Never Norman Rockwell Begins Premiere in 2010 MITF at Beckett Theatre, 7/16

Never Norman Rockwell, a new spin on the classic coming out story, begins its premiere at the 2010 Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival July 16th, playing at the Beckett Theatre at Theater Row. Written by Kyle Baxter (the award-winning I Hate Love at MITF, Breeze Off the River at FringeNYC), Never Norman Rockwell is being presented at MITF by The Collective Objective in association with the Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival, and is directed by Anthony Gargano (Initial Sin).

In Never Norman Rockwell, Dan and Shelly are getting married, and in the morning-after haze of Dan's bachelor party, his roommate Jack delivers the news that he's gay! Or bi...Jack's a bit "murky" on the details. But why did Jack decide to reveal it now? It turns out Jack's new boyfriend is the bride-to-be's brother, Mark. As hidden secrets begin to unravel (including a surprise pre-nup pregnancy), chaos ensues, putting the entire wedding weekend in jeopardy, leading up to an unforgettable confrontation in a restaurant men's room. Will Dan and Shelly end up getting married? Nobody knows for sure, but one thing is certain, this unpredictable screwball comedy will leave the audience rolling in the aisles.

The production stars Sarah Barry as Shelly, Dan Belmont as Dan, Austin Mitchell as Jack, & DR Mann Hanson as Mark. The cast also features Elizabeth Allerton, Paul Bellantoni, & Michael Selkirk.

Never Norman Rockwell will run in the 2010 Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street), playing the following performance schedule: Friday 7/16 at 8pm, Saturday 7/17 at 2pm, Saturday 7/24 at 7pm, Tuesday 7/27 at 8pm, and Saturday 7/31 at 9pm. Tickets are $19.25 and can be purchased online at www.ticketcentral.com or by phone at 212-279-4200.

For more information on Never Norman Rockwell, visit: www.collob.com

The Collective Objective racked up several nominations at last year's MITF awards for its productions of The Sword Politik and I Hate Love, winning three, and additionally the coveted Producers Award for I Hate Love. Collective Objective is a group of New York based actors and writers, producing their own work. Pledging to contribute what they have; to listen, learn, lead, love, inspire and build faith, to be more than one, to take upon ourselves, the strength of the many and its needs, to serve the collective objective in all its forms.

The Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival's 2010 Season runs from July 12 - August 1, 2010 at the Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street, NYC; the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor; and the Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor. Tickets are $18 ($15 for Short Subjects). Tickets for shows at the June Havoc Theatre, the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, the Main Stage Theater, and the Jewel Box Theater are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by phone at 866-811-4111. Tickets for shows at the Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row are available at www.ticketcentral.com or by phone at 212-279-4200.

The Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival, now in its eleventh year, celebrates the diversity of theatre. The MITF welcomes theatrical storytelling across a broad spectrum of genres, forms, identities, cultures, and appetites. The MITF seeks to nurture these new ideas, perspectives, and stories on its stages, with an eye set on guiding these productions toward future success and longevity. The festival, traditionally held in summer, represents a fantastic, often paradoxical, adventurous and intriguing cross-section of the forefront of the Theatre World. The MITF proudly hosts production companies from across the country and around the globe, uniting talent in one of the biggest theatre capitals in the world.

Mr. Chatterton created the MITF, a Midtown alternative to other theatre festivals, in 2000 as a way to present the finest off-off Broadway talent in convenience, comfort, and safety. In 2008, the Festival added two 99-seat theatres and inaugurated the Commercial Division for upwardly mobile shows with commercial ambitions. The MITF's artistic emphasis is on the script itself and therefore the Festival requests minimal production values. For more information, visit www.midtownfestival.org.

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