PIERRE AND MARIE - A Scientific Comedy at Workshop Theatre

Two young scientists experience the thrill of discovery, the pitfalls of fame and the wonder of love in the New York Premiere of the scientific comedy PIERRE AND MARIE. Adapted by Ron Clark from the play Les Palmes de. M. Schutz by Jean-Noel Fenwick, and presented by Break A Leg Productions, the show will be performed beginning October 21st at the WorkShop Theatre, located at 312 West 36th Street. The play is directed by Christopher Bellis. This comedy was developed through the Science and the Arts program at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Discovering the unknown, finding out how the universe works, unlocking a scientific mystery. For many in the scientific community, being able to accomplish such a thing is the holy grail of their existence. This is the attitude which drives young scientist Pierre Curie in late 1880s Paris, France; to the distraction of his more practical-minded associate Bemont and their political lackey of a superior, Monsieur Chevrier. Faced with losing his position (and his funding) if he doesn't start producing results, help arrives in the guise of Marie Sklodowska, a young Polish scientist who is determined to study in France. Despite an initial wariness on Pierre's part, who initially deems her "super cynical," the two eventually learn to tolerate each other - and more. But although the two are growing both as scientists and human beings, the results of their discoveries bring outside pressure and jealousy from the scientific community at large and they find themselves on the defensive at every turn. Trying to remain both at the top of the scientific ladder and true to their ideals of doing good for the benefit of one's fellow man, PIERRE AND MARIE is a tale of love - both romantic and scientific - and the sacrifices one has to make for each.

The cast for PIERRE AND MARIE features Teri Black*, Michael Edmund, Michael Gilpin*, Martha Lopez-Gilpin* and John Quilty*. The production is an Equity Showcase.

Christopher Bellis has directed plays in New York, Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. His favorites include Angels in America, Barefoot in the Park, Hamlet, Nude Boys Prancing About and Last Rites. His work for Break A Leg Productions include Parody Tonite! (The Goulash Girls) and staged readings of Oxygen, Thread of Life and Remembering Miss Meitner.

Break A Leg Productions, a not-for-profit company, believes that comedy, through the use of satire and social criticism, emphasizes what all races and cultures have in common. Through humor, theatre can bridge the gaps which separate people by enabling audiences to recognize and even laugh at the obstacles which divide them. The company also encourages "non-traditional" casting. Previous productions by Break A Leg Productions include Parody Tonite!, Over The Top and Off The Wall (both at the Sanford Meisner Theatre), as well as over 100 staged readings, including works by Agatha Christie, George Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder, Horton Foote, Shakespeare, Christopher Durang and Dorothy Parker. The company has previously performed PIERRE AND MARIE twice as a staged reading, the last time this past July at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The company got its name when actress Teri Black, while recovering from a broken leg, got the idea of forming a theatre company.

Running through November 7th, PIERRE AND MARIE will be performed at the WorkShop Theatre, located at 312 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues) on the Fourth Floor. Show times are Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $15.00. Reservations: 212-968-4444 or www.smarttix.com. The press is invited to all performances.

Love comes in the strange places, scientific breakthroughs at the oddest times. In PIERRE AND MARIE, the characters get to experience both - and they, and the world, are all the better for it.

WHEN:
October 21st - November 7th
Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm
Sunday at 3pm

TICKETS:
$15.00 (No service charge)

RESERVATIONS:
212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com