Midwinter Madness Festival Runs At The Times Square Art Center 2/7-27

When the jingle bells have been put away and the bitter cold hits the streets of New York City, it's time for Midwinter Madness! Presented by John Chatterton, the Midwinter Madness Festival raises the curtain on a three-week festival of more than two-dozen one-act works. Running February 7th to February 27th, Midwinter Madness will take place at the Payan Theatre in the Roy Arias Studios, located on the 5th floor of the Times Square Arts Center, at 300 West 43rd Street.

From a woman contemplating leaping to her death from a subway platform, to a struggling artist bemoaning the stress of his craft, to twin sisters who believe their lives are going nowhere, Midwinter Madness offers situations where, out of depression and despair, opportunities for hope and change can materialize; if only one has the courage to take that final step and learn from what has come before.

"I've always been a fan of one-act works," Chatterton explained. "Not only as a form of storytelling, but also because it gives playwrights a chance to see what they've got and gauge the audience reaction before taking it to the next level. I received literally dozens of submissions for Midwinter Madness and, if the audience response is favorable, I'm looking forward to making this an annual event."

The following plays are part of Midwinter Madness:

Hush the Musical Review: A New Age Buddhist, a materialistic businessman, a kooky stewardess and an inept hetman -- need we say more?

Last One Out: Three young comedians vie for an opportunity that could take one of them to the big time.

Matchless.com: A woman tries to navigate the Internet dating scene after 25 years of marriage.

Portrayed: Two 28-year-old twins have done nothing with their lives. Can their younger sister help them before it's too late?

Posing: A one-man show about the (literal) naked truth of a life as a performance artist.

Twisted: A real-estate agent, a prospective buyer and his wife become involved in a dangerous game of revenge and murder.

John Chatterton has been active in New York theatre for close to two decades. He founded oobr (the off-off-broadway review), and began presenting the annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival (now in its 12th year) in 2000. His other projects have included Beyond The Veil (which he wrote and produced), the children's show Captain Marbles And His Acting Squad, The Midtown Cabaret Festival and the ongoing Short Play Lab.

Running February 7th thru February 27th at the Roy Arias Studio in the Times Square Arts Center at 300 West 43rd Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues) on the fifth floor Payan Theatre, each of the shows in Midwinter Madness will play a total of 3 performances over a single week during the Festival's three-week run. Performances begin at 6pm Monday to Friday and run from 12 noon till approximately 11pm on Saturday and Sunday. Individual shows run 30-60 minutes. Tickets for specific shows will be $12.00 or $15.00 and can be purchased by calling 212-868-4444 or going to www.smarttix.com and searching for MIDWINTER MADNESS. All performances are open for review.

Further information on the Midwinter Madness Festival will be released shortly.

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Information for Listing Editors

WHAT:
Midwinter Madness Festival
25 one-act plays in a 21-day period, with a line-up that includes musical revues, one-person performance pieces, comedies, dramas and everything in between-including a lesson on Internet dating and a real estate deal which leads to murder!

WHERE
Roy Arias Studio
Times Square Arts Center
300 West 43rd Street(between 8th & 9th Avenues)
5th Floor (Payan Theatre)

WHEN
February 7th-February 27th
Each show will play 3 performances over the space of a week during the Festival's
three-week run.

Shows run from 6-11pm Monday to Friday
and 12 Noon to 11pm Saturday and Sunday

A complete schedule for Midwinter Madness will be announced shortly.

RUNNING TIME:
30-60 Minutes

TICKETS:
$12.00-$15.00

RESERVATION:
212-886-44444 or www.smarttix.com

SUBWAY INFO:
Take the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 train to 42nd Street