Photo Flash: Crisis of Masculinity Takes the Stage in VIRGINS & COWBOYS

Virgins & Cowboys is a new, cutting-edge Australian play about Sam, a 20-something year old dude stuck in a dead-end job who meets two women online, both of whom are virgins. As he sets out on a bizarre self-assigned mission to 'be the one who...', things don't go as he had planned and the world literally crumbles around him.

Combining Morgan Rose's darkly comedic social commentary with Dave Sleswick's bold and colourful direction, Virgins & Cowboys dissects and interrogates 21st Century existence. Its twisted and timely premise is used to examine a demographic of people spat out of the other end of the information age-those in a futile and relentless pursuit of happiness.

Virgins & Cowboys points to a contemporary society in which sexism is still deeply ingrained, even in progressive circles. Morgan Rose refers to this as the 'nice guy phenomenon', whereby well- meaning, educated young men claim to be feminists, but continue the long tradition of treating women as either conveniences or inconveniences-as do the characters in the play. Director Dave Sleswick says, "it's ultimately a feminist play about sex, the sexes and about our inability to connect in a hyper- connected digital world, and the pain that disconnection brings us. Morgan's incredibly dark sense of humour, coupled with the eerie social undertones of this play, makes it both a thrill and a challenge to direct."

Morgan Rose has very steadily been cementing her position as a formidable new voice in contemporary Australian playwriting with recent works including desert, 6:29pm (Red Stitch), Death Match (Malthouse), F. (Poppyseed Festival) and Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise (MTC). At the same time, Motherboard Productions have flourished as leading producers of dynamic, award- winning theatre and dance across the country and the globe. Dave Sleswick has also been nominated for a prestigious Matilda Award for Best Director for Or Forever Hold Your Peace (La Boite Theatre 2014).

Following a critically acclaimed season at Melbourne's Theatre Works, Motherboard Productions brings this brilliant and unpredictable production, Virgins & Cowboys to Griffin's Stables Theatre for its Sydney premiere from 30 November - 16 December 2017.

Bookings 02 9361 3817 or www.griffintheatre.com.au
Adult $38 | Concession/Preview/ Seniors/Group+8 $30| Under 35 $30 l Monday Rush $20 Transaction fees of $4 for online bookings and $6 for phone bookings apply

$20 Rush tickets - limited number available online and over the phone on Mondays from noon, for that evening's performance. First in, first served (max 2 tickets per person).

Photo Credit: Lachlan Woods

Photo Credit: Sarah Walker