11th Hour Theatre Company to Open Mainstage Season with SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE, 4/28-5/15

11th Hour Theatre Company brings Michael John LaChiusa's mysterious See What I Wanna See to life this Spring as its Mainstage Production. This intriguing musical is set to run April 28-May 15 at the Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American Street. The official opening night is Monday, May 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $11-$40 and are available online at www.11thhourtheatrecompany.org or by phone at 267-987-9865.

For its 11th season, the company has set out to tackle Michael John LaChiusa's trio of stories about lust, greed, murder, faith and redemption. Based on short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, translated by Takaski Kojima, this musical asks, how do we know who to trust or what is true? In the Kesa and Morito sections of the show, which open both acts, audiences are introduced to a married woman and her lover conducting a dangerous affair in feudal Japan. The staging of this section will draw heavily on Japanese Noh and Kabuki traditions. In the R Shomon section, audiences witness the aftermath of a crime in 1951 New York. This act is an adaptation of the Rashomon story (made into a classic film by Akira Kurosawa) and inspired by the glamorous but gritty aesthetics of film noir. Finally, in Gloryday, audiences will arrive in modern day Central Park and meet a priest questioning his faith in wake of 9/11. This challenging and provocative musical explores the power of the lens - that what someone believes is subject to how they examine the events.

11th Hour Theatre Company co-founder and Resident Director Megan Nicole O'Brien directs, with co-founder and Associate Artistic Director Steve Pacek collaborating on the concept and serving as Director of Movement. The show will be very three dimensional in its storytelling and will use the space in an alley and warehouse configuration. Long-time 11th Hour collaborator Dan Kazemi is the Music Director.

The cast includes Cara Noel Antosca as Kesa, the Wife, and the Actress. Cara returns to 11th Hour after recently appearing in the Next Step Concert Series performance of Factory Girls. Billy Bustamante returns as the Priest and the Janitor. He has previously performed with 11th Hour Theatre Company in And the World Goes 'Round. Billy recently appeared in Here Lies Love Off-Broadway and was part of the ensemble of Broadway's revival of The King and I. Nancie Sanderson plays the Medium and the Aunt. Nancie was last seen with 11th Hour in The Great American Trailer Park Musical. 11th Hour's Producing Artistic Director and co-Founder Michael Phillip O'Brien plays the Thief and the Reporter. Jake Blouch makes his 11th Hour Mainstage debut as Morito, the Husband, and the CPA. Earlier this season, Jake starred in the Next Step Concert Series performance of Kiss of the Spider Woman.

"I love that this show is all about perspective, hence See What I Wanna See. There is no absolute truth, it's only what we perceive. I love the psychological component of this and how it explores our memories and what 'truth' we choose to tell," said Megan Nicole O'Brien. "Also, the idea of seeing the multiple interpretations of the show by the creative team (Dan, Steve and I) is really exciting. We all get to share our vision and come to varying degrees of consensus and decide what will impact the audience the most."

Maura Roche is the Scenic Designer. Audiences can expect non-traditional staging and seating as they are taken through three very distinct environments. Dominic Chacon is the Lighting Designer and Toby Pettit is the Sound Designer. Amanda Wolff is the Costume Designer, creating costumes for three different time periods. Will Bankhead is the Technical Director and Emily Schuman is the Props Master/Designer.

The director added, "Audiences can expect an incredible cast. They can also expect to be active in figuring out the mysteries that the writer presents to us. There will be many twists and turns and we don't want to give away any surprises, but our hope is that the audience will have lots to debate and discuss after the play is over."

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