Julian Sheppard's OWNED Begins Previews at TBG Theatre Tonight

Knife Edge Productions will present the World Premiere of OWNED by Drama Desk Award nominee Julian Sheppard. Directed by Sam Helfrich, previews begin tonight, April 26 at TBG Theatre. Opening night is slated for Thursday, May 2.

In OWNED, Ray and Ed are bartenders who know what they want. Morgan is a rich girl who wants everything. When Ray and Ed get a last shot at fulfilling their dreams, what could possibly go wrong?

The production stars Don DiPaolo, Susannah Hoffman and Neil Holland with a production team that includes Eric Southern (lighting), Blanca Añón (set), Nancy Leary (costumes), Daniel Spitaliere (sound design) and Chelsea Parrish (production stage manager).

Julian Sheppard's Buicks received 2 Drama Desk nominations, including Outstanding Play. His play Los Angeles premiered in New York the Flea Theater in 2007 directed by Adam Rapp. His short play Skin & Bones was commissioned for and premiered in StageFarm's "Vengeance" at Cherry Lane. His other plays have been produced in New York at Soho Rep, Blue Heron Arts Center, Lincoln Center Directors' Lab, Juilliard, Cherry Lane, MCC Performance Lab, and developed at the Public, MTC, NYTW, NYS&F, MCC and others. Julian's plays have been produced throughout the U.S. His work is published by Dramatists' Play Service and Playscripts, Inc. Julian is a member of MCC Theatre's Playwrights Coalition, and is a graduate of Juilliard. He currently teaches playwriting at ESPA.

Sam Helfrich directs both opera and theater. Recent opera highlights include Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking at Eugene Opera, Andre Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire at Virginia Opera, the American premiere of Philip Glass' Kepler at Spoleto Festival/USA, Adams' Nixon in China at Eugene Opera,a fully staged Messiah with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Don Giovanni with Yale Opera, The Turn of the Screw at Boston Lyric Opera, Philip Glass' Orphée at Virginia Opera, Portland Opera, and Glimmerglass Opera, and Anthony Davis' Amistad at Spoleto Festival/USA. His recent off-Broadway production of Tape, by Stephen Belber, played to wide acclaim.

Knife Edge Productions was formed in 2008 by Neil Holland and a fellow graduate of William Esper Studio to produce a revival of Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter. After the success of Red Light Winter, fellow William Esper Studio graduate Don DiPaolo and director Sam Helfrich joined Knife Edge Productions to stage a critically acclaimed Off-Off Broadway revival of Stephen Belber's Tape in 2011. OWNED marks the company's first premiere of a new play. For more info visit www.knifeedgeproductions.com.

OWNED runs tonight, April 26 - May 11, Monday & Wednesday - Saturday at 8pm with additional performances Saturday, May 4 at 6pm & 10pm (please note that there is no 8pm show that night) and Tuesday, May 7 at 8pm. TBG Theatre is located at 312 West 36th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues -- accessible from the 1,2,3,C & E trains at 34th Street. Tickets are $18, available at 212-868-4444 or www.knifeedgeproductions.com.