RSP Announces World Premiere Of Eva Meiling Pollitt's New Play ELEPHANT

Rising Sun Performance Company is pleased to announce that they will be presenting the world premiere of "ÉLÉPHANT", to take place at the 10th annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. The Festival will take place July 11th through August 5th at the Clemente.

Coming off a critically acclaimed 2017 season which included the Award Winning revival of "The Glory of Living", The World Premiere of "Child's Play" and the Company's 12 Week Residency on Governors Island, Rising Sun Performance Company returns to Planet Connections Theatre Festivity for a Fifth consecutive year for the world premiere production of "ÉLÉPHANT" - Founding Artistic Director, Akia will co-direct the production with Anna Hogan, RSP's Associate Artistic Director. "ÉLÉPHANT" is the first mainstage production of their 2018 season, which marks 17 Years of producing Indie Theatre in NYC. The Company continues a dedication to presenting female protagonists and gender parity in their work both onstage and off.

At Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Rising Sun Performance Company previously produced "DONKEY" which was published by Indie Theatre Now, Next Stage Press & Smith and Kraus Anthologies, and received 12 Award Nominations and taking home four. In 2015, they presented "The Firebird" by Tim Errickson, receiving 5 Festival Award nominations, 2016, they presented "Helvetica" which garnered 7 Award Nominations and won for Outstanding Ensemble, Script and Sound, last years revival of "The Glory of Living" received Nine nominations, and won for Outstanding Direction & Lighting Design.

ÉLÉPHANT follows the Story of Clérèse. The only world she has ever known is the 19th century Parisian brothel where her mother, Magdith works as a prostitute. Magdith desperately struggles to protect Clérèse from growing up too fast and out of the clutches of her volatile father. Everything is shaken when a young man arrives at the brothel with his master and Clérèse's belly begins to grow. What is the fantastical thing that grows within her?

ÉLÉPHANT is inspired by an amalgamation of fever dreams, works by Henri de Toulous-Lautrec, the fascinating documentaries "Born in a Brothel" and Netflix's "Whore's Glory", and the playwright's travels to France. ÉLÉPHANT was workshopped as a part of Rising Sun Performance Company's Residency program "Laboratorium" last summer on Governors Island.

ÉLÉPHANT will feature the talents of RSP's critically acclaimed company members and guest artists , culling from a pool of international talent, representing Brazil, Italy, Germany, Israel and the US. ÉLÉPHANT stars Raiane Cantisano (recently seen in Flea's Ms Estrada) as Clérèse and Ita Korenzecher as her mother Magdith (Answers to Apathy). They are supported by a stunning ensemble cast of Eric Parness (Glory of Living, Helvetica), William Serri (Yosef! The Musical, Glory of Living), Laura Lamberti (Terranova), Maera Daniel Hagage, Ayesha Saleh, Maggie Kissinger, Michael Pichardo (Glory of Living, Punk Grandpa) and Danielle Smotrich.

The Design Team includes Costumes by Allison Crutchfield (Award Nomination for Glory of Living), Set Design by Akia Squitieri & Anna Hogan, Lighting Design by Jennifer Burkhardt and Sound Design by Jorge Olivio (Gallery Players, Pan Asian Rep)

With Creative & Production Support: Production Stage Manager Krissy Delahanty, Assistant Stage Managers Jessica Kreisler & Carolyn Becker, Dramaturgy by Andrew Gonzales & Ashley O'Neil, Fight Direction & Dialect by Monica Blaze Leavitt (Transport Group), Assistant Costume Design by Frank New, and production support from Jason Karos, Sarah Manas, Ali Basalyga, Ashley O'Neill, Allie McLoughlin, and Susan Cavalcanti

ÉLÉPHANT Plays the following Performance Schedule as a part of Planet Connections Theatre Festivity :

Wednesday July 11th @5:45PM , Saturday July 14th @ 7PM, Monday July 16th @9PM, Thursday July 19th @ 7:45PM, Tuesday July 31st @ 7:30PM, Friday August 3rd @ 9:30PM

Tickets are $25 and available online at www.planetconnections.org or at the Door.

Additional information can be found online at www.risingsunnyc.com

All performances will be at

Flamboyan Theatre at The Clemente
107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002
Between Rivington & Delancey
Subway: F, M, J, Z to Delancey/Essex

Run Time: 90 Minutes

Categories/Themes: Women's Stories, Survivor Stories, Crime, 1800s Paris

Advisories: Partial Nudity, Violence, Some Sexual Content