'Sopranos' Star Robert Funaro to Headline Cast of Dread Awakening

Casting has been completed for Dread Awakening, a new work of four world premiere horror one-acts. The show begins performances on April 6th at the 45th Street Theatre (354 W. 45th St.) for a limited engagement through April 23rd.

Robert Funaro, who plays Eugene Pontecorvo in "The Sopranos," and Jedadiah Schultz (The Laramie Project, Daisy Foote's Bhutan at the Cherry Lane Theater) will headline the cast, which will also feature Danny Deferrari (Happy Birthday Wanda June with 7th Sign; The Phantom Tollbooth, Atlantic Theater Company), Jenny Gammello (Spring Awakening, Williamstown Theatre Festival); Abe Goldfarb (The Pumpkin Pie Show); Christianna Nelson (Harvest, LaMama), Joe Plummer (Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at Arsenal Center for the Arts); and Margie Stokley (adobe theatre company's Superpowers; Serious Money at Playwrights Horizons).

Dread Awakening will bring together four young playwrights – Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Based on a Totally True Story, The Mystery Plays), Clay McLeod Chapman (The Pumpkin Pie Show), Eric Sanders (It's a Dry Heat), and Justin Swain (Bump) – and pair them up with th directors Arin Arbus (Third Floor, Second Door on the Right), Amanda Charlton (The Witching Hour), Jessica Davis-Irons (Superpowers), and Pat Diamond (The Mystery Plays).

"Bound by their shared love of the macabre and the supernatural, these up-and-coming artists came together to present their unique styles and approaches towards conveying onstage the horror of the known… and the unknown. In these four new plays, you will meet a boyfriend who refuses to reveal his true face, a dead best friend who won't stay dead, a professional who grows unnaturally obsessed with his client, and a young couple experiencing horrific events in a car on a deserted highway," state press notes.

In addition to his recurring role on "The Sopranos" for the last five seasons, Robert Funaro has starred in the films Indocumentados; I Believe in America, and Cutout, a short film in which he co-stars alongside singer Al Martino. Theatre credits include the role of Tom Moody in Golden Boy, Max in Etta Jenks, and Mr. Skin in Eric Sanders' play Faint at the New York International Fringe Festival. On television, he has appeared in featured roles in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and "SVU."

Dread Awakening will be presented by The Thursday Problem (Michelle Bossy, Alana Karpoff, Eric Sanders). The sets will be designed by Wilson Chin (Christine Jourgenson Revealed) and the costumes will be designed by Candice Thompson.

The performance schedule is Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday nights at 8pm and Sunday nights at 7pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.smarttix.com, by calling (212) 868-4444, and at www.dreadawakening.com. The running time is 90 minutes without an intermission.

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