The Play Co, Mexico's Por Piedad Teatro Present WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY

The Play Company will present the U.S. debut of WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY, which the company will present in collaboration with Mexico City-based Por Piedad Teatro. Presented as a Studio Production -- which is not open for review -- WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY will perform January 5 to 15, 2012 at The Flea Theater (41 White St.) in Tribeca.

Originally an Oscar-nominated Italian film "Una Giornata Particolare" ("A Special Day") that was written and directed by Ettore Scola and starred Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY was first developed and adapted for the stage in Spanish by two of Mexico’s most prominent theatre artists, Laura Almela and Daniel Giménez Cacho.

The Play Company/Por Piedad Teatro production of WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY will develop the new English language production of the play during the course of its 10-day Studio Production at The Flea. The English translation of WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY is by Fernando Gambaroni.

Inspired by Scola's 1977 film, two actors – Por Piedad Teatro’s Ana Graham and Antonio Vega -- explore the life-changing encounter between an overworked housewife and a mysterious bachelor, set against the backdrop of rising fascism on the day of Hitler’s 1938 visit to Mussolini's Italy. With only simple props and the power of the imagination, the actors create a performance that celebrates the essence of theatre.

"Una Giornata Particolare" received two Academy Award nominations including for Best Foreign Language Film.

WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY is the latest production by The Play Company that features the debut of a foreign play's English-language translation: previously PlayCo presented the debut of Khemiri's Swedish play INVASION! as well as Toshiki Okada's Japanese play ENJOY.

The Play Company is an Off-Broadway theatre now in its 12th year, producing a global program of adventurous new plays by U.S. and international playwrights who bring unique perspectives on the world in the 21st century. Recent productions include the NY premiere of Lloyd Suh's AMERICAN HWANGAP (U.S.), the U.S. premieres of Przemyslaw Wojcieszek's MADE IN POLAND (Poland); Robert Farquhar's BAD JAZZ (England), Vijay Tendulkar's SAKHARAM BINDER (India); Yoji Sakate's THE ATTIC (Japan); and The Presnyakov Brothers' TERRORISM (Russia); as well as world premieres of the American plays SMASHING by Brooke Berman, HIGH DIVE by Leslie Ayvazian and EDGEWISE by Eliza Clark. PlayCo received a 2007 Obie Award for its "unique contribution to the theatre community" and INVASION! won a playwriting Obie for Jonas Hassen Khemiri.

Por Piedad Teatro is a theatre company with its roots in Mexico City. With a production history of more than 10 years, Por Piedad Teatro's past productions in Mexico include THE GOLDEN DRAGON by Roland Schimmelpfennig (Germany); PLAYING THE VICTIM by Oleg and Vladimir Presnyakov (Russia); LADIES AND GENTS by Paul Walker (Ireland); PSYCHOSIS 4.58, CRAVE and BLASTED by Sarah Kane (UK); THE COUNTRY by Martin Crimp (UK); SOME EXPLICIT POLAROIDS by Mark Ravenhill (UK); GRACE AND GLORY by Tom Ziegler (US); A BUSINESS WOMAN by José Enrique Gorlero (Argentina); and INTERIORS by Woody Allen (US). Pursuing the dialogue between the two cultures ?Mexican and American? so close to one another and yet so different, Por Piedad Teatro is committed to theatre of the highest quality, seeking to create a bridge of mutual collaboration, generating links at every level, joining forces with the most talented theatre professionals from both countries by opening lines of communication that allow for mutual understanding.

Ana Graham studied theatre at the Núcleo de EstudiosTeatrales in Mexico City. She is Artistic Director and founder of Por Piedad Teatro, where she has spent most of her career as an actress, producer, translator and costume designer for productions including: THE GOLDEN DRAGON, LADIES AND GENTS, PLAYING THE VICTIM, PSYCHOSIS 4.48, CRAVE and BLASTED (Best Actress and Best Translator by APT) THE COUNTRY, SOME EXPLICIT POLAROIDS for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by APT; GRACE AND GLORY by Tom Ziegler, for which she was awarded Best Young Actress by APT; and INTERIORS. Outside Por Piedad she is remembered by her performance in Ibsen's HEDDA GABLER, Peter Shaffer's EQUUS and David Mamet's SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO. She has worked with such directors as Daniel Giménez Cacho, Enrique Singer and Matín Acosta. She starred in the film "Mezcal" by Ignacio Ortiz, for which she received an Ariel nomination as Best Actress and in "Cuento de Hadas para Dormir Cocodrilos." In 2003 she was awarded the annual grant for performing artist from Mexico’s National Fund for the Arts. In 2011 Ana Graham was appointed Ambassador of Tourism in recognition of her contribution to art and Mexican culture.

Antonio Vega is an actor, playwright and translator with a degree in performing arts from the ETX Jalisco School of Theater. He has also trained at Teatro Estudio, The Mexican Improv League; Odin Teatret in Holstebro, Denmark; The American Institute of Comedy, The Magnet Theatre Training Centre, HB Uta Hagen Studio in New York City and the Actor’s Center in London, England. He has worked with directors such as Daniel Veronese, Daniel Giménez Cacho, and Martín Acosta. Some of his credits include: THE LONESOME WEST by Martin McDonagh, Thomas Vinterberg’s FESTEN and WOMEN DREAMING OF HORSES by Daniel Veronese. In 2004, He joined Por Piedad Teatro and has appeared with the company in THE GOLDEN DRAGON, SOME EXPLICIT POLAROIDS, THE COUNTRY, PLAYING THE VICTIM, among other plays. His credits as a translator include THE GOLDEN DRAGON, PSYCHOSIS 4.48, LADIES AND GENTS and PLAYING THE VICTIM. As a part of INTAR's 2010 New Works Lab he directed Fernando Gambaroni's one-man show "JUST DON'T TOUCH ME, AMIGO."

WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY has lighting design by Gabriel Pascal, sound design by Rodrigo Espinosa and costume design by Ana Graham.

Scheduled January 5 to 15, WORKING ON A SPECIAL DAY has the following performance schedule: January 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11,12,13 and 14 @ 7pm; with additional performances January 7 @ 11am, January 8 @ 4pm, and January 15 @ 2pm. General admission tickets are $20, reserved seats are $25 and tickets can be purchased online at www.playco.org or by calling 212 352 3101.

The Play Company’s 2011-12 season will continue in February with the New York premiere of THE UGLY ONE by German playwright Marius von Mayenburg, directed by Daniel Aukin, co-produced with Soho Rep in association with John A. Selzer.

The Flea Theater is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement, Obie and Otto awards, The Flea has presented nearly 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include the premieres of Anne Nelson's THE GUYS: six plays by A.R. Gurney (POST MORTEM, O JERUSALEM, SCREENPLAY, MRS. FARNSWORTH, A LIGHT LUNCH and OFFICE HOURS); and plays by Mac Wellman, Roeger Rosenblatt, Elizabeth Swados, Karen Finley, Adam Rapp, Will Eno, Thomas Bradshaw, Jonathan Reynolds, Bathsheba Doran, Steven Banks, Trista Baldwin and Lauren Haines. For more information about The Flea Theater, visit www.theflea.org.

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