the cell Adds Five Performances for DANCING AT LUNACY and BLOOD

the cell, Nancy Manocherian (Founding Artistic Director) and Kira Simring (Artistic Director) today announced five additional performances of their World Premiere production of Seamus Scanlon's DANCING AT LUNACY and Larry Kirwan's BLOOD, directed by Simring.

This series, The Irish Cell, is currently playing a limited engagement at the cell (338 West 23rd Street New York, NY 10011). Performances, which began Thursday, March 1, were initially slated to close Monday March 19, will now continue through Friday, March 30. Press are invited to any performance.

The cell theatre combines the one-act plays of Larry Kirwan, lead singer of Black47, and Seamus Scanlon, writer of Irish short stories, into an evening of provocative, inimitably Irish theater. Dancing At Lunacy and Blood explore the highly charged issue of Irish Republicanism and how it still affects the Irish psyche.

Dancing at Lunacy stars Brett Aresco (The Flea, Ars Nova, 45 Bleecker Theater, O'Neill Theater Center, Westport Country Playhouse) as Barman, Ciaran Byrne (Doubt, My Left Foot) as Doyle, Phil Callen as Pender, Spencer Leopold-Cohen as Drinking Customer, Paul Nugent* (The Field at Irish Rep, Venus Observed at Boomerang) as McGowan and Todd Pate* as Ahern.

Blood stars Ciaran Byrne (Doubt, My Left Foot) as James Connolly and Paul Nugent* (The Field at Irish Rep, Venus Observed at Boomerang) as Patrick Pearse. The role of Sean MacDermott is Jed Peterson (McCarter Theater, Utah Shakespeare, Prospect Theater Company).
The production features scenic design by Joseph Croghan (Timber Lake Playhouse, Ensemble Studio Theater) and costume design by Rachel Guilfoyle (The Legend of Julie Taymor). Stephanie Riddle is the sound designer, Tim Eliot is the fight choreographer, Ellie Bye is the props designer, Amy Jo Jackson is the dialect coach, and Samantha Koegh is the dramaturgy. The casting director and general manager is Jason Najjoum, marketing and publicity by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR and Alison Andersen is the stage manager.

The Irish Cell plays the following regular schedule through Friday, March 30:

Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 8 p.m.

There will be an additional performance and talkback on Monday, Mar 19th at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $12 and are now available online at www.thecelltheatre.org or by calling 1-800-838-3006. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the cell, ½ hour prior to performance

Running Time: 100 minutes (with intermission)

Website: www.thecelltheatre.org