A TALE OF TWO CITIES COBBLED TOGETHER BY THE BROTHERS LOVEJOY Will Be Performed as Part of Centenary Stage Company Fringe Festival This Month

A Tale of Two Cities Cobbled Together by the Brothers Lovejoy, written and directed by Craig Fols, is an unconventional version of Charles Dickens' classic, as re-enacted by two brothers played by Ezra Barnes (Avery Lovejoy) and Michael Gabriel Goodfriend, (Bunce Lovejoy). The production is part of the Centenary Stage Company Fringe Festival and will have a limited run, with performances scheduled Thursday, October 21st through Sunday, October 24th.

Craig Fols' has created a bittersweet comic story about two brothers, who have chosen to spend their time obsessively re-enacting A Tale of Two Cities, a story of love and loneliness, rags and riches, revenge and sacrifice set in the turmoil of the French Revolution - and as the brothers conclude, "a period very like the present".

The two seem unable to move past the catastrophic event that caused them to become stuck in this ritual performance that is both an escape and a trap. As they revise and adjust the narrative and the character's outcomes, are they, like Dickens, masking reality with imaginary optimism? Or are they hoping to make sense of the world and the importance of sacrifice for someone you love more than yourself? Are they ready for the best of times? Or will they forever be stuck in the worst of times?

The playwright and director of the Brothers Lovejoy is an accomplished actor who originated roles off-Broadway in Lanie Robertson's drama Nasty Little Secrets (opposite David McCallum) and the hit parody The Musical of Musicals (Original Cast Album, Jay Records). His first play, Buck Simple, was produced at La Mama and published in The Best American Short Plays. As a playwright, he has won the Berrilla Kerr Award, the BMI Workshop's Harrington Award, and several residencies at the Edward Albee Foundation.

The cast of two is led by Brooklyn-based actor Ezra Barnes (Avery), a respected producer, award-winning director, and teacher, as well as founder of Two Planks. His credits include starring in the highly acclaimed production of Fraser Grace's Breakfast with Mugabe, which ran for 100 performances Off-Broadway, and was a NY Times and Time Out critic's pick. He has appeared in numerous film and television productions (Group, Motherless Brooklyn, Noah, Once More With Feeling, Orange is the New Black, The Sinner, Jessica Jones); is Founding Artistic Director of Connecticut's Shakespeare on the Sound and runs Brooklyn's Young Actors Workshop.

Playing opposite Ezra is New York-based award-winning actor Michael Gabriel Goodfriend, (Bunce), a graduate of Yale School of Drama, who brings a long list of credits that include regional theater, film and television roles (Enemy of the People, The English Bride, Monk, Helter Skelter). He collaborated on the development of Air America Radio, where he produced "The Majority Report" with Janeane Garofalo. He wrote, directed, and produced over 400 episodes of the popular political talk show, Left Jab on Sirius XM Radio, and is Executive Producer of Play On Podcasts.

Performances will run Thursday, October 21 at 7:30 pm, Friday, October 22 at 8:00 pm, Saturday, October 23 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday, October 24 at 2:00pm. Performances will take place in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center at 715 Grand Ave, Hackettstown, NJ 07840.

Tickets for A Tale of Two Cities, Cobbled Together by the Brothers Lovejoy range from $22.50 to $27.50 for adults. Discounts are available for select performances for seniors, students, and children 12 and younger. For more information or to purchase tickets call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979 - 0900 or visit Centenary Stage Company on-line at centenarystageco.org.