Blackfriars Rep and Storm Theatre to Stage World Premiere of DEATH COMES FOR THE WAR POETS

Blackfriars Repertory Theatre and The Storm Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Death Comes for the War Poets, a dramatic verse tapestry by Joseph Pearce. The production, which will be performed June 9-24, 2017 at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture's Black Box Theater, is directed by Peter Dobbins.

On the centenary of the United States' entry into World War One, Death Comes for the War Poets grapples with the horror of trench warfare as experienced by the two greatest war poets, Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. It does so through the eyes of the poets themselves but also through the eyes of the Spirit of Death. How does a human soul cope with the horror of war? Is there room for hope? And what of the Spirit of Death, ever present in times of war and peace? Can Death itself be changed? These questions are at the suffering heart of this powerful verse drama.

The cast of Death Comes for the War Poets will feature Nicholas Carriere (The Lion King), Sarah Naughton (Romeo and Juliet), and Michael Raver (The Scarlet Letter). The author, Joseph Pearce, will make a cameo appearance in the opening weekend performances, delivering his Prologue to the verse drama.

The production is choreographed by Jennifer Delac. Rev. Peter John Cameron, OP is the assistant director. Scenic design is by Connor Munion (Oh, Hello). Costume design is by Jeannipher Pacheco (The Most Massive Woman Wins). Lighting design is by Michael Abrams (Antigone). Sound design is by Kenneth Goodwin. Tina Truong is the production stage manager. Casting by Stephanie Klapper. Public relations services by John Capo Public Relations. Communications marketing by Michelle O'Gara. Sawyer Mastrandrea is the operations manager. The production is produced by Rev. Peter John Cameron, OP.

Performances will be held Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Saturdays at 2pm. There will be an additional performance on Sunday, June 11 at 2pm. There will be a question and answer session with the author and cast following the afternoon performance on Saturday, June 10. Tickets ($25) are available by calling (212) 925-2812 or by visiting sheencenter.org. The Sheen Center is located at 18 Bleecker Street in New York City. For more information visit stormtheatre.com.

A native of England, author Joseph Pearce is editor of the St. Austin Review (www.staustinreview.org), an international review of Catholic culture, and the internationally acclaimed author of many books, including bestsellers such as The Quest for Shakespeare and The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde. He has hosted two 13-part television series about Shakespeare on EWTN, and has also written and presented documentaries on EWTN on the The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Director Peter Dobbins is a co-founding member and has been the Producing Artistic Director of The Storm Theatre Company since its inception. Most recently he directed the World Premiere of Jonathan Leaf's Deconstruction. Mr. Dobbins other directing credits include: T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral; Dion Boucicault's The Shaughraun and Arrah~na~Pogue; Stewart Parker's Spokesong; William Shakespeare's As You Like It, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night; The Karol Wojty?a (Pope John Paul II) Festival, including The Jeweler's Shop, Jeremiah, and Our God's Brother; the North American Premiere of The House of Desires by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, and the World Premieres of The Last Starfighter by Skip Kennon and Fred Landau, and Linnea by John Regis. Mr. Dobbins also directed "The Paul Claudel Project" featuring The Tidings Brought to Mary, The Satin Slipper, and Noon Divide. Other notable productions include the critically acclaimed revivals of The London Merchant by George Lillo, The President, and The Play's The Thing by Ferenc Molnár, Marius by Marcel Pagnol, Le Cid by Pierre Corneille, translated into English verse by Richard Wilbur, Antigone by Jean Anouilh and Gigi by Anita Loos (from the novel by Colette). He received a BA in Communications and Theatre from Temple University.

Blackfriars Repertory Theatre, an apostolate of the Dominican Friars of the Province of Saint Joseph, was founded in 1998 by Fr. Peter John Cameron, OP,, as a revival of Blackfriars Theatre (1940-1972)-the first professional religious theatre ever tried in New York City and the oldest continuous Off-Broadway theatre in American stage history. Blackfriars provided the proverbial great first break to several acclaimed theatre artists including playwright Robert Anderson, and actors Geraldine Page, Eileen Heckart, Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa, Darren McGavin, and Shelley Berman. Like the original Blackfriars, Blackfriars Rep carries on the mission of "producing plays of artistic merit that reflect the spiritual nature of man and his eternal destiny." In its nineteen years of existence, Blackfriars Repertory Theatre has staged over twenty-five productions in New York City, regionally, and on tour in its commitment to "theatre dedicated to the human drama."

The Storm Theatre is an Off-Broadway company committed to producing theater to awaken the awe-inspiring truths of humanity. Past productions include world premieres, established classics and forgotten theatrical treasures restored for today's audiences. Founded in 1997, the non-profit is celebrating its 20th season with its fourth production in a Lower East Side performance space. The New York Times named The Storm Theatre's 2012 season as one of the "12 most galvanizing offerings of the year." For more information, visit www.stormtheatre.com.

Named after the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best known for his popular radio and TV ministry in the 1950s and 60s, The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture is a project of the Archdiocese of New York with the mission of showcasing works in the performing and visual arts, lectures and symposia that highlight the true, the good, and the beautiful as they have been expressed throughout the ages. The state-of-the-art complex has a 270-seat proscenium theater equipped with five-camera high-definition livestream capability and a multi-track recording studio with thirty-two onstage inputs; an 80-seat black box theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery. This facility is the newest arts center in Manhattan in 35 years and a great addition to the growing artistic community in the East Village/NoHo.

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