Photo Flash: In Rehearsal with THE LOVE SONG OF SIDNEY J. STEIN at Fresh Fruit Festival

A Gay Relationship Story for the New Millennium, Brian C. Petti's The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein will run July 12, 13 & 14 at the The Wild Project theatre as part of All Out Arts' Fresh Fruit Festival - NYC. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsals!

The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein follows the relationship of titular Sidney, a 45-year-old former prostitute working at an NYC half-way house, and Dennis, an 17-year-old streetwalker. Sidney, snide, funny and guarded, tries to set Dennis straight despite Dennis' immaturity and indoctrination into the street life. They begin tenuously living together, though Dennis is not quite willing to give up his past. Both end up bringing out something in the other that is revealing and unexpected. With humor and pathos, Love Song explores the struggle to truly connect with another human being, and the role one's past plays in dictating one's future.

The cast of The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein features Jim Pillmeier and Dalton Gray, and is written and directed by Brian C. Petti.

Brian C. Petti (Playwright/Director) has been produced Off-Off Broadway (Masquerade, Before the Parade Passes By, Hindenburg-the Musical) and regionally (Next Year in Jerusalem, The Measure of a Man, On the Expectation of White Christmases) by such companies as Ten Grand Productions, The American Theater of Actors, Inc. and The Duplex Cabaret. Masquerade was staged at Cherry Lane Theater in NYC and Next Year in Jerusalem was the winner of the Humboldt State University National Play Contest in California, where it received a student production. The Measure of a Man and On the Expectation of White Christmasesare published by JAC Publishing and Promotions, and Banshee is published by Next Stage Press. Echoes of Irelandwas recently produced in County Cork, Ireland by the Skibbereen Theatre Society and is published through Eldridge Plays and Musicals. Ten Seconds was produced by Motivational Theatre as winner of the Carlton E. Spitzer Excellence in Playwrighting Award.

Jim Pillmeier (Sidney J. Stein) had the remarkable pleasure of creating and portraying Sidney J. Stein throughout the Tri-State area and NYC in Mr. Petti's first two installments of this trilogy, Everything's Coming Up Roses and Before the Parade Passes By. Jim has worked with Just Off Broadway, Inc. for many years in roles such as Reuben/Potifar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Max, The Sound of Music, Bobby, A Chorus Line, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, A Few Good Men and numerous productions of Godspell. Other credits include Rudy, Bent, Renfield, Dracula (Tanys Awards). Jim is beyond thrilled and so grateful to be given the gift that is Sidney once again. Thank you God! Dalton Gray (Dennis) is a senior in the BFA Acting program at Rutger's University. He is returning from studying at Shakespeare's Globe in London where he played Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Other Rutgers credits include Blue Room and Home Free, as well as a devised work, Alonedom: tuck-it-away and other stories. He was also in an Off-Off-Broadway production, King's River.

Fresh Fruit Festival was the creation of two long established LGBT community arts groups: New Village Productions, established in 1989, had produced ten LGBT short play Festivals including an international short play Festival in conjunction with the Vineyard Theater and Gay Games 1994. New Village Productions was committed to diversity and the celebration of difference, both in selection of material and by inclusion of disabled and minority artists. All Out Arts' mission since 1991 has been to bring together the diverse artistic, organizational, political and financial resources of the LGBT community to foster awareness of the value of LGBT arts. All Out Arts fulfills its mission by supporting arts organizations within the community through fiscal sponsorship, lectures, contests, collaborations, networking events for emerging artists, and by sponsoring productions, concerts and displays of visual arts. Throughout, their motto remains Fighting Prejudice Through The Arts.

The Wild Project, located at 195 East 3rd Street on the Lower East Side, as part of the Fresh Fruit Festival. Tickets are $18.00 and will be sold online via OvationTix.com. Running time is approximately 80 minutes. Additional information: http://pettiplays.wikispaces.com/The+Love+Song+of+Sidney+J.+Stein.

Photo Credit: Mary Ellen Nelligar

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