Horse Trade Theater Group presents Firebone Theatre Co's A Mysterious Way

Two men: a youth minister and a drifter. Two trains: both departing from the same place, for the same place, at the exact same time. A seemingly benign conversation between two strangers develops increasingly dubious as the true intentions of the wayward vagabond are revealed. This dark poignant drama takes a hard look at faith, evil, and the classic conflict of Man versus God.

A MYSTERIOUS WAY was originally produced by Second Thought Theatre as part of Water Tower Theatre's Annual Out of the Loop Festival in Dallas, TX. It was first presented in New York City in the summer of 2009 by Firebone Theatre.

A MYSTERIOUS WAY will feature Gene DeFrancis* and Alexander Richard. *Appearing courtesy of the Actors' Equity Association.

The production, presented by Horse Trade Theater Group in association with Firebone Theatre Company will play a limited engagement at The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery). September 9-18, Thursday through Saturday at 8pm. Tickets ($15) are available by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or online at www.horseTRADE.info.

STEVEN WALTERS (Playwright) is the Resident Playwright, Co-Founder, and former Co-Artistic Director of Second Thought Theatre in Dallas, Texas. His plays have been produced by Second Thought Theatre, Project X, Casa Manana, the Festival of Independent Theaters, WaterTower Theatre's Out of the Loop Festival, Baylor University, Gardner Webb University, Priority One and Blue Fish TV. In 2005, Steven was named "Best Local Playwright" by the Dallas Observer. His plays have won and been nominated for numerous Dallas/Ft. Worth Theatre Critics Forum Awards, Column Awards, and Leon Rabin Awards. Steven currently works as a staff writer for Funimation Entertainment. As an actor, Steven has performed regionally with the Dallas Theater Center, Kitchen Dog Theatre, Casa Manana, Lost Nation Theater, and the Peterborough Players. Television credits include: "Friday Night Lights", "Prison Break", and "Case Closed". Steven currently resides in Los Angeles, CA and is represented by the Abrams Artists Agency and Imprint Entertainment.

Barrett Hileman (Director) New York directing credits include Crazy Eights (The Cell), In the Meantime/Happy Hour (Manhattan Rep), The Drowned World (New School for Drama), and St. Louis Threw A Party and the Whole World Came (New School for Drama). Assisting Credits include Ron Reed's direction of A Bright Particular Star (Pacific Theatre, Vancouver, BC) and Stephen Fried's direction of Richard III (New School for Drama). Other credits include Managing Artistic Direction of 14 national Canadian tours including the shows Language, Sunong, An Ancient Splendor, and Heart of Africa (Spread the Word Theatre, Calgary, AB), as well as serving as a producing board member for Calgary's Fire Exit Theatre. For the last six years Barrett has been the Associate Director of the critically acclaimed Canadian Badlands Passion Play. Acting instruction: American Academy of Dramatic Art. MFA in Directing: New School for Drama.

GENE DEFRANCIS (Actor) member of SAG and AEA. Credits include "Lost", "My Wife and Kids", Blue Crush, Along Came Polly, Phantom Below, and Roger Corman's "Supergator". National Theatre Credits: The Lion In Winter (Geoffrey), Twentieth Century (George Smith), Broadway Bound (Eugene), APT 3A (Donald Peterson), Sweeney Todd (Beadle Bamford), The Fully Monty (Reggie), Westside Story (Action), Copacabana (Rico Castelli), Gypsy (Yonkers), The Music Man (Charlie Cowell). New York Theatre Credits: Green River (Charlie), St Louis Threw a Party (Thomas Wright), Orestes 2.0 (Tapemouth), Richard III (Richard Ratcliffe), Penthesilea (Sugarooster), Culture::Canvas (David P. Szymanski), Professional Misconduct (Rodney), and Our Lady of 121st Street (Balthazar). Training: MFA The New School for Drama 2010.
ALEXANDER RICHARD (Actor) is a student and performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. NYC credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III, Macbeth, Love's Labours Lost, Taming of the Shrew, and the original comedy Blacken the Bubble. Regional credits include Big the Musical, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado about Nothing, and Urinetown.

FIREBONE THEATRE produces and develops works that explore immortality (fire) and mortality (bone). Their first production was the world Premiere of the play Deadheading Roses by resident playwright Chris Cragin at The Lamb's Little Theatre in Times Square. Subsequent productions include the North American premiere of Refuge of Lies by Ron Reed (2008), the NYC premiere of A Mysterious Way by Steven Walters (NYIT Best Actor Nominee, Chris Domig), and the NYC premiere of Chris Cragin's Emily, An Amethyst Remembrance (NYIT Best Actor Nominee, ElizaBeth Davis). FBT Artistic Director, Steve Day, is a current Drama League fellow for his work developing a new musical, Son Of A Khrusty, with music and lyrics by Nashville songwriter, Don Chaffer, and book by Chris Cragin.

"The two-and-a-half-hour [Refuge of Lies] does not drag and causes a person to answer for themselves whether a person is always accountable for their actions or if you can be washed of your sins."
nytheatre.com (Firebone's Refuge of Lies, Sept 2008)

"Emily gives us a rare treat: It lets us peak behind the door." The Huffington Post (Firebone's Emily, Sept 2009)

HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP is a self-sustaining theater development group; with a focus on new work, it has produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. Horse Trade's Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent Theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. It is also the home of FRIGID New York - the first and only festival of its kind in New York City.