HOME IN HER HEART Begins Run at Stage Left Studio Tonight

Stage Left Studio will present an encore engagement of Margaret Morrison's critically acclaimed love story HOME IN HER HEART. This play with music is directed by Cheryl King, starring Audelco Award winner Ava Jenkins and Margaret Morrison. Previews begin tonight, January 13 with opening night slated for January 30.

Set against a backdrop of 1939 Nazi-threatened London, HOME IN HER HEART tells the story of American expats Claire Hicks, a widowed African-American pianist, and white drag king Jimmie LeRoy, who works as a singing, tap dancing male impersonator. For the past three years, they have been living and working together in England, blissfully enjoying their nightly ovations and their day-to-day loving existence. When Hitler threatens war on Great Britain, the Embassy orders all Americans out of England and the women must face the harsh reality of returning to a segregated U.S. As they pack to leave, the specters of exile, racism, and homophobia make the very dream of their love seem impossible.

This play with music features a soundtrack of haunting piano solos recorded by Cynthia Hilts, with technical direction by Ellen Rosenberg.

MARGARET MORRISON is a playwright, actor, rhythm tap soloist, and dance scholar. She has performed her tap-theater works at PS122, BAX, Nuyorican Poets Café, Duke on 42nd Street, Symphony Space, Duke University, and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. She is acclaimed as a tap soloist and choreographer and toured internationally with the American Tap Dance Orchestra. She is on the faculty of the Barnard College Dance Department and received her MFA in Dance from Hollins University/American Dance Festival. Home In Her Heart, her first full-length play, was originally produced in 2012-2013. For more info visit www.MargaretMorrison.com.

CHERYL KING is the creator and producing director of Stage Left Studio, in NYC, was resident acting coach at All My Children from 2007-2010, and is a playwright, director and actor. She has directed over 35 plays and solo shows, including two Drama Desk nominees. She directed the first version of Home in Her Heart in 2012. She performed her second solo show, Grapefruit, by Sally Lambert, for nearly two years. She is a writer for New York Theater Experience and authors a blog called pagetostageblog. Cheryl is a member of the Dramatist's Guild, and a board member of League of Independent Theatre, New York.

AVA JENKINS is a 2012 AUDELCO Award winner for Outstanding Performance in a Musical for the hit play Sally and Tom (The American Way), as well as a 2011 AUDELCO Award winner for Best Ensemble for Playing With Heiner Muller. She is also a singer/songwriter, playwright, and published author. Her other theater credits include The Donut Play, Stealin' Home, Demonstration 2013, The Task, I Lost My Heart In Haiti, Women and Guns, Billie and Malcolm: A Demonstration, Session, and Mom You're The Best. Ava is a member of the comedy improv group The Proverbial Loons, and has been a co-teacher for an Acting for Everyone class as the Castillo Theatre.

HOME IN HER HEART runs January 13 - March 10. Schedule varies. Stage Left Studio is located at 214 West 30th Street, 6th Floor (between 7th & 8th Avenues, 1 block south of Penn Station. -- accessible from the A,C,E, 1, 2, 3 trains at 34th Street). Running time is 80 minutes. Tickets are $22 at www.stageleftstudio.net.

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