New Group's INTIMACY Begins Performances Off-Broadway Tonight

The New Group continues its 2013-2014 season with the world premiere of Intimacy, a new play by Thomas Bradshaw. Directed by Scott Elliott, Intimacy features David Anzuelo, Austin Cauldwell, Ella Dershowitz, Laura Esterman, Daniel Gerroll, Déa Julien and Keith Randolph Smith. A limited Off-Broadway engagement plays January 14 - March 8 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (The Acorn Theatre / 410 West 42nd Street), with Official Opening Night set for Wednesday, January 29 at 7:00pm.

Come on a surprising journey with three families in a well-manicured, multi-racial American town. When secrets and sexual desires suddenly explode, pleasant neighborly relations take some shocking and transformative turns. Following his recent premieres Burning (The New Group, 2011) and Job, Thomas Bradshaw is back with a boisterous and revealing comedy about race, sex and intimacy. Directed by Scott Elliott, Intimacy explicitly explores on stage what goes on behind closed doors, between the sheets, and sometimes even...in front of the camera.

Intimacy features David Anzuelo (Off-B'way: Knives and Other Sharp Objects - LAByrinth Theater Company), Austin Cauldwell (Off-B'way debut), Ella Dershowitz (Film: Phil Spector; Off-B'way debut), Laura Esterman, (TV: MildrEd Pierce; Off-Bway: The Old Boy - Keen Company, Marvin's Room - OBIE, Drama Desk Award); Daniel Gerroll (B'way: High Society, The Homecoming; Off-B'way: Translations; Psychopathia Sexualis; recipient Theatre World Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, OBIE Award), Déa Julien (Off-B'way debut) and Keith Randolph Smith (B'way: Fences; Come Back, Little Sheba; King Hedley II; Off-B'way: Jitney).

This production includes Set Design by Derek McLane, Costume Design by Scott Elliott, Lighting Design by Russell H. Champa, Sound Design by Shane Rettig and Video Design by Olivia Sebesky. Associate Costume Designer is Kristine Koury.

Thomas Bradshaw's plays include Job (The Flea, 2012), Burning (The New Group, 2011), Mary (Goodman Theater, 2011), The Bereaved (Crowded Fire, 2013, Partial Comfort, 2009, The State Theater of Bielefeld in Germany), Southern Promises (PS 122, 2008), Dawn (The Flea, 2008) and many more. Mr. Bradshaw received his M.F.A. from Mac Wellman's playwriting program and is Professor of Playwriting at Northwestern University. He has been featured as one of Time Out New York's Ten Playwrights to Watch and Best Provocative Playwright by The Village Voice. He has received Fellowships from The Lark Play Development Center, Soho Rep. (Streslin Fellow) and New York Theater Workshop. He was the Playwright in Residence at The Soho Theatre in London in February 2009. He is the recipient of a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship and the 2012 Award from the Foundation of Contemporary ArT. Bradshaw has received commissions from Soho Theatre (London), The Goodman Theater, Soho Repertory Theater (New York), The Flea Theater, Theater Bielefeld (Germany) and Partial Comfort Productions. He is currently working on commissions from the Goodman Theater, Manhattan Theater Club and the Foundry Theater as well as developing a TV series for HARPO and HBO. He is the recipient of a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship, the 2010 Prince Charitable Trust Prize and the 2012 Award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

Scott Elliott is an award winning stage director, filmmaker and the founding Artistic Director of The New Group. New Group directing credits include the new musical Bunty Berman Presents..., with book & lyrics by Ayub Khan Din and music by Ayub Khan Din & Paul Bogaev; Francine Volpe's The Good Mother; Erika Sheffer's Russian Transport; Thomas Bradshaw's Burning; Tommy Nohilly's Blood From A Stone (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play); and the 2010 musical The Kid (Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical; Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations for Outstanding Musical); Groundswell; The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; Hurlyburly; Ayub Khan Din's East is East and Rafta Rafta...; Wallace Shawn's Marie and Bruce, Aunt Dan and Lemon and The Fever; and 5 plays by Mike Leigh: Two Thousand Years, Abigail's Party, Smelling a Rat, Goose-Pimples and Ecstasy. His Broadway credits include Present Laughter, Barefoot in the Park, The Threepenny Opera, The Women and Three Sisters. Other directing credits include The Monogamist (Lortel Award and Drama Desk nomination); the American premiere of Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; Jon Robin Baitz's The End of the Day; and Kiki & Herb: Coup de Théatre. Scott is an associate artist at the Roundabout and is currently developing a TV show for Scott Free productions.

Most recently, The New Group (Scott Elliott, Artistic Director; Geoff Rich, Executive Director) was represented Off-Broadway by the New York premiere of Beth Henley's The Jacksonian, directed by Robert Falls and featuring Ed Harris, Glenne Headly, Amy Madigan, Bill Pullman, Juliet Brett (extended run played through December 22). Last season, The New Group presented the world premieres of Francine Volpe's The Good Mother directed by Scott Elliott; Jonathan Marc Sherman's Clive, directed by and featuring Ethan Hawke; and the new musical Bunty Berman Presents..., with book & lyrics by Ayub Khan Din and music by Ayub Khan Din & Paul Bogaev. In its 2011-2012 season, the company presentEd Thomas Bradshaw's Burning, the extended run of Erika Sheffer's Russian Transport (both directed by Scott Elliott) and David Rabe's An Early History of Fire directed by Jo Bonney. Other recent productions include Tommy Nohilly's Blood From A Stone featuring Ethan Hawke (Obie winner); the revival of Wallace Shawn's Marie and Bruce starring Marisa Tomei and Frank Whaley; One Arm by Tennessee Williams, adapted and directed by Moisés Kaufman; A Lie of the Mind; The Kid; Groundswell; The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; Hurlyburly; Mike Leigh's Two Thousand Years, Abigail's Party, Smelling a Rat, Goose-Pimples and Ecstasy; Wallace Shawn's The Fever and Aunt Dan and Lemon; Kenneth Lonergan's The Starry Messenger featuring Matthew Broderick and This is Our Youth; Kevin Elyot's Mouth to Mouth and My Night With Reg; and Ayub Khan Din's East is East and Rafta, Rafta.... The New Group is a recipient of the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical (Avenue Q). The New Group and Artistic Director Scott Elliott were honored with a Special 2010-11 Drama Desk Award "for presenting contemporary new voices, and for uncompromisingly raw and powerful productions."

In Spring 2014, The New Group presents the New York premiere of Sharr White's Annapurna, directed by Bart DeLorenzo, starring Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman.

Intimacy plays January 14 - March 8 as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 7:00pm; Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8:00pm; with matinees on Saturday at 2:00pm. For each performance, a strictly limited number of $25 tickets will be available in the first two rows. Regular tickets are $65.00. Premium tickets are $85.00. Tickets may be arranged through www.telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200, or at the Theatre Row Box Office (12-8 PM daily).