Rapeteta Theatre Announces HURLYBURLY Cast And Design Team

Rapeteta Theatre Company has announced its inaugural production Hurlyburly by David Rabe, coming in April 2020.

The revival is directed by Pitr Strait of Torn Out Theatre (Hamlet, The Tempest) and performed at HB Studio's iconic Playwright's Theatre in New York City. The production will feature women of color in the female roles, embracing Rapeteta's mission to focus on the original intent of the play through the lens of today's moral values.

Mike Nichols directed the original Tony Nominated Broadway production in 1984 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre featuring actors William Hurt, Christopher Walken, Harvey Keitel, Jerry Stiller, Judith Ivey, Sigourney Weaver, and Cynthia Nixon. David Rabe also wrote the 1998 screenplay directed by Anthony Drazan.

Director Pitr Strait is a New York-based director and teacher. A recent graduate of The New School for Drama's MFA program, Pitr is collaborating with authors to develop new plays, researching and revitalizing under-represented extant works from the global stage, and expanding his directing work into short and feature films. His career is rooted in a childhood split between Chicago and France; an education from West African storytellers and 1940's radio suspense tales; and a deep commitment to the theater as a force for positive, tangible change in the world.

In April 2020 Rapeteta will bring their powerful cast to the stage featuring, Nairoby Otero(A Kid Like Jake, Animals Out of Paper, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea), Sarah Villegas(Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew, Nemesis), Supriya Ganesh(Ferment,Pericles), Spencer Scott(Glass Menagerie, Midsummer Night's Dream, The Boys Next Door), Gary De Mattei(The Exonerated, My Fair Lady, A Doctor In Spite of Himself), Stu Chirichella(Modern Day Miracles, This Is Why, Empire's of New York) and Brendan Walsh(West Side Story Tokyo, A Number, Suddenly, Hamlet).

The talented design includes scenic design by Brendan Boston(A Number, The Masses, Vinegar Tom), sound design by Caroline Eng(Madonna col bambino, The Nether, Great Falls), costume designer Sammy Mainzer(The Rats, Twelve Angry Men, Lysistrata), and lighting design by Zach Pizza(Red, Big Bang Theory Parody Musical, Big River) with Anthony Freitas(Hello Dolly, Fifth of July, Spring Awakening) in charge of props and set dressing.

Rapeteta Theatre Company was formed in 2019 by Christine Cornell and Brendan Walsh to produce thought-provoking, emotionally charged work of the highest caliber while demonstrating theatre reaches far beyond the audience. They reimagine classic texts through race and gender and develop new works focused on the ever-changing social and political climate in an inclusive creative environment devoted to respect and tolerance. Rapeteta intends to be a force within the community through fundraisers for groups pertinent to topics explored in each production, inner-city youth workshops, and participating in functions and services for the community, becoming not only a home for performing artists but for the community it serves.

Pitr Strait: Pitr Strait is a New York-based director and teacher. A recent graduate of The New School for Drama's MFA program, Pitr is collaborating with authors to develop new plays, researching and revitalizing under-represented extant works from the global stage, and expanding his directing work into short and feature films. His career is rooted in a childhood split between Chicago and France; an educati

on from West African storytellers and 1940's radio suspense tales; and a deep commitment to the theater as a force for positive, tangible change in the world.

Christine Cornell: is a founding member of Rapeteta and Producer on Hurlyburly. She is a New York performer and teaching artist who received a degree in Vocal Performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Most recently, Christine performed alongside Joanna Gleason in Out of the Eclipse at the Quick Center in Fairfield, and in a concert celebrating the life of Carol Hall at The Times Center. Christine is a member of Actors Equity, Ghostlight Chorus, and Brooklyn Harmonics. She currently teaches voice lessons and co-directs the Brooklyn Harmonics Teens with esteemed music director and colleague Jeffrey Klitz at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

Brendan Walsh: is a founding member of Rapeteta and Producer on Hurlyburly. In April 2019, he co-produced A Number at the Abron's Art Center. A USMC veteran, Brendan returned to NYC to pursue a life in the theatre. He is a graduate of William Esper Studios and holds a BA in Dramatic Studies from Columbia University. Brendan has performed in over 100 theater productions regionally, nationally, and currently Internationally in West Side Story at the IHI Theatre (Tokyo, Japan). In addition to his roles on stage, Brendan has appeared on the Netflix series The Punisher, NBC's The Blacklist, and as a regular on YouTube's second season of Two Dimes. Brendan is consistently working in the development and production of new theatrical works.

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