Cotter Smith Joins RULES OF SECONDS Cast With Barebones

barebones productions opens its 2018 season with the raucous, black comedy of duels, Rules of Seconds. Written by John Pollono (Small Engine Repair, the film Stronger) and directed by Melissa Martin, Rules of Seconds runs from January 26 to February 17, 2018 in the newly-renovated Barebones Black Box in Braddock. The Opening Night performance is Friday, January 26 at 8pm.

About Rules of Seconds: Set in Boston in 1855, Rules of Seconds uses the code of dueling as its backdrop, spinning a hilarious, hyperbolic tale that asks the question, "How far will a man go to defend his honor?" The Leeds are struggling to make ends meet when Walter Brown, a powerful businessman in town, offers to buy the family's shipping company. All seems fortuitous until a debacle at the contract signing sets in motion a wild turn of events that redefines what it means to be a man-and a woman.

"A lively anachronitic mix [...] Their boots and pistols suggest the drama's 1855 Boston setting, but their F-bombs could get them cast in Quentin Tarantino's next movie." -LA Times

Rules of Seconds is the third play produced in the Barebones Black Box theater, though the first to be launched in the fully renovated space. The first two plays, American Falls and Small Engine Repair, were both performed in the raw under-construction space and both productions enjoyed extended sold-out runs. Rules of Seconds will be making it's East Coast premiere at the Barebones Black Box after a critically acclaimed opening in 2017 in Los Angeles.

"2018 is a big year for barebones," says Patrick Jordan, barebones' artistic director. "We're officially opening the doors of our newly-renovated home, the Barebones Black Box in Braddock. We wanted to kick off the season with a bang, and Rules of Seconds more than fit the bill. Having recently produced the Pittsburgh premier of Small Engine Repair by the same brilliant contemporary writer, John Pollono. We looked to him for a show with the teeth and grit that barebones' audiences have come to expect- and Rules of Seconds more than delivered. The script is smart, irreverent, and funny. The play explores themes of power, gender, and sexual politics. It's a period piece that couldn't be more relevant right now."

Cast members include: Cotter Smith, Robin Walsh, Patrick Jordan, Nancy McNulty, Connor McCandless, Jack Erdie, Dave Mansueto, Wali Jamal, Donald Chang, and, Mickey Miller. The creative team includes Melissa Martin (Director) Robert C T Steele (Costume) and Andrew David Ostrowski (Lighting).

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