Bobby Cannavale, Tony Shalhoub, Judith Ivey and More Set for PLAYING ON AIR Recordings This Dec at BRIC House

Public radio show and podcast PLAYING ON AIR, which features live recordings of short American plays, returns to BRIC House (647 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn) on December 7 at 7:30pm with three shorts by David Auburn, Max Baker and Jessica Dickey, all recorded live! BroadwayWorld has learned the performances will feature Bobby Cannavale, Will Dagger, Brandon J. Dirden, Jason Dirden, Matthew Maher, Jay O. Sanders, Tony Shalhoub and more, along with directors Judith Ivey, Carrie Preston and Claudia Weill.

Each play is followed by an interview with its playwright, director and cast. The evening is moderated by Claudia Catania, PLAYING ON AIR's founder and producer.

Since launching in June of 2012, PLAYING ON AIR has produced 26 episodes, recorded both in studio and live, and recorded 60 plays. Aired on a current total of 43 public radio stations and affiliates in 14 states across the country, the programs are distributed by PRX, the public radio exchange for independently produced radio content. "Our goal is to share theater's best practitioners with all people including those with limited access, time or cash, and expand the audience for quality contemporary theater," says Catania. "We want to showcase a wide variety of voices. The short play form, which is rarely produced professionally, jives perfectly with the rhythms of radio and internet listening." Podcasts are available for download from www.playingonair.org.

PLAYING ON AIR has produced plays by Lynn Nottage, Beth Henley, Christopher Durang, David Lindsay-Abaire and David Ives, among others. A sparkling roster of actors has taken part so far -- actors as diverse as Bobby Cannavale, Chris Cooper, Hope Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, John Leguizamo, Jane Krakowski, Audra McDonald, Debra Monk, Rosie Perez, Jerry Stiller, to name just a few. Together its participants are the recipients of dozens of major awards, including Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards and Oscars. A show archive and production history are available for free online.

The distinguished theater sound designer John Kilgore, who has been creating unique sound designs for many of the plays, will also adapt his process to the live setting. Original music is composed for every play and the series composer is Tom Kochan. "Radio performance invites its audience's imagination," Catania notes. "We think the wedding of radio and theater, which certainly has an illustrious history, can be reinvented via the short play form and which reflects the rhythms and habits of tech-savvy consumers today."

"Ultimately we want to cultivate future audiences for the theater as well as future artists," Catania adds. PLAYING ON AIR's assistant producer is an award-winning public radio producer, Julia Wetherell.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. To purchase tickets call 718.683.5600, or visit bricartsmedia.org. BRIC is located at 647 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

Program Details:

The Wonderful Thanksgiving Violet
Written by Max Baker
Featuring Brandon J. Dirden and Jason Dirden
Directed by Carrie Preston

2 Dads
Written by David Auburn
Featuring Tony Shalhoub and Bobby Cannavale
Directed by Claudia Weill

The Press Conference
Written by Jessica Dickey
Featuring Matthew Maher, Jay O. Sanders, and others
Directed by Judith Ivey

BRIC is the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, and one of the largest in New York City. The organization presents and incubates work by artists and media-makers that reflects the diversity of New York. BRIC programs reach hundreds of thousands of people each year.

BRIC's main venue, BRIC Arts | Media House, offers a public media center, a major contemporary art exhibition space, two performance spaces, a glass-walled TV studio and artist work spaces.

Some of BRIC's most acclaimed programs include the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in Prospect Park, several path-breaking public access media initiatives, including the newly renamed BRIC TV, and a renowned contemporary art exhibition series. BRIC also offers education and other vital programs at BRIC House and throughout Brooklyn.

In addition to making cultural programming genuinely accessible, BRIC is dedicated to providing substantial support to artists and media makers in their efforts to develop work and reach new audiences.

BRIC is unusual in both presenting exceptional cultural experiences and nurturing individual expression. This dual commitment enables BRIC to most effectively reflect New York City's innate cultural richness and diversity. Learn more at BRICartsmedia.org.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski