In Pieces - A Thriller with Multiple Endings at ThinkBIG Theater Arts

Shawn here! This week, I'd like to introduce the director of our Halloween thriller IN PIECES, running Oct. 18-27! When I needed someone to helm this strange hybrid of stage play and social game, I called Jason. I didn't think about it. He just seemed right. And he was. At auditions, I was blown away by both his interpretations of the text and his professionalism; his first step in directing is to provide a comfortable, dignified environment for his actors, and every one of them--including those who weren't cast--left the readings feeling positive; many told me later that their audition for IN PIECES was one of the funnest they'd ever experienced. His cast has plenty of praise. Newcomer Deana Naja writes that Jason "makes you feel like you can do anything in the creative space without shame or ridicule." Brendan Noble says that "he's able to take small moments and make them larger than life without losing a sense of the realism." K.D. Guadagno adds, "There is a sentimental gentility to his firmness when offering constructive critiques.... He will never let his actors get away with anything he feels does not fit their characters or circumstance [but] will never let them get away with not knowing how awesome they're performing." I'll be so pleased to share his work with you October 18-27 only at ThinkBIG! Theater Arts. For tickets, call 631-307-4042 or visit www.ThinkBigTheaterArts.org and click "Tickets."

Deana M. Naja as Mal Looking for Halloween thrills? IN PIECES is part play, part Twilight Zone episode, and part escape room, with the audience determining one of four possible endings every performance! Runs Oct. 18-27 *exclusively* at ThinkBIG! Theater Arts. FIVE PERFORMANCES ONLY. Limited seating! Tix $20. https://www.ticketpeak.com/res/thinkbig or call (631)307- 4042 We can't wait to play with you....

Edward Cress as The Host **OPENING IN ONE MONTH** This Halloween, treat yourself to our tricky thriller IN PIECES, which is part play, part game. And what kind of game would it be without a host? Or is he ... a ghost? Meet The Host (Edward Cress) and other unusuals Oct. 18 - 27. *This show can be seen nowhere else on planet Earth.* Five performances only! Tix $20. https://www.ticketpeak.com/res/thinkbig or (631) 307-4042. ?

Brendan Noble as Billis - ?**OPENING OCT 18!!!**? Treat yourself to IN PIECES, our original thriller! It?s part play, part game, and all Halloween fun?especially if you enjoy a good scare like Billis (Brendan Noble), our paranormal investigator. Meet Billis and other unusuals Oct. 18 - 27. *This show can be seen nowhere else on planet Earth.* Five performances only! Tix $20. https://www.ticketpeak.com/res/thinkbig or (631) 307-4042. ?

K.D. Guadagno as Jane - ?**HAPPY OCTOBER!!!**? Get into the spirit ? with IN PIECES?part play, part game, and all Halloween fun. Meet Jane (K.D. Guadagno) and other unusuals Oct. 18 - 27. *This show can be seen nowhere else on planet Earth.* Five performances only! Tix $20. https://www.ticketpeak.com/res/thinkbig or (631) 307-4042. ?

This October will be the second time the mainly children-focused Think BIG! Theater Arts will be offering an adult-targeted show. It won?t be gory or physically scary, but it will be physiologically creepy. ?The horror is much more on a physiological level,? said writer and theater co-founder Shawn Thorgersen. ?It?s creepy and makes you think a little bit. It haunts the mind.? The first adult show was a romantic comedy. The second, Thorgersen?s ?In Pieces,? is part play, part escape room for ages 13 and up. ?We have been trying to branch out. We are paying rent and have our nights open with nothing going on,? said Thorgersen of the idea to expand out to the adult audience, while also helping to pay the bills for the nonprofit organization. ?We pride ourselves on doing as many original and unusual works as possible, shows that have never been seen before and you can?t see anywhere else.? The play/part escape room begins with a host who alerts the audience of a killer on the loose, informing them that their job is to find the killer and password to escape safely. The audience, according to Thorgersen, is in control and their answers and password determine the ending. All shows can be different and actors must memorize four possible outcomes. ?It takes place in an anxious town where terrible things are happening,? he added, noting each scene is a small, intertwined skit, similar to ?The Twilight Zone,? something he watched as part of his writing process back in May and June. ?Each one is tied together with hints that help the audience find the killer and password.? Brendan Noble, Patchogue resident and local actor, will be playing three characters. He said working on the play/part escape room has been a challenge for the seasoned actor, being that it is such a unique concept and the roles never existed outside the script. Director Jason Forella is charged with interpreting Thorgersen?s work and helping the actors achieve maximum creepiness. He said he had each of his four actors ? two seasoned Long Islanders, one student and another newcomer/dancer ? prepare for the scenes by thinking back to what their characters were doing minutes, hours and days before. ?Going back to what led them into this situation goes beyond words on a page and gave life to it,? Forella explained of his process. ?It?s a realistic and seamless way of getting that spooky, suspenseful thriller vibe without having to go over the top. There are a couple of scenes that are just downright scary.? TICKETS & SHOW INFO Tickets can be purchased at the door for $20 or reserved by calling the lobby at 631-307-4042. Dates: Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Each show accommodates about 40 people. The show is an hour and 20 minutes with a 15-minute usable intermission. (Thorgersen suggests guests utilize that time to go over the clues and take some notes before Act 2.) ?Intermission is usually a time to go to the bathroom, get a drink and have some chips, but you should probably be taking some notes. It gives you a second to think about the clues before more puzzle pieces come,? he said. ?This whole show takes the traditional parts of theater and toys with it.? For more info: www.ThinkBIGTheaterArts.org