Firehouse Theatre Presents PHOENIX, 12/5

The Firehouse Theatre Project proudly announces a very special Readers' Theatre Series event, Scott Organ's "Phoenix", to be performed Sunday, December 5, 2010. 

The staged reading is directed by Keri Wormwald, produced by Jill Bari Steinberg and stars Firehouse veterans Laine Satterfield and Scott Wichmann. 

Now in its 11th year, the Readers' Theatre Series at the Firehouse Theatre Project features the region's most thrilling artists and is committed to bringing audiences an exciting and unique perspective on the newest gems to emerge in contemporary playwrighting.  Averaging 16 productions a year, these staged readings showcase talent in its most raw and contemplative form for an extremely affordable price.

Written by Chester, VA native Scott Organ, Phoenix had its world premiere at the 2010 Humana Festival and its New York premiere at The Barrow Group.

 Synopsis:
When Bruce and Sue meet four weeks after an uncharacteristic one-night-stand, Sue has this to say to him: one, I had a great time with you that night and two, let's never see each other again. Thus begins a 4,000 mile journey well beyond the confines of their carefully structured worlds. Bruce is fueled by an overwhelming but undefined compulsion to join her in Phoenix. Sue is reluctantly charmed by his persistence, but steadfast in her resolve to keep him at bay. Both are forced to consider a whole new world of possibility, though not one free of difficulty and loss. Phoenix is a dramatic comedy about courage.

"A good time...it seduces you even when you know better...rich, anxious subtext...the actors banter and play and flirt...allow yourself to get intoxicated by the pleasures of...romantic comedy." -The New York Times

"Remarkable...Organ's dialogue is witty and quick, dialogue is humorous without ever sounding forced...as the play progresses, the issues these characters have about life, death, work and commitment reveal themselves in sometimes funny and sometimes poignant ways. The play as a whole is extremely funny, even though the characters find themselves in serious situations. The script always stays genuine to the characters and what they're going through, however, and never sacrifices the work for a joke." -LEO Weekly

"Phoenix is at its best when it surprises...The playfulness and intelligence...make us feel we're in on a smart new joke instead of being way ahead of a stale old one." -Ross Reports

About the Playwright:

An accomplished playwright now living in Brooklyn, NY, Scott Organ grew up in Chester, VA.  Mr. Organ will be visiting the Firehouse to attend Phoenix and will be discussing the work with the audience, cast and crew after the performance.

As a playwright, Scott's work has been commissioned by The Atlantic Theater Company, developed by The New Group and The Barrow Group, and has been performed and work-shopped throughout the United States. His full length play Fixed premiered at the Hangar Theater in Ithaca, New York. His play City was produced at the Circle X Theater in Los Angeles where it won the LA Dramalogue Award for best new play. It was subsequently produced at the 1st New York International Fringe Festival, directed by Tony Award winner Michael Rupert, and at The Flea Theater in New York, directed by Kevin Moriarty.

His short plays China and The Mulligan were published in New American Short Plays 2005, edited by Craig Lucas and have been performed throughout the country. His one-act play and everybody else can be found in Best American Short Plays 2002-2003. His short play Afraid. Yes. Of. premiered Off-Broadway as a part of The Fear Project at The Barrow Group. Many other short plays have been performed at the Atlantic Theater Company's 453 New Works Series, which he helped create.  Scott is also the author of the screenplays Better Man, Ghostkeepers and the original television pilots The Powerball 7 and The Pines.

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