Bouvy, Strafford, Warren and Steeves Lead CRADLE AND ALL Reading

kef theatrical productions is thrilled to announce the upcoming staged reading of Jay Russell's CRADLE & ALL on Wednesday, May 11th at 7:00 PM at the ArcLight Theatre. The theater is located at 152 West 71st Street between Broadway and Columbus and tickets may be reserved by calling 212.802.8284 or by emailing info@kefproductions.com. The reading is free and open to the public, reservations are highly recommended as seating is limited.

CRADLE & ALL will feature Steven Strafford (Spamalot, Las Vegas) Harry Bouvy (Silence! The Musical), Amy Warren (August: Osage County) and Finnerty Steeves (Almost, Maine). The reading will be directed by kef's Artistic Director, Adam Fitzgerald.

CRADLE & ALL is the story Alex (Strafford) and Martin (Bouvy) and their quest to adopt a child. Encountering countless obstacles and personalities (played by Warren and Steeves) along the way, this modern gay couple find themselves on the road to fatherdom, until one day everything changes. Throughout Russell's dark comedy, CRADLE & ALL explores parenthood in today's world and asks who really is fit to raise a child.

Jay Russell (Playwright): Cradle & All is Jay's first full-length play. He was co-author and co-star of An Evening With Burton and Russell (Rattlestick, Ars Nova, Chashama, NY Fringe Festival). As an actor, Jay was seen on Broadway in The Play What I Wrote (directed by Kenneth Branagh) and Off-Broadway in Our Town (Barrow Street), The Normal Heart (Public), Around the World in 80 Days (Irish Rep), Novel (SPF) and more. National tours include Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere) and Applause. International: Fully Committed (English Theatre of Vienna) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (English Theatre of Frankfurt). Regional Favorites include: A Civil War Christmas (Long Wharf), Noises Off (Arena), Natural Selection (Humana ), Gross Indecency (Rep Thtr of St. Louis), Mystery of Irma Vep (Cincinnati Playhouse), Midsummer Night's Dream(Utah Shakes) and more. Film and TV: Morning Glory, Louie, Ugly Betty, The Sopranos, Bored to Death, The Unusuals and numerous Law & Orders. Jay also teaches acting and records audio books.

Adam Fitzgerald (Director) is a founding member and Artistic Director of kef theatrical productions. With kef Adam directed Killing Women, Lyric is Waiting, V, Roll, Corpus Christi, Artists Rising, Michael Pesce's Old Fashioned Piano Party, Girl in the Goldfish Bowl, The Female Terrorist Project. Other credits: Directing Resident at Playwrights Horizons assisting Wilson Milam, Bartlett Sher and Kate Whoriskey on plays by Nicky Silver (Three Changes with Maura Tierney), Craig Lucas (Prayer for my Enemy with Victoria Clark and Jonathan Groff) and Christina Anderson (Inked Baby with LaChanze); Artistic Associate at Playhouse West (where his production of Defiance garnered Critics Circle nominations for Director and Production; Top Ten Productions of 2007 by the Contra Costa Times); Other directing: Ground Up Productions, EST Youngbloods, 12 Miles West, Diverse City Theater, First Look Theatre Co. (NYU), The SF Theater Festival and the FringeNYC (at the Cherry Lane) and Fringe Encores (at Soho Playhouse) productions of A Contemporary American's Guide to Modern Marriage © 1959. Current projects include Methtacular! and Don Creedon's The Lobby (Producer Ellen Cohn in association with Randall Wreghitt Productions).

kef theatrical productions is an artist run company producing exciting and relevant theatrical works. Currently, kef is running Israela Margalit's First Prize (also at The ArcLight). Recent productions include critically acclaimed extended run of Lyric is Waiting (at Irish Rep), Killing Women (at Theatre Row) and (as Associate Producer) the Drama Desk Award winning revival of Israel Horovitz' Lebensraum. www.kefproductions.com