The New Colony Premieres EVEN LONGER AND FARTHER AWAY Today

Following its sell-out production of Byhalia, Mississippi, The New Colony continues its 2016 Season with the world premiere of the heartfelt drama EVEN LONGER AND FARTHER AWAY by Chelsea Marcantel, directed by Thrisa Hodits, playing today, April 15 - May 15, 2016 at its resident home, The Den Theatre's Upstairs Main Stage, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood.

Tickets are currently available at www.thenewcolony.org. The press opening is Monday, April 18 at 7:30 pm.

EVEN LONGER AND FARTHER AWAY features Patriac Coakley, Joe Lino, Amanda Martinez, Morgan McNaught, Deanna Reed-Foster and Abbas Salem.

Elliot has one objective: hike the Appalachian Trail and make it to Katahdin the way his father always wanted. Weeks into his journey, Elliot's pilgrimage comes to a halt. On an unseasonably snowy night, Elliot finds himself stuck in a town not found on a map with a half-sister he barely knows and two strangers who know too much. Here, Elliot must confront the truth about how well he knows his father and himself. A new play about memory, family and finding your way.

The production team for EVEN LONGER AND FARTHER AWAY includes: Ashley Woods (scenic design), Marisa Allison (costume designer), Becca Jeffords (lighting design), Heath Hays (sound designer), Garth Moritz (production manager), Michele Stine (script supervisor), Ben Kaye (assistant director) and Sarah Collonge (stage manager).

About the Creative Team:

Chelsea Marcantel (Playwright) is a playwright originally from Louisiana, who lived for many years in Chicago, and is now a second-year Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Fellow at The Juilliard School in New York City. Chelsea is an active self-producer of her own work, and has also collaborated with Victory Gardens, The Hypocrites, The Side Project, 20% Theatre, Collaboraction, The Inconvenience, Jackalope Theatre and Cabaret Vagabond, among others. Her work has been produced in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Minneapolis, Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana and North Carolina. She has taught in the English and Theatre departments at Virginia Intermont College and Emory & Henry College. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and The Playwrights Center. Representation: ICM. For additional information, visit www.chelseamarcantel.com.

Thrisa Hodits (Director) returns to The New Colony for her first production since Down & Derby. Regionally, Thrisa has co-directed alongside Sean Graney at American Repertory Theatre (Pirates of Penzance/Mikado/Pinafore), Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Pirates), Actors Theatre of Louisville (Pirates/Pinafore) and will go to The Olney Theatre this summer (Pirates/Mikado), as well as assisted on a new adaptation of Yeoman of the Guard currently running at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In Chicago, Thrisa worked as the Associate Director with The Lyric Unlimited (Second Nature). Thrisa has been the 2nd Unit Director on both the world productions of the Jeff Award winning All Our Tragic with The Hypocrites. Thrisa has directed with Strawdog Theatre Company, The Strange Tree Group, The Inconvenience, Jackalope Theatre Company, First Floor Theatre and is a proud member of The Hypocrites and The New Colony.

The New Colony, the 2011 recipient of the Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theater Award, strives to contribute original material to the American artistic canon and develop a new kind of theater going audience. Through collaboration with emerging artists of all disciplines, The New Colony continually develops new work and fresh perspectives. With the goal of exploring enticing subject matter and the common language of experience, The New Colony will cultivate the next generation of arts supporters.