MALE MATRIARCH Plays FringeNYC, 8/18-25

Male Matriarch - the autobiographical story of its star and creator Amir Levi - challenges postmodern gay identity through his cultural desire to create a nuclear family based on traditional values. Strongly influenced by the love stories of his mother and grandmother, Amir shares his Builla's rhythm, his mother's taste in curly-haired men, and thinks he's destined to be the next matriarch of his Mexican Jewish American family. When his first relationship crumbles, dashing his boyhood dreams, he quickly finds that the fairy tale courtships of his beloved matriarchs seem nowhere to be found. Presented by Inventing Room Productions and Jason Najjoum, the show will be directed by Shauna Horn and choreographed by Megan Sipe, with original music by Jesse Soursourian. Following a sold-out benefit at 45 Bleecker last January, Male Matriarch is making its fourth appearance in New York as part of The New York International Fringe Festival at Venue #3: CSV Kabayitos, 107 Suffolk Street, between Rivington and Delancey.

Levi wrote Male Matriarch (formerly titled Te Busco) under the guidance of playwrights Rachel Sheinkin (Tony Award, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Lucy Thurber (Scarcity, 13P) and Adam Bock (A Small Fire, The Drunken City) while Levi was studying at the O'Neill National Theater Institute. Ms. Sheinkin wrote to Amir, "I was very impressed with the commitment and passion you brought to [Male Matriarch], and the observant, nuanced writing...I hope it's a project you'll continue." Since then, Male Matriarch has been developed by directors Portia Krieger and Shauna Horn at Manhattan Theater Source, Emerging Artists Theatre, The Tank, and most recently enjoyed its Off-Broadway debut at 45 Bleecker. For more information on Amir and the show, check out: www.malematriarch.com.

The New York International Fringe Festival - FringeNYC
A production of The Present Company
August 12th - 28th
Tickets: $15-$18. For Information/Tickets visit: www.fringenyc.org

Performances times as follows: (Running time: 65 minutes)
Thursday, 8/18 @ 9pm
Friday, 8/19 @ 7 pm
Saturday, 8/20 @ 2:45 pm
Sunday, 8/21 @ 2 pm
Monday, 8/22 7:30 pm
Thursday, 8/25 @ 7 pm

About Amir Levi:
Amir Levi is a graduate of the Atlantic Theater Conservatory and Atlantic Theater LA. New York credits include Te Busco (45 Bleecker), Turning (Working Man's Clothes), Generic Hispanic (Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre), The Chrome Warrior (Sum of Us Theatre), The Field of Mars: Chapter 1 (Counts Media), Blind Date (Bouchez-Brazda), Requiem (Kirkos), and The World May Be Ending... But at least the sex is good (WOW Café). Outside of NYC: Four Clowns, Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio, Psycho Beach Party (WTF Workshop); Peter & the Wolf. A dancer and choreographer as well, Amir has performed with Alexx & Ann Make Dances as well as Philippa Kaye Company, and is the Artistic Director for The Poisonous Ladies: Amir Levi Dance. Upcoming, you can see Amir as a series regular in the webseries, Unicorn Plan-It, on Autostraddle.com www.theamirlevi.com

About Inventing Room Productions:
Inventing Room Productions was founded by Aaron Diehl and Shauna Horn in 2010 to focus on bringing engaging new works to NY stages and began with developing a production of Male Matriarch for an off-Broadway house. Their most recent production was Loose Women of Low Character at The Gene Frankel Theater, part of The Planet Connections Theater Festivity. In the fall they will present a staged reading of Belle Brezing, the story of Kentucky's legendary turn-of-the-century madam. Aaron Diehl also works in Theatrical Management and Administration. Selected Credits: New York Shakespeare Festival -2007 (Intern - The Public Theater); National Tour of Legally Blonde (Associate with Amanda Lipitz Productions); A Little Night Music, Rock of Ages and the national tour of Young Frankenstein (Assistant to Producers at Frankel Green Theatrical Management). Shauna works primarily as a Stage Director. Selected Credits: Loose Women of Low Character - Gene Frankel Theatre; Te Busco - 45 Bleecker Theatre; Militia Slumber Party, or Embracing the New World Order (GLO Festival) - Theatre 54; Prelude to a Kiss - Studio Players, Inc. (KY).

About Jason Najjoum:
Jason Najjoum is a producer and casting associate from Northern Virginia currently producing and casting the Summer of Lust Series at the cell theater in a co-production with The Hive Theater Company. Recent producing credits include I Married Wyatt Earp (Production Manager; Prospect Theater Company), Another Place (Associate Producer; The Anthropologists at HERE), Bandage (Co-Producer; The Brick), and the Reel Connection Film Festival (Producer; Tribeca). Jason is the resident casting director of The Hive Theater Company, and has worked at Donna DeSeta Casting, Godlove + Company, Strickman-Ripps, and Background, Inc helping cast commercials and other on-camera projects, including Kiefer Sutherland's webseries The Confession. www.jasonnajjoum.com

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