Theatre Horizon Announces First Norristown Family Selected For Art Houses Presentation

Theatre Horizon's Art Houses program is proud to announce the third show of the innovative series, which partners professional theatre artists with families and households throughout the Greater Philadelphia region to create original performance works that will be presented on a monthly basis. This is the first time that a Montgomery County family has been selected for the program. The Napoli Family, who reside in Theatre Horizon's hometown of Norristown, Pennsylvania, will present their Art Houses show on February 27 at 7:30PM.

Meet Rob and Mary K Napoli, a happily married couple, who -for the first time in 24 years - are excited to have an empty nest...that is, until global pandemic and semi-truck accident bring all three of their children (and their pets) back home. With Kat, RJ, and Frankie all back at home, the Napoli household is full of laughs, personalities, and maybe just a little too full at times. Audience members will be able to meet the Napoli's in this part-comedy, part-tradegy, and see how they keep putting one foot (or boot) forward.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Napoli family to our Art Houses program," notes Theatre Horizon Artistic Director Nell Bang-Jensen. "Having this Norristown-based household present their family's vibrant story demonstrates Theatre Horizon's commitment to our local community. The members of the Napoli family all have varied interests, but are all tied together by a love for performing and creating."

The Napolis are a family from Norristown, Pennsylvania, located in Montgomery County. Mary Kay and Rob met while studying acting together at Catholic University and since have instilled a love of the arts in their three children: Kat, RJ, and Frankie. When they have a rare free moment to themselves, the family enjoys watching and analyzing TV, playing Scattergories, and having lively discussions over home cooked meals. Kat lives in North Philadelphia and works in the Wannamaker Building as a copywriter. RJ studies politics and drama at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Frankie started college this year and is looking forward to being on an actual campus next year. The Napolis also have many pets: Stark (an energetic Weimaraner), Charcoal (cat), Bruce (cat), Gouda (Kat's cat), and Tony (Frankie's turtle), making for a very full house during quarantine.

"We have always been passionate about the arts as a family. However, we have never been able to perform as an entire family together before in front of people," said Mary Kay and Rob Napoli. "We are excited to be able to work, create, and perform something together as a family for the first time! This year especially, we have learned the importance of time together. Being able to spend this time as a family doing something we are all passionate about is an amazing opportunity for us all."

The Art Houses program, created by Bang-Jensen, allows professional theater artists to guide Philadelphia and Norristown area households in creating and performing an evening of original theater. The piece will be performed in the participant's home and live streamed to Theatre Horizon audiences. Art Houses will be rehearsed and performed online, giving participants the opportunity to experience a professional theater process from the comfort and safety of their home. The content of the shows will vary depending on each household's story, and may include scenes, songs, monologues, and poetry.

The Napoli's Art Houses program will be co-directed by Bradley Wrenn and Jenna Horton. The family will perform their original work live from their home on the Zoom platform for one performance only, February 27 at 7:30PM. Zoom links to the live streamed performance will be provided after ticket purchase from Theatre Horizon's website, theatrehorizon.org. The first 80 ticket holders will receive a "mystery box" in the mail before the performance with contents chosen by The Napolis and the creative team. These boxes will provide a tactile relationship to the show, and mimic the surprise of a live performance. For more information, visit theatrehorizon.org.

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