the Prague International Fringe Festival. Paul is a Drama League Directing Fellow and graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Paulhbedard.com

Melissa Brading (Choreography) is a New York-based teacher, dancer and choreographer from Topeka, KS. She holds a BFA in dance education from the University of Central Oklahoma and teaches for the Limón Institute. Melissa has danced for choreographers such as Hope Boykin, Nejla Yatkin, Amanda Selwyn, Chris Ferris, Sue Bernhard, and Sarah Council, and is a member of Avodah Dance. Melissa makes dances of her own and served as associate choreographer for #Coriolanus, directed by Paul Bedard and is happy to be on his team once again!

Daniel Emond (Composer, Performer) has formed three bands, all of which regularly play around The New York/ Tri-State area and tour around the country (Lion and Spaniel, The Blue Eyed Bettys, and Daniel Emond); co-founded the Oh! Force Theatre Company, which is dedicated to fostering and developing new experimental theatre; produced three full- length albums of original music (three more currently in production); and performed in regional theaters from Sarasota, to Boston, to upstate NY. Most notably, Daniel acted, sang, and played clarinet at the A.R.T. in the broadway-bound Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Currently, Daniel is in the midst of creating a concept video album based on Melville's Moby Dick, titled Kill the Whale. Also a dedicated music and theatre teaching artist, Daniel has completed the Kenan Fellowship at Lincoln Center Education, and has collaborated with Daphne playwright Alice Pencavel in creating three 20-minute musicals that were performed by children. danielsswelltunes.com

Claire Moodey (Production Designer, Performer) directs, performs in, designs puppets for, and writes theater. In the last year, she directed Megan Lang's Forsaken Nation, Chiori Miyagawa's Five by Five, co-directed Marco Millions with Bess Rowen for Target Margin, and assistant directed David Herskowits on Mourning Becomes Electra. Recent performing credits include Mettawee River Theater Company's Before the Sun and Moon, Megan Murtha's Songs of Go and Pending, It's Lonely at the Top, and Are You With Us Graham Grant Graven?. Her original work femme pathos will be performed in January 2018.

Jonelle Robinson (Performer) is an actor, model and teaching artist in NYC. Her national commercial credits include Purell, MyHeritageDNA.com, and Johnson & Johnson Band-aids. She's performed with Primary Stages (Off-Broadway) and is the Creator/Director of PiT Theatrical, a non-profit youth theatre group for teens in conjunction with The Jeanne Rimsky Theater in Port Washington, NY. She is excited to be a part of a production with her fellow Ithaca College Alums (Go Bombers!). @jo_to_the @pittheatrical

Alison Walter (Performer) is an actor, teacher, and producer in New York City and the Berkshires, MA. She studied Drama at LaGuardia High School, and received her Acting BFA from Ithaca College. LA theatre credits include Alison in Trainspotting at the Elephant Theatre in Hollywood, Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Arroyo Park, and Catherine in Boston Marriage with Ophelia's Jump Productions. She teaches yoga, dance, and meditation to people of all ages in many different settings. Her first feature film as a producer, No Way To Live was officially released in July. AlisonWalterArtist.com

Cody Hom (Stage Manager) is a recent grad from Brooklyn College and dabbles in sound design as well. Ultimately, stage management is Cody's main concentration at the moment. Outside of theater, Cody is also a graphic designer, cartoonist, and animator, and is interested in getting involved with the more technological aspects of lighting and sound.

IRT Theater is a grassroots laboratory for independent theater and performance in New York City, providing space and support to a new generation of artists. Tucked away in the old Archive Building in Greenwich Village, IRT's mission is to build a community of emerging and established artists by creating a home for the development and presentation of new work. Some of the artists we have supported include Young Jean Lee, Reggie Watts and Mike Daisey.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, and The Nancy Quinn Fund, a project of ART-NY.

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