World Premiere of THE FEAST Begins Previews Next Month at The Flea

The Flea Theater has announced the World Premiere of Cory Finley's comedy THE FEAST. It is directed by Flea Resident Director Courtney Ulrich (White Hot), featuring three members of The Bats, the resident acting company at The Flea. Previews begin March 4 with opening slated for March 15.

In THE FEAST, Matt and Anna's relationship is going swimmingly, until the sewers under their apartment open up and begin to speak. The plumber is angry, Matt's paintings are getting stranger, and a storm is gathering. An eerie comedy about what is real, what is not and who knows what.

The production starss Ivan Dolido, Marlowe Holden (a cautionary tail, The Cutthroat Series), and Donaldo Prescod (The Wundelsteipen, Future Anxiety). The creative team includes Andrew Diaz (Set Design), Travis Boatright (Costume Design), Scot Gianelli (Lighting Design), Elliot Davoren (Sound Design), Cristina Pitter (Props Master) and Colleen McCaughey (Stage Management).

Cory Finley is a Brooklyn-based playwright and a member of Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theater and the Clubbed Thumb early career writers group. His plays include The Private Sector (Theater for the New City, Icicle Creek Theater Festival @ ACT Theater), Brenda (FringeNYC), and Animals (ANTFest). He's a Sloan grantee and is developing an electronic musical through Uncharted at Ars Nova. His work has been presented by Prospect Theater Company and the apprentice company at the Actors Theater of Louisville, and included in the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

Courtney Ulrich is a New York based director, originally from London. Past directing credits include White Hot (The Flea), Asking For Trouble (Ensemble Studio Theater), #serials@theflea, Harvest (Atlantic Theater Conservatory), Encounters (Kid Brooklyn Productions, IRT), American Nightcap (INTAR), 7x7 (The Tank), Sousepaw: A Baseball Story (Shelby Company), The Love of Richard Nixon (24 Hour Plays). She has also worked with New Dramatists, Atlantic Theater Conservatory, Target Margin Theater, Rising Circle Rep, The Foundry Theatre, Cornerstone Theater Company in LA, Sojourn Theatre Company and Arena Stage in DC. She is an SDC Observership Fellow and took part in Old Vic New Voices. She has a B.A. from Georgetown University.

The Flea Resident Director Program is an intensive program that invites young directors to work in support of The Flea's season under the supervision of Artistic Director Jim Simpson. Residents direct readings and workshops with The Bats throughout the season with the goal of a full production. Resident director productions include My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer, Mary-Kate Olsen is in Love, The Recommendation, a cautionary tail, White Hot, I Hate Mexicans, Job, The Wundelsteipen, The Electric Lighthouse, American Sexy, Just Cause and Smoke.

The Bats are the resident acting company members of The Flea Theater. Each year over a thousand actors audition for a place in this unique company. The Bats perform in extended runs of challenging classic and new plays. The Bats have recently appeared in premieres by A.R. Gurney, Will Eno, Adam Rapp, Beau Willimon, Mac Wellman, Elizabeth Swados, Thomas Bradshaw, Itamar Moses, Sheila Callaghan, Julian Sheppard, Ken Urban, Tommy Smith, Jonathan Reynolds, Trista Baldwin, Laurel Haines, Qui Nguyen, Sean Graney, and Amy Freed.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement, Obie Awards and an Otto for political theater, The Flea has presented over 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include the premieres by Steven Banks, Thomas Bradshaw, Bathsheba Doran, Will Eno, Karen Finley, Amy Freed, Sean Graney, A.R. Gurney, Hamish Linklater, Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio, Itamar Moses, Anne Nelson, Qui Nguyen, Adam Rapp, Jonathan Reynolds, Roger Rosenblatt, Elizabeth Swados, and Mac Wellman. Recent successes include Drama Desk nominated She Kills Monsters, These Seven Sicknesses and Restoration Comedy, The Mysteries and eight World Premieres by A.R. Gurney including the WSJ Best New Play of 2013, Family Furniture.

THE FEAST runs March 4 - April 5 with performances Thursday - Saturday at 9PM and Sunday at 7PM, plus an additional performance on Wednesday, March 4 at 9pm. Tickets are $15 - $35 with the lowest priced tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Flea Theater is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines. Purchase tickets by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.

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