US Premiere Of THE HARROWING OF HELL Announced At American Theatre Of Actors

Sometime in the 13th century, an anonymous author wrote a short play detailing the events of the Harrowing of Hell, when, after dying, Jesus went to Hell to rescue all the prophets imprisoned there. This play, one of the first ever written in English, was so popular it survives in multiple sources, but has never been performed in the United States. Newly translated into modern English, you may see this play in April at the American Theatre of Actors. In it, Jesus, vanquishes Satan, and then goes on to release Adam, Eve, and others from their hellish imprisonment.

Also on the program is another medieval play, "The Fall of the Angels," dating from the 14th century, which shows how Satan came to be cast into Hell in the first place, along with a performance of "The Soliloquy of Satan," by the 20th century American poet Elliott Blaine Henderson. The actors will also perform music from the Middle Ages.

Appropriate for the Easter season, these short plays show how their authors attempted to deal with the presence of evil in a comical way. This production will take you back centuries and enable you to see drama never before performed in New York.

The text of "The Harrowing of Hell" has been translated and adapted by Dr. Jeff S. Dailey, who is also the stage director.

Performances will be held Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2pm. April 10th through April 21st, 2019. Tickets are $20 and may be reserved by calling 212 581 3044 or may be purchased at tdf.org.

The production is directed by Jeff S. Dailey, noted as a specialist in the works of Sir Walter Scott and as a stage director specializing in verse drama. His recent productions include dramatic versions of Anglo-Saxon poems and the works of the pre-Shakespearean playwright John Bale. The cast features Benjamin Beruh, Jeremy Carter, Connor Chaney, Ben Hayslett, Justin Little, Monty Renfrow, Logan Roberts, Sabrina Fara Tosti and Christopher Yoo.

Founded in 1976 by James Jennings, the American Theatre of Actors is one of New York City's oldest Off-Off Broadway theatres, presenting dozens of performances of both classical and contemporary plays each year. The American Theatre of Actors is located at 314 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019, accessible by the N, Q, and R trains at 57th Street and the 1, A, B, C, and D trains at Columbus Circle.

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