THE BULLEPEN OPENS Off-Broadway, 6/22

From Cage to Stage - Actor/Writer Joe Assadourian will open his new one-man comedy The Bullpen Off-Broadway on Sunday, June 22nd, at The Playroom Theater. Released from Otisville Correctional Institution in October of 2013 after serving 12 of his 25 year sentence for attempted murder, Assadourian discovered his theatrical ability while reluctantly participating in a workshop behind bars lead by Off-Broadway solo-show Actor/Director Richard Hoehler. The duo has developed the work now for over two years, both inside and outside the state prison system, and it premieres Off-Broadway this summer.

The Bullpen will play Off-Broadway on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00pm with Sunday Matinees at 3:00pm through the end of June.

Beginning July 7th, The Bullpen will play regularly on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm, with Saturday Matinees at 3:00pm. Tickets, which are $20, are on sale now for performances through August 30th.

While in prison, Joe Assadourian (Writer/Performer), who had never before even seen a play, began creating an 8-minute scene that incorporated characters he had met during his incarceration. The Bullpen evolved from that short sketch into a full-length production which premiered at Otisville Correction Facility; upon his release from prison, Assadourian also performed at the Fortune Academy (The Castle) - a residence in NYC for formerly incarcerated men and women. Assadourian received the 1st Place PEN Prison Writing Award for his play, Heaven and a 2nd Place PEN Award for Joey Shakespeare, co-written with Brandon Cochrane, which was featured at the New Work Now reading series at The Public Theater and subsequently presented by The Collective Theatre in Miami. He is also the author of a full-length play, Deliberation, a modern recounting of the Armenian Holocaust. As an actor, Joe has appeared in Race by David Mamet, Tuff Love (including works by Sam Shepard and John Patrick Shanley) and Inside Out, an original theatre piece co-written with the inmates at Otisville Correctional Institution.

Richard Hoehler (Director) has premiered three original solo shows Off-Broadway, New Jersey-New York, Working Class (OOBR Best Solo Performance) and Human Resources (Best of the Fest, MITF). He was the founding Artistic Director of the American Line Theatre Company that premiered over forty new plays. His original play Fathers and Sons opened Off-Broadway in 2009. As an actor he has performed in New York, regionally and abroad. He's also been featured on "Law and Order," "NYPD Blue," "Third Watch," and "The Black Box." Richard is also the creator and director of Acting Out, a professional acting class and performance workshop for at-risk teens and adults that is in residence at the Fortune Society and Otisville Correctional Facility.

Eric Krebs (Producer) has been a theatrical producer for over 40 years. On Broadway he produced Electra, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, Bill Maher in his Victory Begins at Home, Avery Brooks in Paul Robeson and Neil Simon's The Dinner Party. His Broadway productions have received 10 Tony Award nominations. Off-Broadway, he produced over 40 productions, including Sam Shepard's Fool For Love, Neil LaBute's Bash, The Capitol Steps, and more.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.StepInTheBullpen.com or by calling TheaterMania at 866-811-4111. The Bullpen plays at The Playroom Theater - 151 West 46th Street, NYC (between B'way and 6th Ave).

For more information, visit www.StepInTheBullpen.com.

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