Mario Cantone & More to Star in The New Group's STEVE, Directed by Cynthia Nixon; Full Cast Announced for MERCURY FUR

The New Group has announced complete casting for the Off-Broadway premiere of Philip Ridley's Mercury Fur, the production launching the company's upcoming season, and initial casting for the world premiere of Mark Gerrard's Steve, the second production in the company's 2015-2016 season.

MERCURY FUR by Philip Ridley. Directed by Scott Elliott. Previews begin August 5 in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre (480 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night: Wednesday, August 19.

In a society ravaged by warring gangs and a hallucinogenic-drug epidemic, Elliot and Darren, under the sway of the ruthless Spinx, throw parties for rich clients in abandoned apartment buildings, parties that help guests act out their darkest, most sinister fantasies. As the teenage brothers prepare for the latest festivities, some unexpected guests threaten the balance of the world they have created in the midst of this dystopian nightmare. The New Group opens its 2015-2016 season with Philip Ridley's Mercury Fur, a terrifying yet tender look at just how far people will go to protect those they love the most.

Mercury Fur features Jack DiFalco, Bradley Fong, Paul Iacono, Peter Mark Kendall, Emily Cass McDonnell, Sea McHale, Zane Pais and Tony Revolori.

The design team includes Derek McLane (Scenic Design), Susan Hilferty (Costume Design), Jeff Croiter (Lighting Design) and M.L. Dogg (Sound Design). Valerie A. Peterson is the Production Stage Manager. Casting by Judy Henderson, CSA.

This production marks the Off-Broadway premiere of Mercury Fur, bringing back Philip Ridley to The New Group, where his play The Fastest Clock in the Universe received its US premiere in 1998. Mercury Fur premiered in February 2005 at the Plymouth Theatre Royal and transferred to the Menier Chocolate Factory, London in March 2005.

STEVE by Mark Gerrard. Directed by Cynthia Nixon. Previews begin November 2015 in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre (480 West 42nd Street).

As Steven, a failed Broadway chorus boy turned stay-at-home dad, celebrates yet another birthday, he finds himself filled with fear and uncertainty. Is Stephen, his partner of 14 years, cheating on him? Why is one of his best friends dying of cancer? And what, exactly, has he done with his life? A portrait of a group of longtime, theater-loving friends as they navigate the many facets of midlife and mortality, Mark Gerrard's Steve is a biting and bittersweet comedy about relationships and the unavoidable consequences of aging and the passage of time.

Directed by Cynthia Nixon, this world premiere production features Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon and Malcolm Gets. Additional casting & production dates to be announced.

Steve, Mark Gerrard's New York debut as a playwright, was developed through The New Group's New Group/New Works reading series. With this production, director Cynthia Nixon returns to The New Group, where she recently made her directorial debut with the hit production of Joel Drake Johnson's Rasheeda Speaking, which received an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. In 2006, she starred in The New Group production The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

As announced earlier, The New Group's 2015-2016 Season also includes Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Buried Child, featuring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan (Performances begin February 2016), directed by Scott Elliott.

Productions in The New Group's 2015-2016 Season take place at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street.

Subscriptions and memberships for The New Group's 2015-2016 Season available now. For subscription & season info, please visit www.thenewgroup.org. Subscriptions can be purchased by calling Ticket Central at(212) 279-4200, or in person at 416 West 42nd Street (12-8pm daily). Tickets to Mercury Fur go on sale to the public July 7.

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