Lance Ringel's FLASH/FROZEN to Premiere at Theatre Row

Many viewers following the trials and triumphs of American figure skaters at the Beijing Olympics may be unaware of one of the worst disasters in the annals of sport - the tragic airplane crash in 1961 that took the lives of the entire United States Figure Skating Team as they were en route to the World Championships. Lance Ringel's new play, Flash/Frozen, zeroes in on one of the most painful ironies of that terrible event: the decision of one veteran skater to relinquish his place on the team, and his seat on the plane, to the sport's brightest young talent.

Opening with the Inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, and telescoping the action in less than a month's time, the compact play brings both skaters to life in a crescendo of events culminating in a cruel, unforeseen twist that will assure their destinies are forever intertwined in history.

"Flash/Frozen gives me a concise and well-thought-out road map for guiding the actors to their rich and varied portrayals of these characters, on their brief but unexpectedly harrowing journey together," says director Chuck Muckle. "For the play's world stage premiere, we are deliberately keeping the staging simple, allowing this compelling story to be told through the characters' words and actions, supplemented by a few key projections."

Playwright Lance Ringel writes, "The doomed flight of Sabena 548 had long haunted my imagination. Flash/Frozen has been my path to writing about it, as I seek to honor both Tim Brown and Doug Ramsay through their interlocking stories."

Flash/Frozen begins with a preview performance on Thursday, March 10, and will open on Friday, March 11, for a two-week run at New York's Theatre Row, with performances at 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays. To purchase tickets or find out more information, visit www.theatrerow.org.