Midwinter Madness Kicks Off In Times Square 2/9

The clock is ticking, the hour is drawing near...Midwinter Madness is about to arrive! In just a few short days, New York City will be treated to a stupendously sensational smorgasbord of one-act plays, running from February 9-27 at the Roy Arias Studios, located on the 5th floor of the Times Square Arts Center, at 300 West 43rd Street. Reviewers are welcome at all performances (and encouraged to attend!).

Presented by John Chatterton, Midwinter Madness features a line-up of productions offering everything from the serious to the silly and the sublime to the satirical (just what is the definition of "legal infidelity"?), and is determined to leave no one disappointed.

"I think we have come up with a good crop of shows for Midwinter Madness," Chatterton noted. "We chose those selected with an extreme level of care and we're very happy with the quality of works we're presenting. Hopefully the audiences will be satisfied as well, and want to come back for more."

The following plays are among the lineup of Midwinter Madness:

Act II: What happens when an audience cares more about what's going on off-stage than on? Where the best kind of drama comes from those surrounding what's actually happening.

Heart Beat: A controversial two-character drama about a dying man and a nurse who finds great meaning in the final heartbeats of a life. But is she taking too much comfort in this final act?

Legal Infidelity: A couple married for 22 years decide to try an "open" relationship, but their attempt at swinging only serves to highlight issues they'd rather not face.

Life Recital: Four aspiring artists struggle with success, failure, life in the real world and their dependence on each other.

Prison Song: Best friends find themselves in a conundrum. One is trying to adjust to a radical lifestyle change while the other is trying to let him forget the past. Told from the immense confines of a jail cell.

Standing on the Verge: A husband and wife spend their days wandering in and out of other people's homes and lives. But what happens when one of them wants to stay-for good?

Swish: Maria in the Mourning: A play examining the unbreakable bonds between a mother and daughter, where the American Dream goes continually off the rails.

The Forest: Each year, thousands of people come to the same spot to end their lives. This time, a government representative is sent to dissuade them, but a mysterious thief forces him to look at what's really going on, before it's too late.

The Twisted Cross: After a horrific accident, a husband leaves his wife behind for the world of the unknown, but can he adjust to his new existence or will he be forever bound by something that no longer exists?

With A Shrug: Cleaning out the home of her recently deceased father, a young woman meets the man who knew him best in his final days.

A complete lineup of shows & showtimes for Midwinter Madness is available at www.SmartTix.com.

John Chatterton has been active in New York theatre for close to two decades. He founded oobr (the off-off-broadway review), and began presenting the annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival (now in its 12th year) in 2000. His other projects have included Beyond The Veil (which he wrote and produced), the children's show Captain Marbles And His Acting Squad, The Midtown Cabaret Festival and the ongoing Short Play Lab.

Running February 9th thru February 27th at the Roy Arias Studio in the Times Square Arts Center at 300 West 43rd Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues) on the fifth floor Payan Theatre, each of the shows in Midwinter Madness will play a total of 3 performances over a single week during the Festival's three-week run. Performances begin at 6pm Monday to Friday and run from 12 noon till approximately 11pm on Saturday and Sunday. Individual shows run 30-60 minutes. Tickets for specific shows will be $12.00 or $15.00 and can be purchased by calling 212-868-4444 or going to www.smarttix.com and searching for MIDWINTER MADNESS. All performances are open for review.

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