Stark Naked Theatre Company Opens GOD OF CARNAGE, 2/22

January 18, 2013 - Stark Naked Theatre Company (named "Best New Addition to the Houston Arts Scene" by the Houston Press) continues its highly anticipated second season with acclaimed playwright Yasmina Reza's award-winning play God of Carnage. Following rave reviews for Body Awareness, (which was chosen as best play of the season by theatre critics for the Houston Chronicle and Broadway World), Stark Naked's upcoming production of God of Carnage is the first production of Reza's emotionally charged, thought-provoking, and uproariously funny comedy featuring a Houston cast and creative team. Previewing February 21st, opening February 22nd and running until March 9th, performances will be held Thursdays through Sundays (with a special "Pay What You Can" performance on Monday, March 4th) at Stark Naked's STUDIO 101, located at Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring Street in Houston, Texas, 77007.

Set in Brooklyn, New York, God of Carnage is a dark comedy about what transpires when two sets of parents meet to discuss, and ostensibly resolve, a schoolyard fight between their respective children. Winner of both the Tony Award and the U.K.'s Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, God of Carnage was praised by the New York Times as "potent entertainment" which "incite[s] the kind of laughter that comes from the gut", and aptly summarized by The New Yorker as "ninety minutes of sustained mayhem" which demonstrates "just how thin a line lies between civility and barbarity." Stark Naked Theatre's production is directed by well-known Houston actor/director Justin Doran, recently named "one of the best directors in town" by the Houston Chronicle. For God of Carnage, Doran has assembled a dynamic and talented ensemble cast comprised of Kim Tobin, Drake Simpson, Kay Allmand, and John Gremillion.

The play re-unites Tobin and Simpson, who most recently appeared onstage together, under the direction of Philip Lehl, in Stark Naked's critically acclaimed production of Body Awareness. Tobin (co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of Stark Naked Theatre Company) plays the role of Veronica in God of Carnage and describes Yasmina Reza's writing as "nothing short of brilliant.

Her fiendishly funny dialogue transforms the living room into a battlefield where the combatants' weapons are their words, and their aim is deadly accurate. I hope our audiences are as excited about seeing the production as the cast is about performing it."

To further explore the highly relevant themes of Reza's play, Stark Naked Theatre Company is also proud to sponsor the Exposure art exhibition which combines live theatre with an equally powerful visual arts experience. Continuing the innovative collaboration that Stark Naked has forged with Houston's talented visual arts community, the exhibit features a range of media and will be curated by award-winning local artist Dianne Webb (Stark Naked's in-house Art Coordinator). Exposure is available for viewing one hour in advance of each performance show time, with complimentary admission for all God of Carnage ticket holders.

Stark Naked Theatre Company presents God of Carnage, the first production of Yasmina Reza's fast-paced, blockbuster comedy featuring a Houston cast and creative team. Previewing February 21st, opening on February 22nd and running through March 9th, performances will be held at Stark Naked's STUDIO 101, located at Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring Street, Houston, Texas, 77007. Regular show times are as follows: Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm and a special "Pay What You Can" performance scheduled on Monday, March 4th at 7:30 pm. Tickets (priced at $20 for general admission, $17 for seniors and $10 for students) are available for purchase at www.starknakedtheatre.com or by phone at 832.866.6514. Also make plans to join Stark Naked in June as the theatre company concludes its dynamic season with a bold interpretation of Macbeth, William Shakespeare's powerful and fast-paced tale of love, fate and the deadly consequences of ambition run amok.