Photo Flash: THE PROVIDENCE OF NEIGHBORING BODIES Opens Off-Off Broadway

Dutch Kills Theater (In Quietness, The Sister) presents the World Premiere of THE PROVIDENCE OF NEIGHBORING BODIES by Jean Ann Douglass at Theater 511.  It is directed by Jess Chayes, who has just been awarded the 2017 League of Professional Theater Women Lucille Lortel Award. Opening is slated for Thursday, February 23. An Ars Nova Fling.

It’s an exciting day for Dora here in North Providence, Rhode Island. Today is the day Dora is going to make coffee, go outside, and make friends with Ronnie. Ronnie lives in the apartment next door, so of course they were meant to be friends. Ronnie isn’t sure how she wound up living in North Providence for all these years, with a balcony overlooking the parking lot and the weird hill across the street. But here they both are, where nothing exciting has really happened since the great beaver purge of the mid-20th century. That is, until Jane shows up at Ronnie’s door. Maybe she’s just the distraction they need.

THE PROVIDENCE OF NEIGHBORING BODIES stars Amy Staats (The Mad Ones' Miles for Mary, The Last Class: A Jazzercise Play), Lori Parquet (Mac Rogers' The Honeycomb Trilogy) and Dinah Berkeley (Stop The Virgens, directed by Adam Rapp at St. Ann's Warehouse). The production team includes Carolyn Mraz  (set), Evan Prizant  (costumes), Derek Wright (lighting), Asa Wember (sound), Chris Chappell (original music compositions) and Allison Raynes (stage manager).

Jess Chayes is a Brooklyn-based director and founding co-artistic director of The Assembly, with whom she has co-created and directed eight original productions, including I Will Look Forward To This Later (New Ohio Theater/IRT Theater Archive Residency) and HOME/SICK (NY Times Critics’ Pick). Recent directing includes Half Moon Bay (Lesser America), Primal Play (New Georges), The Bachelors (Williamstown Theater Festival), The Sister (Dutch Kills), and The Netflix Plays (Ars Nova). She has developed new work with The Vineyard Theatre, The Playwrights Center and New York Theatre Workshop, among others. Jess is a NYTW Usual Suspect, a co-founder of New Georges Jam artists’ lab, and alum of The Civilians R&D Group and Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab. She was Associate Director on the Broadway productions of Peter and the Starcatcher and Misery. www.jesschayes.com

Jean Ann Douglass is a playwright and artist whose plays include Ladycation, and Some Editing And Some Theme Music. Her work has been presented at Predlude '14, Motherlodge Live Arts Exchange, FringeNYC, and New Orleans Fringe. Jean Ann is a New Georges Affiliated Artist, and has received artist residencies from MASS MoCA, The Brick, chashama, and The Field. She is the co-founder of The Truck Project and Human Head Performance Group, which she established with her partner, Eric John Meyer. They have produced original work in 24' Budget rental trucks all over the country, published a book of their plays titled Truck Plays, and most recently presented Due To Events as part of The Brick's Artist-in-Residence program. She holds and MFA from Brooklyn College and a BFA from Tulane University. www.jeananndouglass.com.

THE PROVIDENCE OF NEIGHBORING BODIES runs through March 11. Performances are February 17, 19, 23, 26, March 1, 3, 5, 8 & 10 at 7:00pm and February 15, 18, 22, 27, March 2, 4, 7, 9, & 11 at 9:00pm. Theater 511 is located at 511 West 54th Street at 10th Avenue -- accessible from the C & E trains at 50th Street. Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.dutchkillstheater.com.

Lori Parquet in The Providence of Neighboring Bodies. Photo by Christopher Genovese.

Lori Parquet & Dinah Berkeley in The Providence of Neighboring Bodies. Photo by Christopher Genovese.

Dinah Berkeley in The Providence of Neighboring Bodies. Photo by Christopher Genovese.

Lori Parquet & Amy Staats in The Providence of Neighboring Bodies. Photo by Alley Scott.

Amy Staats in The Providence of Neighboring Bodies. Photo by Alley Scott.

Lori Parquet, Amy Staats & Dinah Berkeley in The Providence of Neighboring Bodies. Photo by Alley Scott.