Monica Bauer's New Solo Show THE YEAR I WAS GIFTED Makes American Premiere at East To Edinburgh Festival

Award-winning Off Broadway playwright Monica Bauer's new solo show makes its American premiere at the East to Edinburgh Festival, at 59E59 Theaters.

Monica Bauer (My Occasion of Sin, winner of Urban Stages 2012 Emerging Playwright Award) will be both playwright and performer in her newest work, "The Year I Was Gifted." The play premiered last month at the Dukebox Theater in Brighton, England, produced by Mill Goble of Atomic Force productions, who produces all of Bauer's plays in the UK. After the run at 59E59, "The Year I Was Gifted" goes on to run in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Sweet Venues International Theater 3, also produced by Atomic Force. It is directed by New Haven director and acting coach Carolyn Ladd.

The play is the true story of a working-class scholarship girl who fights to survive in an elite prep school for the arts, and meets a young man who will change her life forever. It is described as a "gay-straight love story," as the young man is the first gay friend for the future playwright. The play is dedicated to the memory of Bill Sherwood, who is still remembered as an icon in the gay film community for his groundbreaking feature film, "Parting Glances." Sherwood's film was the first realistic depiction of gay men with Aids, in 1986, featuring the screen debut of a young Steve Buscemi. Sadly, Bill Sherwood died of Aids in 1990, and "Parting Glances" was the only film he left behind. But now, in this play about talented teenagers finding their way, he has been brought back to life.

Bauer's play "Made for Each Other" was seen at 59E59 Theaters in their 2012 East to Edinburgh Festival, before becoming a surprise hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, garnering five-star reviews ("Extraordinary", Martin Walker, ScotsGay). That production, starring John Fico and directed by John FitzGibbon, is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this August.

Playwright/performer Bauer is inviting reviews.

THE YEAR I WAS GIFTED
Written and performed by Monica Bauer
Directed by Carolyn Ladd
EAST TO EDINBURGH, 2013
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th Street
July 17, 18, and 19 at 7pm
July 20th at 2pm

Tickets $20, available from www.ticketcentral.com
Or call Ticket Central at 212-279-4200

More information at www.theyeariwasgifted.com

BIOGRAPHY OF PLAYWRIGHT/PERFORMER

Monica Bauer is currently a Writing Fellow at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. Education includes a B.A. from Brown, M. Div. from Yale, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska. She was the 2005 Teaching Fellow in the Graduate Playwriting Program at Boston University, where she received an MA in playwriting. Awards include 2012 Emerging Playwright Award from Urban Stages, as well as awards for outstanding script from the Midtown International Theater Festival and Theater Arts Guild. Heideman Award finalist for "Answering" (published by Heuer). Full length plays produced Off Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, regionally in Denver, Boston, Providence, and internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Brighton (England) Fringe Festival. "My Occasion of Sin" will be part of Detroit Rep's 2013-2014 season. For full production history and all awards, go to www.theyeariwasgifted.com.