Cause Célèbre, a not-for-profit theater dedicated to causes and charity, proudly announces the launch ofPart-Time Productions and its inaugural presentation, A Battle of Wills: Internal and External. Thisdebut production, presented in association with The New Group, is an evening of three one-act playsfeaturing award-winning actors, writers and directors. Performances will run consecutive Sundays from May 31 - June 21 at The Acorn @ Theatre Row. Complete schedule and cast line-up is listed below.
Part Time Productions connects theater to causes by opening a dialogue within the context of a theaterevent, raising awareness about a specific cause and offering proceeds from ticket sales to an organizationconnected to the cause. A Battle of Wills: Internal and External explores issues related to mental healthvia three one-act plays.The evening leads with This is On Me, written by Emmy Award®-winning writer Tom Fontana based onthe work of Dorothy Parker and directed by Antony Marsellis. Renowned author, screenwriter and criticDorothy Parker drew inspiration from the time in which she lived, the dazzling and daring Roaring Twenties.
Her work, which earned her an O'Henry Award and two Academy Award nominations, was fueled by herendless battle with men, alcohol and herself. Tom Fontana, having explored the dark side of human nature inhis acclaimed television hits "Oz," "Homicide" and "St. Elsewhere," is the ideal writer to adapt Parker'sthought-provoking and poignant work.
The evening continues with Ashes to Ashes, written by Nobel-prize winning playwright Harold Pinter anddirected by Christopher Hart. In this extraordinary play, a wife's torment has a profound impact upon herhusband, as reality and the inner-workings of her mind become indistinguishable. Regardless of their origin,the wife's troubled thoughts and images are very real - to her.
Love Divided By, written by award-winning writer Susan Charlotte and directed by Emmy winner JohnShea, concludes the evening. During this compelling drama The Audience watches as a sister gives in to herbrother's desperate pleas to meet, only to discover why she has pushed him away. The film version, withoriginal music by Philip Glass, was selected to reopen MoMA's Titus II Theatre.The honoree for this program is The Lieber Recovery and Rehabilitation Clinic for Psychotic Disorders atColumbia University. The Lieber Clinic provides comprehensive psychiatric rehabilitation for individuals withpersistent mental illness. It is particularly suited to patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder,though people with other forms of mental illness may also benefit from its rehabilitation focus.
For more information, please visit http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/pi/cs/lrrc.html. Created by Susan Charlotte (the Founding Artistic Director of the award-winning theater company, Food forThought Productions), Cause Célèbre and its new division Part-Time Productions are devoted tofostering an enhanced understanding of psychological, physical and social issues through theater. Eachmeticulously curated program focuses on a specific issue and consists of performances by the crème de lacrème of the theatrical community.
Cause Célèbre and Part-Time Productions share several purposes: to connect theater with different causes, provide visibility and educate the public vis-à-vis those causes, and tooffer proceeds from ticket sales to a foundation connected to the specific cause of the program. Past CauseCélèbre honorees include The National Meningitis Association (performances by Marian Seldes & KT Sullivan), St. Jude's Hospital (performances by Marlo Thomas & Joan Copeland), The Fortune Society (performances byChristine Ebersol & Mercedes Ruehl), Tina's Wish (performances by Richard Easton & Frances Sternhagen) and The Glaucoma Foundation.
