'Leaves of Grass' to Premiere at The Cell September 18th

Nude Adaptation of Walt Whitman's Iconic Leaves of Grass Debuts At The Cell in Chelsea, September 18

A daring, completely nude interpretation of Walt Whitman's epic Leaves of Grass will premiere at The Cell (338 West 23rd St.) Thursday, September 18, 2008, through Saturday, September 20.

Conceived and directed by Jeremy Bloom (A Mikvah, The Wendy Complex), "Leaves of Grass" will highlight Whitman's most groundbreaking poem, "Song of Myself", as realized by a chorus of 25 diverse and fully nude performers.

While exposed flesh is enough to intrigue theatergoers, Director Bloom insists that staging nudity in the context of Whitman's text is themost honest approach. Indeed, "Each succeeding line, passage, andturn of phrase celebrates the bare human form as an intersection of nature and industry," states Bloom.

In keeping in line with Whitman's well regarded directness and sensuality, the unclothed bodies will be warmly lit against the stark, white-walled space of The Cell, while interacting with tubs of milk, a lectern, and open windows. It is Bloom's greatest intention, along with the will of the performers, to further connect Whitman's text to that of the natural world.

Tickets are available at the box office of The Cell starting at 6pm on the evening of each performance, or can be reserved by emailing nudeleavesofgrass@gmail.com

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