MARRIAGE & OTHER ODD OCCURRENCES Plays 4/18 At Rosenthal JCC

The Insights & Revelations Performance Series, in residence at the Rosenthal JCC at 600 Bear Ridge Road in Pleasantville, NY, announces the presentation of Marriage & Other Odd Occurrences: An Evening of Short Stories by Alethea Black. The performances will be followed by a discussion with the writer, director, and performers, after which they will join the audience in the lobby for a champagne and dessert reception. The program will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 8:30 p.m.  

Dennis Boutsikaris will read The Thing Itself (2008 Arts & Letters Prize winner) and John Shea will read That Of Which We Cannot Speak (Honorable Mention as one of the 100 Finalists for The 2008 Best American Short Stories collection, edited by Salman Rushdie). Director Elliott Forrest will moderate a discussion with the writer and actors about the process of writing, directing, and performing the works.

The two stories are tied together by the theme of marriage - one from the point of view of a married man facing the disappointment of a childless marriage and an unfulfilling career, and the other about a regretfully divorced man. Both stories are emotionally incisive, as well as charmingly humorous. As the title of the evening, Marriage & Other Odd Occurrences, might suggest, each story contains the presence of unexplainable events and impulses, some of which are life-changing.

"We are greatly looking forward to presenting the short story form, for the first time in this Series, and introducing our audience to Alethea Black, a truly gifted emerging writer" stated Anna Becker, Producer of the Insights & Revelations Performance Series. "This is certain to be an electric evening as we pair award-winning short stories with award-winning actors Dennis Boutsikaris and John Shea, with a jazz backdrop by the incomparable duo of Jody Sandhaus and Pete Malinverni."
The Insights & Revelations Performance Series is a 2007 Best of Westchester winner for Best New Performance Series and is known for bringing award-winning off-Broadway companies such as Classic Stage Company, the Atlantic Theater Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Aquila Theatre, and Symphony Space to Westchester, as well as presenting a wide range of professional artists in live presentations and exhibits.

Marriage & Other Odd Occurrences: An Evening of Short Stories by Alethea Black

Saturday, April 18th, 2009 at 8:30 p.m.

At the Rosenthal JCC Theatre, 600 Bear Ridge Road, Pleasantville

A discussion and reception with the artists follows the program.

Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets by phone call 212-868-4444, or order online at www.smarttix.com. All performances take place at the Rosenthal JCC, 600 Bear Ridge Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570.
Visit the Series web site for more information about this show and the 2008/2009 season: www.TheDeepEndProductions.org.