Maxwell to Star in Potomac Theatre Project's Summer Series

The Potomac Theatre Project (PTP) proudly presents its 22nd repertory season (and its second consecutive in NY) that includes Howard Barker's Scenes From An Execution (featuring Broadway star Jan Maxwell in her 3rd collaboration with PTP), Sarah
Kane's Crave, and the NY Premiere of Neal Bell's Somewhere in the Pacific. Performances for the repertory season will run from July 1 to July 26, 2008 in a limited engagement at The Atlantic Stage 2, located at 330 West 16th Street between 8th & 9th Avenues in NYC.

(EVENING A) Crave - directed by PTP's Co-Artistic Director Cheryl Faraone, and Somewhere in the Pacific - directed by PTP's Co-Artistic Director Jim Petosa, will run as a doubleheader and begin previews July 1 for a July 6 opening. Performances of Crave/Pacific will take place on Tue 7/1 at 7:30pm, Wed 7/2 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/5 at 2pm, Sun 7/6 at 7:30pm, Tue 7/8 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/12 at 7:30pm, Sun 7/13 at 2pm, Tue 7/15 at 7:30pm, Wed 7/16 at 7:30pm, Fri 7/18 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/19 at 2pm, Sun 7/20 at 7:30pm, Thu 7/24 at 7:30pm, Fri 7/25 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/26 at 7:30pm.

(EVENING B) Scenes From An Execution, directed by PTP's Co-Artistic Director and Barker's "American ally" Richard Romagnoli, will begin previews July 3 for a July 6 opening. Performances of Execution will take place on Thu 7/3 at 7:30pm, Fri 7/4 at 4pm, Sat 7/5 at 7:30pm, Sun 7/6 at 2pm, Wed 7/9 at 7:30pm, Thu 7/10 at 7:30pm, Fri 7/11 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/12 at 2pm, Sun 7/13 at 7:30pm, Thu 7/17 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/19 at 7:30pm, Sun 7/20 at 2pm, Tue 7/22 at 7:30pm, Wed 7/23 at 7:30pm, Sat 7/26 at 2pm.

Tickets are $24 and go on sale June 10 via Ticket Central online at http://www.TicketCentral.com or via phone at 212-279-4200. $16 student & senior tickets can be purchased via phone or at the box office. For more information on the company visit http://www.PotomacTheatreProject.org

(EVENING A) Crave is a fiery 45-minute exploration of English playwright Sarah Kane's seared and segmented inner self, with four actors delivering impassioned monologues and engaging in fevered dialogue, never making eye contact. The 2000 NY Premiere of Crave starred Blondie's Deborah Harry and was heralded as a welcome sign of artistic maturity for the playwright. Kane regarded Crave as the "most despairing" of her plays, written when she had lost "faith in love." After struggling with severe depression for many years Kane committed suicide in 1999 at the age of 28, and has become a cultural figure in Britain and continental Europe. With
Somewhere in the Pacific by Neal Bell takes place on a troopship at the end of World War II. The ship's captain is haunted by the death of his son in battle; the young Marines under his command are terrified and restless as they are stalked by an invisible enemy. Sex and violence underpin every interaction. Somewhere in the Pacific originally received a workshop production at Playwrights Horizons and will be published in an anthology of plays by Playwrights Horizons in 2008.

(EVENING B) Scenes From An Execution by Howard Barker (author of PTP'S 2007 No End of Blame) deals with the eternally fractious and complex relationship between the artist and the state. Galactia, a 15th century Venetian painter, is commissioned by the State of Venice to portray the Battle of Lepanto, a naval battle described as "the greatest triumph of Venetian history." However, her 1,000 square feet of canvas contains quite a different interpretation. Thus the battle over truth, freedom and responsibility is engaged.

The cast for Scenes From An Execution includes Jan Maxwell as Galactia (Broadway: Coram Boy, Sixteen Wounded, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), David Barlow (Horizon/NY Theatre Workshop, Oroonoko/Theater for a New Audience), Alex Draper (Terrorism/New Group, Get What You Need/Atlantic Theater), Patricia Buckley, Rachel Ann Cole, Allison Corke, Will Damron, Tim Deenihan, Lucy Faust, Justine Katzenbach, Willie Orbison, Peter Schmitz, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki and Robert Zukerman.

The cast for Crave includes Stephanie Janssen, Rishabh Kashyap, Adam Ludwig and Stephanie Strohm.

The cast for Somewhere in the Pacific includes MacLeod Andrews, Michael Wrynn Doyle, Adam Ludwig, Malcolm Madera, James Smith, John Stokvis and Alec Strum.

The Potomac Theatre Project (aka PTP/NYC), nominated for seven Helen Hayes Awards, continues to redefine political theatre for the 21st century with an annual month long repertory season. The company's mandate is the presentation of highly theatrical and thought-provoking work of contemporary social and cultural relevance. In its 21 seasons the voices of PTP's writers have addressed art, pornography, AIDS, homelessness, censorship, totalitarianism, apartheid and gender wars.

PTP was founded in 1987 by the artistic team of Cheryl Faraone, Jim Petosa and Richard Romagnoli and is an outgrowth of The New York Theatre Studio, an Off-Off Broadway company founded by Richard Romagnoli and Cheryl Faraone that produced in Manhattan from 1977-1985. During its 20 seasons (1987-2006) in Washington DC and Maryland, the company produced 75 main stage productions along with numerous new play readings, late night experimental productions and a variety of ancillary events. The
Potomac Theatre Project is affiliated with the Theatre Program of Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont.

The design/production team consists of Laura Eckelman (Lighting Design), Mark Evancho (Set Design) and Hallie Zieselman (Production Manager). Costume Design for Crave/Pacific by Franny Bohar and Execution by Jule Emerson. Sound Design for Crave/Pacific by Ben Schiffer. Stage Manager for Crave/Pacific is Kate Davis and Execution is Amy Bailey.

Appropriate for ages 16 and up. Trains: A,C,E,L to 14 St./8 Ave. or 1 to 18 St.

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