STRIPPED SCRIPTS® in association with LONG ISLAND CITY ARTISTS, INC. Present

STUPID FUCKING BIRD By AARON POSNER
(SORT OF ADAPTED FROM “THE SEAGULL” BY ANTON CHEKHOV)

JULY 6th-21st, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm

THIS PRODUCTION TAKES US DEEP INTO CHEKHOV’S CATHARTIC LOVE QUADRANGLE AS IT ATTEMPTS TO DISCOVER, WITH META-THEATRICALITY, WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE AN ARTIST, AND WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO LOVE.

(New York, NY) – Stripped Scripts® (“Tomorrow In The Battle, an Ars Nova Fling), in association with Long Island City Artists Inc. and The Plaxall Gallery (“Garden Of Delights”), has announced that it will present Aaron Posner’s STUPID FUCKING BIRD, a satirical spin on the Chekhov’s classic text, “The Seagull”, directed by Adam Knight (“In The Room, “Naperville”), running July 6th – July 21st, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at The Plaxall Gallery (5-25 46 Avenue, Long Island City). www.strippedscripts.com

The play, written by Aaron Posner, reimagines Chekhov’s classic text as a contemporary artist’s journey attempting to find new forms of art by living in this present moment. The characters’ stories are at once hysterical, tragic and cathartic as they desperately attempt to find out what it means to be an artist. This meta-theatrical experience, grounded in the disappointment inherent in growing up in the world we live in today, asks the question: Art, Love Happiness… can we have it all?

LIC-A will curate a LIC-A member’s exhibition specifically themed to Stripped Scripts®’ Stupid Fucking Bird titled Yours, And Always, Only Yours. The exhibition will take place in The Plaxall Gallery’s 12,000 sq ft warehouse space. This unique artistic experience will couple visual art with Aaron Posner’s dynamic play, Stupid Fucking Bird. Yours, And Always, Only Yours will open on July 5th, and will be on view until August 5th. Gallery hours: Thursday from 6pm-10pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-6pm.

The cast of STUPID F##KING BIRD features OLIVIER RENAUD (Cirque Du Soleil), JAY WILLIAM THOMAS (”Dementia 13”), MARY RUTH BAGGOTT (“Brokers”), TANA SIROIS (“Broad Comedy”), DAVID LEEPER (“At The Flash”), ALLISON THREADGOLD (“Tomorrow In The Battle”) AND DONAL BROPHY (“Sleep No More”).

AARON POSNER (Playwright) is an American playwright, theatre director, and co-founder of the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia. He has previously adapted The Chosen based on a novel of the same name, My Name Is Asher Lev, based on Potok’s 1972 novel. He has adapted Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya (titled Life Sucks) and Three Sisters titled (No Sisters).

ADAM KNIGHT (Director) is co-founder of the Off-Off Broadway Slant Theatre Project, where he has produced 25 world premieres and worked with artists such as Lucy Alibar, Bekah Brunstetter, Adam Rapp and Mat Smart. NYC credits include projects with Cherry Lane, Ensemble Studio Theatre, aMios Theatre, Poetry Project, Drilling Company, The Tank, 59E59, Roust Theatre Company and HERE Arts Center. Regionally, he has worked at Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Warehouse Theatre, Millbrook Playhouse, PURE theatre, WaterTower Theatre and Williamstown Theatre Festival.

The design team includes art by Paola Martinez Fiterre taking place in the form of a solo show titled Mine, And Always, Only Mine, (on view July 5th-August 5th), lighting design by Eric Goodman, and stage management by Didi Marrero and Marissa Riggs.

Performances of STUPID FUCKING BIRD are on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8PM, July 6th through July 21st.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.strippedscripts.com.

ABOUT STRIPPED SCRIPTS®

Stripped Scripts®’ strives to identify and cultivate exceptional new and previously produced works, hoping to explore unexpected approaches as well as new spaces for presenting theatre. Stripped Scripts®’ was founded by Allison Threadgold in 2014, and hosts unrehearsed reading series stripped of elaborate sets, stage directions and costuming in order to focus on the actor’s spontaneous choices and the words of the text. In September of 2017, Stripped Scripts® presented its first full-length production, with the NYC premiere of Kieron Barry’s Tomorrow In The Battle as part of the Ars Nova Fling.

ABOUT LIC ARTISTS, INC.

LIC Artists, Inc. (LIC-A), is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts advocacy organization founded in 1986 by artists in Long Island City. In October of 2016, Plaxall, a plastics manufacturing company, generously donated a 12,000 sq ft warehouse space to serve as an art gallery and performing arts venue with the intention of creating an exciting and vibrant community fine arts center. LIC-A presents monthly exhibitions, art classes, theatrical productions, dance and music performances special events. (www.licartists.org)

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