World Premiere of BRANCHED to Begin Performances 2/13 at HERE

InViolet will present the World Premiere of BRANCHED, an over-the-top comedy by Erin Mallon. Directed by Robert Ross Parker (Vampire Cowboys), previews begin February 13 at HERE in SoHo. Opening night is slated for Thursday, February 20.

In BRANCHED, the Jenkins-Laurence family of Park Slope lives better than you. They have classical music nights, family connection time, and Mommy and Daddy schedule a vigorous "recreation" session once a week. But after noted empowerment author Tamara Jenkins gives birth to a not-quite human baby, their lives veer in new directions. Her five-year-old son acts out, her husband thinks of straying, and Tamara questions her superior lifestyle. Branched is an outrageous, biting satire with heart that will make you question helicopter parenting, the price of success, and what it means to give your family the best in life.

The production stars Marguerite Stimpson (The Elephant Man with Bradley Cooper), Tara Westwood (My Best Friend's Wife with John Stamos and & Tony Roberts), Andrew Blair (Food Network's Giving You The Business), and Michelle David (This is Fiction with Richard Masur) with puppet design by David Valentine, set and lights by Nick Francone, sound by Shane Rettig, costumes by Khristina Makowski, stage management by Fran Rubenstein, and production management by Dylan Luke.

Robert Ross Parker is the co-Artistic Director of the Obie Award-winning Vampire Cowboys with Qui Nguyen, with whom he has co-authored and directed She Kills Monstaers (The Flea), Vampire Cowboy Trilogy and A Beginner's Guide to Deicide, and directed Soul Samurai, Fight Girl Battle World (IT Award nominee for best direction, best production, winner best ensemble), Men of Steel, Living Dead in Denmark, and Alice in Slasherland. Other recent directing credits include Goodbye Cruel World (Roundtable Ensemble), Hamlet{solo} (Edinburgh 07, SoloNOVA 08 at PS 122, Canadian tour), Children's Letters to God (national tour), StaiNed Glass Ugly, Slicing Andre, Lady Convoy (NYC Fringe) and numerous readings for Ensemble Studio Theatre. At the Toronto Fringe, Robert directed Pseudolus and A Midsummer Night's Dream Project for Cabbagetown Theatre. He was the associate director for Silent Laughter off-Broadway, the assistant director for High Fidelity on Broadway, and has assistant directed at many theatres including EST, People's Light and Theatre Co, Toronto's Soulpepper and Barrington Stage. He is the editor of The Dramatist, the journal of the Dramatists Guild of America. In March, Robert will direct Carla Ching's Fast Company at EST.

Erin Mallon is an actor, writer and voice artist living in NYC. Recent acting credits include: Mac Wellman's one-person play Horrocks (and Toutatis too) (Sleeping Weazel), Nightmares (Buran Theatre), Eric John Meyer's The Sister (Dutch Kills), Sibyl Kempson's River of Gruel (Prelude) and Sara Farrington's plays Mickey and Sage and Requiem for Black Marie (Incubator Arts Project). Erin's plays have been presented with Urban Stages, The American National Theatre, Last Frontier Theatre Conference, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Amios Theatre Company, The Great Plains Theatre Conference, InViolet Rep and The Brooklyn Generator.

InViolet was founded in 2008 by an assembly of actors committed to diversifying their talents into writing, directing, and producing. The company is under the Artistic Direction of Michael Henry Harris and Angela Razzano. Their inaugural production was Richard Etchison's Force Majeure at Abingdon Theater in 2008, followed by critically acclaimed productions of Melanie Maras' Kiss Me on the Mouth (directed by Stephen Adly Guirgis) in 2009, Michael Henry Harris' 40 Weeks (directed by Danton Stone) in 2011 and Megan Hart's This Is Fiction (starring Richard Masur) at The Cherry Lane in 2012.

This production is a part of the Sublet Series@HERE, HERE's curated rental program, which provides artist with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.

BRANCHED runs February 13 - March 8, Monday & Thursday - Saturday with an added performance Weds. March 5. All performances are at 8:30pm. HERE Arts Center is located at 145 Avenue of Americas at Dominick Street, one block south of Spring Street (accessible from the C,E trains at Spring Street). The box office is open after 5pm on show days or 2 hours before any performance. Tickets are $18, available at 212-352-3101 or www.here.org.

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