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.
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.
