Gerson's Play 'Night' Begins at FringeNYC August 10

The Occasional Theatre will present the world premiere of Night by Philip Gerson, as part of the 11th annual New York International Fringe Festival - FringeNYC at the Connelly Theatre, 220 East 4th Street (between Avenues A and B) on Friday, August 10th at 9:30pm; Sunday, August 19th at 2:15pm, Monday, August 20th at 6:30pm; Wednesday, August 22nd at 9:45pm; and Saturday, August 25th at 4:15pm.

The cast includes: Grant Aleksander (of "The Guiding Light" and "All My Children"), Josh Clayton, Jenn Miller Cribbs, Veronica Cruz, Laurence Lau (of "Another World" and "All My Children"), and Maureen Mueller.  The designers are: Sets by Kerry Chipman; Costumes by Cheryl McCarron; Lights by G. Benjamin Swope and Sound by Stefano Zazzera, and the new play is directed by Michael Lilly.   

Night "tells the dramatic and whimsical story of three couples of different generations who find themselves at life-changing crossroads over one night in NYC.  At the wedding of a young couple, the bride gets cold feet and runs away, and hides in the laundromat at which she worked when she escaped here from Latin America.  Nearby, a middle-aged couple's plans to celebrate their 20th anniversary are ruined, revealing deeper fractures in their relationship because of a tragic secret.  And at a gym, a hot-shot realtor and a young woman with mysterious abilities hook up, seemingly by accident, and turn out to be just what the other needs, but is afraid to face.  Their journeys take them all over night-time NYC, as they intersect with one another, and with a mysterious old woman, who may or may not be a ghost. By dawn, each has begun to unlock the fear that has kept them from fully living," state press notes.

Philip Gerson has written for theatre, television and film.  He wrote for TV's "Murder She Wrote" (for which he was Story Editor) and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (for which he was Co-Executive Producer). 

Gerson's work for theatre includes the book for the musical, The Last Metro, based on Francois Truffaut's film, which was produced by Musical Theatre Works (NYC), and the Colony Theatre (LA).  He also wrote the books for the musical parodies, Fiddler on the West Hollywood Roof and West Hollywood Gypsy, produced in Los Angeles by Charity Parody Productions with the special permission of the original authors to benefit AIDS charities.  He has also wrote and produced the television series "Christy", "Legacy", "Just Cover Me" and "Mysterious Ways"; and wrote the TV movie, "A Change Of Seasons." He is the recipient of the Film Advisory Board Award, The Prism Award from the Entertainment Industry Council, and the Dialogue Award from the Institute for Mental Health. 

All tickets are $15.  For tickets visit www.FringeNYC.org or call, in New York: (212) 279-4488, or outside New York: 1-888-FringeNYC.   Tickets go on sale July 20th. The box office at FringeCENTRAL opens in August, Noon to 8pm, for sales - Cash or Credit Card.  Visit www.night-the-play.com for more information.