Friday, August 24, 2007

Extended run!

A Beautiful Child is part of the FringeNYC Encore series, one of twelve shows from the 11th International New York Fringe Festival to have extended runs in late August and September 2007.

“This eloquent and hypnotic play is a revelatory and unforgettable encounter with two very distinct and provocative celebrities. Gracefully produced by the
Courthouse Theater Company, it is one conversation you don’t want to miss.”

Off Off Broadway Online

"There's joy to be found in hearing Capote's prose aloud ... Ben Munisteri's hypnotic choreography anchors us firmly in Monroe's fragmented world"
New York magazine

"a gem of a one-act play" Curtain Up

"immensely satisfying" nytheatre.com

Tuesday 9/4 @ 9:30pm
Wednesday 9/5 @ 7pm
Friday 9/7 @ 7pm
Saturday 9/8 @ 9:30pm
Tuesday 9/11 @ 7pm
Friday 9/14 @ 9:30pm
Saturday 9/15 @ 3pm
Sunday 9/16 @ 9:30pm

The Bleeker Street Theatre
45 Bleeker Street at Lafayette
(6 train to Bleeker Street)

Tickets are $18 and go on sale Monday, August 27. To purchase tickets and for more information call 212-691-1555 or visit www.FringeNYC-EncoreSeries.com.

Industry comps: Please contact associate producer Jane Mayer at janemayer@gmail.com

Press: Ron Lakso at Spin Cycle press@fringenyc.org

Information: abeautifulchild@gmail.com

Monday, June 4, 2007

The Courthouse Theatre Company and Michael Howard Studios are proud to present A BEAUTIFUL CHILD as part of the 11th annual New York International Fringe Festival—Fringe NYC. Joel Van Liew and Maura Lisabeth Malloy are featured in this production directed by Linda Powell, with choreography by Ben Munisteri, set design by Lara Fabian, lighting design by Travis McHale, and costume design by Ellen Reilly. A BEAUTIFUL CHILD is produced with permission of the Truman Capote Literary Trust.

A BEAUTIFUL CHILD is based on a nonfiction piece by the same name from Capote’s collection "Music for Chameleons." In 1955, Capote and Marilyn Monroe attended the funeral of Constance Collier, Marilyn's acting coach. Afterward, the two friends spent the day together touring the streets of Manhattan, from midtown to the South Street Seaport. Capote tells of their exploits on that afternoon, presenting a wry, insightful, and very human portrait of the actress who at this point in her career had become in his words "a platinum sex explosion."

Joel Van Liew plays Truman Capote. His recent credits are the world premiere of WELL by Lisa Kron at the Public Theatre, the world premiere of THE PAVILION by Craig Wright at the City Theatre in Pittsburgh, and LAW AND ORDER. Maura Lisabeth Malloy plays Marilyn Monroe. Her recent credits include STEEL MAGNOLIAS at St. Michael’s Playhouse in Burlington, Vt., and CRIMES OF THE HEART at Heritage Rep in Charlottesville, Va.

This production is Linda Powell’s directorial debut. Her acting credits include the Tony-nominated revival of ON GOLDEN POND with James Earl Jones, a recurring role on LAW AND ORDER: SVU, and the films I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE and NORTHERN KINGDOM. Linda is a member of the Women’s Project’s Producers Lab. Ben Munisteri is an NYC-based choreographer whose work has been produced at the NYC Fringe Festival (1998), the Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, the Whitney Museum, Central Park SummerStage, and the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.

Lara Fabian has designed for the Williamstown Theater Festival, Weston Playhouse, and Bard College Center for Performing Arts. She has worked as an assistant designer with Allen Moyer, Tony nominee for GREY GARDENS, and Neil Patel (ALL THAT I WILL EVER BE by Alan Ball, New York Theatre Workshop). Travis McHale designed scenery and lights for the New York premier of Jim Wann's new musical THE PEOPLE VS. MONA at the Abingdon Theatre. Other design credits include the Barrow Group and Lincoln Center Institute. Ellen Reilly designed costumes for the Courthouse Theatre Company’s critically lauded PEAS AND CARROTS (FringeNYC 2003) and has designed for productions with Emerging Artists Theatre and TOSOS II.

The Courthouse Theatre Company’s two previous FringeNYC outings are PEAS AND CARROTS (2003) by company member Stephen O’Rourke and BACK FROM THE FRONT (2004) by Lynn Rosen. Michael Howard Studios, which sponsored a workshop of A BEAUTIFUL CHILD earlier this year, is an acting studio founded in 1953 by teacher and director Michael Howard. The studio offers a one-year conservatory program and workshops and ongoing scene-study classes for professional actors.

The Creative Team

  • Linda Powell, Director
  • Maura Malloy and Joel Van Liew, Producers
  • Jane Mayer, Associate Producer
  • Ben Munisteri, Choreographer
  • Lara Fabian, Set Designer
  • Ellen Reilly, Costume Designer
  • Laura Bonner, Publicist
  • Scotti Rhodes, Publicist

The Cast

  • Joel Van Liew as Truman Capote
  • Maura Lisabeth Malloy as Marilyn Monroe