Epic Celebrates New Work With BUCKLE UP WEEKEND

Epic Theatre Company is proud to present three premiere readings celebrating new work and big announcements as part of their first ever "Buckle Up Weekend."

"Every theater company has a unique take on how to present new works," says Kevin Broccoli, Artistic Director, "This year, we were able to include three new works-one we commissioned-that we've been waiting to show to audiences. Being Epic, we thought we'd merge a weekend of brand new plays with opportunities for conversation about new work and why it's so vital to the theater community in Rhode Island."

Buckle Up Weekend kicks off on Friday, May 18th @ 8pm with the Rhode Island Premiere of Andy Boyd's "Os Confederados." Boyd says the play "comes out of my fascination with how we construct our identities using the material of history. Why are we so invested in the moral purity of our ancestors? Why are we so incapable of seeing our country as the racist settler empire that it has always been? How do symbols of the past become weapons in the battles of the present? Os Confederados is a play about a Neo-Confederate colony in Brazil, but it asks us a question relevant to America as a whole: how can we move on from the violence of the past?"

Saturday, May 19th brings the World Premiere of Broccoli's play "Judge Fox." Broccoli describes the play as "a play about a woman who comes from humble beginnings and works her way up only to lose everything due to the persona she's created for herself. It's about a play about what we're willing to give up to keep the identity we've created rather than do the work required to find out who we really are beyond what we put out into the world."

The weekend finishes on Sunday, May 20th with the World Premiere of Lenny Schwartz's play "Forgotten Runner." The play was commissioned by Epic, and Schwartz says "I'm excited that a lot of the themes addressed in the play have really come more into the spotlight since I wrote it. I'm excited to see where the actress and director take it and how deep they get into it."

After each reading, Broccoli will be hosting talkbacks with the playwrights as part of Epic's newest social media sensation-The Drag. Saturday night, Epic will be hosting a party to celebrate their upcoming production of Wolf Hall and all of the great work produced during the season.

"We look for any reason to throw a party," says Broccoli, "And this is a great opportunity to welcome new talent and commemorate what has truly been an Epic season."

BUCKLE UP WEEKEND

Performances:

Friday, May 18th @ 8pm - Os Confederados by Andy Boyd

Saturday, May 19th @ 8pm - Judge Fox by Kevin Broccoli

Sunday, May 20th @ 5pm - Forgotten Runner by Lenny Schwartz

All Performances at The Artists' Exchange, located at 50 Rolfe Square

General Admission: $10

*Epic Theatre Company seeks to bring provocative contemporary work to Rhode Island as well as new perspectives on classical theater. We strive to continue the tradition of "event" theater, where each production has built-in excitement both for the audiences and the artists involved.

**Epic is a proud member of the Rhode Island Theater Alliance (RITA) and is the Resident Theater Company at the Artists Exchange in Cranston, RI

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