The Kitchen Extends MATT & BEN

Due to popular demand, Kitchen Theatre Company is extending the run of the final play of the season, Matt & Ben, by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers. The play will now run through June 17, with five added performances:

Wednesday, June 13 at 7:30 PM

Thursday, June 14 at 7:30 PM

Friday, June 15 at 8:00 PM

Saturday, June 16 at 8:00 PM

Sunday, June 17 at 4:00 PM

On Friday, June 15th, we are also adding a special event: a post-show discussion with Matt & Ben actors Caitlin Nasema Cassidy and Lilli Hokama and Students United Ithaca leaders Eamon Nunn-Makepeace and Prachi Ruina. The conversation will focus on issues of representation on stage, from the Matt & Ben actors' experience as women playing men in this play to the Students United Ithaca movement to fight discrimination in Ithaca City School District productions.

About the Play:

Matt & Ben is a comedy about friendship, fame, and two well known public figures. Two guys, buddies since high school, eat junk food and work on their first screenplay: a film adaptation of Catcher in the Rye. "Adaptation is the highest form of flattery!" they say. They are getting nowhere fast when all of a sudden, a finished script falls from the ceiling. The script is "Good Will Hunting". What will Matt Damon and Ben Affleck do with their newfound luck? Matt & Ben starts with this ridiculous premise and adds another unexpected twist-Matt and Ben are both played by women. Writers Mindy Kaling (of TV's The Mindy Project and The Office) and Brenda Withers originated the roles and performed in the original hit Off-Broadway run of the play.

"I am so excited to be bringing this side-splittingly funny play to Ithaca!" says Kitchen Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director M. Bevin O'Gara. "It's the perfect start to summer, it's a Corona with a lime, sitting on your back patio eating chips and guac kind of play. And having all these amazing and hilarious women in the room together marks the end of my first season at the Kitchen in exactly the right way-with an amazing team of fabulous ladies."

Matt is played by Caitlin Nasema Cassidy and Ben is played by Lilli Hokama, both NYC-based actors making their Kitchen Theatre Company debuts. The production is led by an all-female artistic team: director Shana Gozansky, scenic designer Anna Grigo, lighting designer Annie Wiegand, sound designer Pornchanok Kanchanabanka, costume and properties designer Megan Parker, and fight choreographer Ashley Brenon. The production stage manager is Jennifer Schilansky. Casting is by Lisa Donadio.

Special events for Matt & Ben include Pay What You Can Nights on May 27 and 29 and Actors' Forum discussions after the shows on June 1 and 8. There will be a special "Drag Mixer" on Wednesday, May 30. Come in drag and get Pay What You Can tickets for that night too! All of our Preview performances (May 27, 29, 30) will feature special Summer Sangria offered for free before the show. Opening Night of Matt & Ben is on May 31 and includes a post-show reception with delicious food from Just a Taste and Emoticakes. On Tuesday, June 5, our Press Play series, a collaboration with Cinemapolis, continues with a showing and discussion there of the film Connie and Carla. For more events and information, visit kitchentheatre.org.

The Show Co-Producer for Matt & Ben is MAGUIRE FAMILY OF DEALERSHIPS. The Media Sponsor is WSTM NBC3.

Photo: The cast of MATT & BEN: Caitlin Nasema Cassidy & Lilli Hokama. Photo by Dave Burbank