RECOVERY to Make World Premiere at Broadway Bound Theatre Festival

Twenty-five years after the devastating attacks of September 11, Gary Marlon Gere (Taxicab Chronicles) will bring his personal new play, RECOVERY, to the stage with its world premiere at the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival, running August 13-15 at AMT Theater. The production is directed by Dennis Oliveira.

A recovery worker at the World Trade Center in the aftermath of 9/11 and later named an Honorary Battalion Chief by the FDNY, Gere wrote RECOVERY not as a political statement. Rather than attempting to explain the events of September 11 or assign blame, the play bears witness to the aftermath-to the men and women who remained behind to undertake the unimaginable work of recovery and the private reckonings that followed. It asks audiences to confront questions of faith, humanity, and resilience in the wake of national tragedy.

Reflecting on the play's long journey to the stage, Gere said:

"I kept a journal to write my thoughts, as I was struggling to get by. It was not until 2002/3 when I went to see a 9/11-themed play called THE GUYS that I realized I had a story to tell. It was not until January 2005 that I finally sat down and wrote the story arc for RECOVERY, which was originally called AMERICAN BROTHER. I was so moved by the people I worked with and the things I saw that I felt I needed to craft a story for the stage."

'Writing the play has been therapeutic as I feel the play is a form of "giving back" to the memories of those who died on 9/11 and those dug for the missing, many of whom have passed away from 9/11 cancers and illnesses. The play can be an extended source of healing for those who experienced 9/11 and a source of education for those who were not even born when 9/11 happened. And yes I cried many times when writing the play as I was forced to time travel back to a period that I had suppressed. The play for me is a form of self sacrifice.'

ABOUT RECOVERY

Three months after September 11, as New York City struggles to find its footing, the work of recovering the missing at the World Trade Center site has only just begun.

As Leo works the pile through the long night, he encounters other recovery workers, including Chief William Henry, who oversees the operation and increasingly challenges Leo's presence there - and Rev. Mitties McDonald, a British minister who works in the Ground Zero morgue, while also providing spiritual support to workers amid the devastation. Also present-through flashbacks-is his mother, Violet Camp, and his young daughter Brittani - whose voices and presence haunt Leo's thoughts as he struggles with grief, guilt, and the weight of survival.

The play moves between the brutal physical reality of the recovery effort and the inner world of memory, faith, and loss. Johnny, a new recovery worker also searching for his missing brother, arrives at Ground Zero and turns to Leo to learn the rituals and artistry of the dig. An unlikely bond forms between them amid the wreckage.

The production features Johnny Cannizzaro, Clara Bishop, Desiree Baxter, Michael Bertolini, Michael Basile, and Denise Lute.

The creative/production team includes Julien Bilodeau (music composition), D. Michael Heath (music consultant), Gary Marlon Gere (lyrics), Alayna Klein (scenic design), Peter Papangelopoulos (sound design), Levi Morici (lighting design), and

Jamie Chen (stage management).

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