A REAL BOY Tugs the Heartstrings Starting Tonight at 59E59 Theaters

59E59 Theaters welcomes the world premiere of A REAL BOY, written by Stephen Kaplan and directed by Audrey Alford. Produced by Ivy Theatre Company in association with Athena Theatre, A REAL BOY begins performances tonight, August 2, for a limited engagement through Sunday, August 27. Press Opening is Sunday, August 6 at 3.30 PM.

When two puppets adopt a human child, they must deal with the fall out when the boy begins to grow strings. The boy's overzealous (and human) teacher steps in to teach him how to be "normal," igniting a political firestorm that threatens to engulf the entire community.

The cast features Alexander Bello (NYC debut!), Katie Braden (Mill Fire with Ivy Theatre for EstroGenius), Jamie Geiger (The Religion Thing with Project Y), Jason Allan Kennedy George (Forbidden Colors at LaMama), Brian Michael (HBO's "Girls"), Jenn Remke (Outside/Inside with Ivy Theatre), Kelley Selznick (Sirens of the Lambs with Banksy), and Danie Steel (One Act Festival at INTAR).

The design team includes Ann Beyersdorfer (set designer); Jenn Fok (lighting designer); Tristan Raines (costume designer); and Megan Culley (sound designer). The puppets are designed and built by Puppet Kitchen. The production stage manager is Stephanie Kay Garcia.

Stephen Kaplan (playwright) Stephen Kaplan's plays include: Branwell (and the other Brontës) (semi-finalist: O'Neill); Community (finalist: Seven Devils; semi-finalist: Premiere Stages); Exquisite Potential (finalist: Woodward/Newman, semi-finalist: Seven Devils); A Real Boy (semi-finalist: PlayPenn, Ashland NPF, Dayton Playhouse FutureFest, and MTWorks' Newborn Festival); una casa/a home (finalist: Landing Theatre's New American Voices, Route 66 New Play Development); For Unto Us (published by DPS); In Mrs. Baker's Room (Commission: Abingdon, Theatre Southwest); The Seventh Son (semi-finalist: Ronald M Ruble New Play Festival). He is the New Jersey Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild. Visit www.bystephenkaplan.com for more.

Audrey Alford (director) is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Ivy Theatre Company. Her Off Broadway production of Donkey Punch, by Micheline Auger, was a Time Out New York's Critic's Pick, and the Off Off production was nominated for 3 NYIT Awards, including Best Premiere Production of a Play. In 2013, she was nominated for Best Director in the Midtown International Theatre Festival for Black Ice, by Lezlie Revelle. She has directed in New York, Charlotte, Seattle, and New Orleans. She is a proud feminist and is working toward a theatrical community inclusive of everyone's stories.

The performance schedule is Tuesday - Friday at 7:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Single tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.