Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Opens 25th Season With Cusi Cram's NOVENAS FOR A LOST HOSPITAL

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced details and complete casting for the world premiere of Novenas for a Lost Hospital, a communal experience created by playwright Cusi Cram (A Lifetime Burning) and Rattlestick's Artistic Director Daniella Topol (Ironbound) and starring Tony Award-nominated and four-time Obie-winning actress Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America, Wit). Novenas for a Lost Hospital sets out to remember and celebrate St. Vincent's Hospital, the 161-year-old Catholic institution that treated victims of calamities from the sinking of the Titanic to September 11th. Guided by Saint Elizabeth Seton (Chalfant) and inspired by the caretakers and patients of St. Vincent's Hospital, this unique event takes a 60-person audience on an uplifting journey from an enclosed West Village garden to Rattlestick's intimate theater to the NYC AIDS Memorial Park. Novenas for a Lost Hospital runs September 5-October 13, 2019, at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (224 Waverly Place) with an opening night of September 19. Tickets are on sale now at rattlestick.org.

Joining Chalfant, the 13-member cast for Novenas for a Lost Hospital includes Ken Barnett, Goussy Celestin, Leland Fowler, Justin Genna, Steven Jeltsch, Alvin Keith, Shayne Lebron-Acevedo, Kelly McAndrew, Noriko Omichi, Rafael Sánchez, Laura Vogels, and Natalie Woolams-Torres.

Dramaturg Guy Lancaster writes, "St. Vincent's Hospital was started inside a rented house on East 13th Street in 1849 during a cholera epidemic by four nuns from the Sisters of Charity. It was the first Catholic hospital in Manhattan. Survivors of disasters such as the sinking of the Titanic, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and September 11th were treated at St. Vincent's after it moved to its eventual site on 7th Avenue in 1856. A devastating new plague, HIV/AIDS, would profoundly affect the institution and the surrounding neighborhood from the 1980s onwards as the hospital became a center for AIDS research and treatment. By the time St. Vincent's closed its doors on April 30, 2010, 3,500 employees had lost their jobs. The last Catholic hospital in Manhattan was replaced by a luxury condo development."

The creative team for Novenas for a Lost Hospital includes Edisa Weeks (choreographer), Carolyn Mraz (set designer), Ari Fulton (costume designer), Stacey Derosier (lighting designer), Brian Hickey & Sinan Zafar (co-sound designers), Serge Ossorguine (composer), Rhys Alexander (props designer), Em Weinstein (associate director), P. Tyler Britt (Stage Manager), Jenny Snyder (production manager), Aaron Gonzalez (technical director), Lannyl Stephens (creative partner), and Tara Rubin (casting).

Performances of Novenas for a Lost Hospital will take place September 5-October 13, 2019 (see schedule above) at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, Manhattan. Critics are welcome as of September 13 for an official opening on September 19.

Please note that staggered check-in times will take place at 6:30pm and 7:00pm at St John's in the Village (218 W 11th St.). Guests arriving at the 6:30 time will experience an extended prologue, and audiences at both check-in times will unite for the majority of the event. Due to its traveling nature, audiences are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and to leave heavy bags at home. Coat check is not available.

Tickets-priced $45 general admission, $60 premium reserved seats, $35 for seniors, artists, and groups, and $20 for students-can be purchased by visiting rattlestick.org or by calling 212-627-2556. Standard ticketing fees apply to all orders. Rush tickets will be available for $10 cash only at the Box Office immediately prior to the performance and are subject to availability (visit rattlestick.org for more info).

Novenas for a Lost Hospital was commissioned by The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo & The New York Legislature, and was developed at Space at Ryder Farm. Production support is provided by Small Farm Productions, The Still Point Fund and the Venturous Theater Fund of Tides Foundation.

Subscriptions for the 2019/20 Rattlestick season are $99 for returning members. For new members, subscriptions are $109 if purchased prior to September 1. After September 1, subscriptions are $125. Rattlestick memberships include a choice premium seat for Mainstage shows, discounted guest tickets, unlimited ticket exchanges (subject to availability), advance notice and discount offers to readings, special events, and more.

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