L.I.P. Service Theatre Company's THE GOAT OR WHO IS SYLVIA? to Open 5/26

L.I.P. Service is thrilled to announce their production of Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? Directed by Shawn Gann and starring Van Quattro, *Morgana Shaw, Garrett Reeves, and Jason Leyva. The performance will premiere at The Rudy Seppy Studio on May 26 at 8:00pm. It will run through June 11 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia? is a full-length play written by Edward Albee which opened on Broadway in 2002. Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee's most provocative, daring, and controversial play since Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Goat won all the major awards for best new play of the year (Tony, New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle) and was a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. At the center of the play is Martin-a hugely successful architect who has just turned fifty. Martin leads an ostensibly ideal life with his loving wife and gay teenage son. But when he confides to his best friend that he is also in love with a goat (named Sylvia), he sets in motion events that will destroy his family and leave his life in tatters.

Dallas Actor/Director Shawn Gann chose The Goat because of the daring nature of the piece, "There are falls a person takes, gets up, and brushes off; then, there are falls from such heights where even the bottom seems impossibly far. It's a Greek tragedy in the truest sense." Mr. Gann is a resident member of L.I.P. Service and will, also, be directing The Elephant Man for the company in the fall. As a performer, he has been seen across D/FW in productions for Shakespeare Dallas, MBS Productions, Theatre Arlington, Hip Pocket, Artes de la Rosa, Dallas Children's Theatre, and several others.

The local powerhouse cast features Van Quattro as Martin. Quattro is a native of California but moved to Texas 14 years ago and has since become a favorite of Dallas' directors and theatre-goers alike. He moved to Dallas after a hearty career in Los Angeles theatre, film and television. In Dallas he has been in the stage productions Superior Donuts at Theater Three for which he received acclaim and awards for Actor of the Year in 2012. He was seen at the Watertower Theatre in The Grapes of Wrath and Tom Sawyer and at Second Thought Theatre playing Carmichael in A Behanding in Spokane. Van has been in many films including "Fight Club", "The Object", "The End of Days", and "The Big Thing."

The role of Martin's wife, Stevie, will be portrayed by veteran Dallas actress *Morgana Shaw. Outside of her numerous award-winning theatrical roles in D/FW, she has a budding filmcareer with her breakthrough performance in the television movie, "A Promise to Carolyn", playing the younger version of award-winning actress, Shirley Knight. In this television movie, featuring Delta Burke and Swoosie Kurtz, Morgana discovered a willingness to portray the darker side of human nature. "I've never been afraid to look into the places that most people wouldn't", Morgana says. And her characterizations - from Mab on "Salem" (the madam of the local whorehouse) to her work on "Friday Night Lights", "Mad Money" with Diane Keaton, and countless other roles - proves she brings a bravery and authenticity to every part.

Jason Leyva will be featured as Martin's best friend, Ross. He is the current Technical Director/Resident Stage Manager at The Firehouse Theatre and also owns and operates L.I.P. Service. He has performed, directed, and designed in over 100 stage shows from Washington D.C. to Dallas and acted in the independent films "Dirty Red", "The Gunslingers", "The Posthuman Project", and "Skid" as well as the short film "Murder by Mistake."

Martin and Stevie's son, Billy, will be played by Garrett Reeves. A graduate of Sam Houston State (BFA Musical Theatre), Mr. Reeves last performed with L.I.P. Service as Butch Honeywell in their award-winning production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Other local credits include Youngest Son in Clutter and Micah in Daylight (Grand-Prize Winners of the Southwest Playwriting Festival hosted at Stage West), Marvin in Four Weddings and an Elvis (Rover Dramawerks), and Patriarch in Christmas at the Firehouse (Firehouse Theatre).