Casting Announced For THE SEANCE MACHINE at The Tank

The Tank will present the World Premiere of The Séance Machine, written by EllaRose Chary and Brandon James Gwinn (Cotton Candy and Cocaine with Theater C; TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat/The Tank), co-produced by Kimberly Hyacinthe and directed by Julia Sears (Bullet Catchers with Women in Combat Theatre Project; Wives Tale with Exquisite Corpse Company), at The Tank (312 West 36th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues), October 10-31.

Just in time for Halloween, The Tank's World Premiere production of The Seance Machine blends sci-fi and horror to create an immersive, soundscape driven theatrical experience

Do you believe in time travel? Do you believe in ghosts? Do you believe in... science? What if you could listen to the voices of the past as easily as you listen to your favorite podcast? Join us for this unique theatrical demonstration - the unveiling of visionary scientist Dr. Carolyn Blau's Mechanical Wave Reassembly Hypercardioid Sequencing Module.

The Tank's World Premiere production of The Seance Machine is the brainchild of collaborators EllaRose Chary and Brandon James Gwinn, award-winning writers of The Tank's sold out TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix. Together they also curate Tank-aret, a monthly cabaret series at The Tank featuring underrepresented artists. www.theseancemachine.com

The cast will feature Jonathan Cruz (national tour of The Hollywood Special Effects Show), Ilana Gabrielle (Coming: A Rock Musical of Biblical Proportions at FringeNYC 2014), and Lisa C. M. Lamothe (Incredibly Deaf Musical at NYMF Festival) with Lighting Design by Annie Garrett-Larsen (Virgin at Ars Nova; A Shared Evening of Dance at HERE), Set Design by Susannah Hyde (Associate Designer, Hadestown on Broadway), Sound Design by Brandon James Gwinn, and Costume Design by Brandon James Gwinn and EllaRose Chary.

Performances will be on Thursday, October 10 at 7pm & 9:30pm, Friday, October 11 at 7pm, Saturday, October 12 at 7pm, 9pm & 11pm, Thursday, October 17 at 7pm & 9:30pm, Friday, October 18 at 7pm, Saturday, October 19 at 7pm, Friday, October 25 at 7pm, Saturday, October 26 at 7pm, 9pm & 11pm, Monday, October 28 at 7pm & 9pm, Tuesday, October 29 at 7pm & 9pm, Wednesday, October 30 at 7pm, and Thursday, October 31 at 7pm, 9pm & 11pm. Tickets ($20) are available for advance purchase at www.thetanknyc.org. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes, with no intermission.

llaRose Chary (Co-Writer) is an award-winning New York based writer and an advocate for inclusion in media. Credits include Cotton Candy and Cocaine (Theater C), TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix (Rhinebeck Writers Retreat; The Tank), Patchwork (Prospect Theater Commission), Queer. People. Time. (Catwalk Residency), The Lorikeet (The Flea Theater Commission), The Doll Maker's Gift (The Rose Theater), and the Malaysian musical Marrying Me (BOH Cameronian Arts Award Winner). Other projects: The Lake and the Mill (Drama League; Judson; Finalist, Kernodle New Play Award; Great Plains Theatre Conference 2019), Six Months in New Hampshire (Harvard Residency), Patriettes (The #Fword Finalist), and The Civilians' Lobby Projects at City Center Encores! Off-Center). EllaRose is an Dramatists Guild Fellow, Ars Nova Uncharted resident, The Civilians R & D Group alum, Musical Theater Today Contributing Editor, NYFA Fellowship Playwriting/Screenwriting Finalist, Kleban Prize Finalist, a BOH Cameronian Arts Award Nominee (Best Lyrics), Theatre Arts Guild Nominee (Outstanding New Work), recipient of the Anna Sosenko Grant and a NAMT grant, and a proud member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. BA: Brown University; MFA: NYU Tisch. www.ellarosechary.com

Brandon James Gwinn (Co-Writer) is the composer and co-lyricist of TL;DR. THELMA LOUISE; DYKE REMIX (Rhinebeck Writer's Residency, The Tank), THE THINGS I DON'T SAY, COTTON CANDY & COCAINE (Theatre C), QUEER.PEOPLE.TIME. (Dramatist Guild Fellowship), and UNDERWEAR: A SPACE MUSICAL (2008 New York International Fringe Festival, 2012 American College Theatre Festival). His music and lyrics for MATCHMAKER MATCHMAKER, I'M WILLING TO SETTLE premiered at The American Repertory Theatre in Boston and the 2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival. He wrote songs for The Civilian's Lobby Project musicals before (and based on interviews about) the City Center Off-Center productions of SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD and WORKING. Brandon is also the composer and co-lyricist of the New York Theatre Barn Commission SMALL TOWN STORY which received the National Alliance of Musical Theatre Writer's Residency Grant, was a finalist for the Richard Rodgers award, was featured in the Village Theatre New Musicals Festival in Seattle, and received its World Premiere at American Theatre Group in Spring 2018. He has been an artist in residence at Ars Nova and was a 2015-2016 Dramatists Guild Fellow. Proud NARAS Grammy Voter and ASCAP Member. MFA from NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. www.brandonandella.com

JULIA SEARS (Director) Shakespeare in Love (Opera House Arts), Hamlet (The Horse in Motion) Bullet Catchers (Clutch Productions), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Opera House Arts), Unequilibrium (HERE Arts), The Life Model (On The Boards), Artaud Artaud (Signature Theatre), Kit & Dabney (Live Source @ La MaMa), Three Sisters (Barn Arts Collective), The Human Incubator (The World Egg), Liliya, Wives Tale (Exquisite Corpse Company), Bitch: A Play About Antigone (Capital Fringe Festival). She is a member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers and a resident artist with Exquisite Corpse Company. In addition, she works as an intimacy and fight director. She has trained with the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Shakespeare Library, American Shakespeare Center, Synetic Theatre, The Shakespeare Forum and is graduate of the University of Washington. www.juliasears.org