Photo Flash: DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING at The Cherry Lane Studio Theatre

The Off-Broadway theatre company The Playwrights Realm - currently in its 3rd season - presents the World Premiere of DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING - a new play by Christopher Wall and directed by Callaway Award recipient Giovanna Sardelli. Previews begin tonight, June 4th prior to an official press opening of June 10th Off-Broadway at The Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street) in Manhattan.

Caught in the space between the past and present, four people revisit one life-changing event in Christopher Wall's powerful, mind-bending new drama. DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING was a finalist at the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, as well as the SPF, PlayPENN and Sundance conferences. Wall's unique vision unfolds among a field of capsized washing machines and a rainstorm of grass to reveal a haunting story of lost love and childhood dreams.

"Christopher Wall is an amazing talent," stated Playwrights Realm Artistic Director Katherine Kovner. "His work fuses evocative visual imagery, gripping stories, and a deep understanding of the traps we each set for ourselves. In DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING, Christopher deals with the poignancy of regret and the human urge to remember what keeps us trapped reliving our choices, haunted by the possibility of different outcomes. The Playwrights Realm exists to give a platform to early career playwrights telling strong stories with new points of view and Christopher is doing just that."

Directed by Giovanna Sardelli, the cast of DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING is: Stevie Ray Dallimore (Broadway: HENRY IV, THE ELEPHANT MAN), Reyna de Courcy (MONSTROSITY, THE SECRET AGENDA OF TREES), Carla Harting (Arena Stages production of LEGACY OF LIGHT, EURYDICE at Second Stage), and Ben Hollandsworth (THE MARRIAGE OF BETTE & BOO, FROM UP HERE).

Design team for DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING is: David Newell (Scenic Designer), Traci Klainer (Lighting Designer), Amy Clark (Costume Designer), Charles Coes (Sound Designer), and Mike Rossmy (Fight Director).

Called a "lyricist of the spoken word" by NYTheatre.com, Christopher Wall's plays include: COULDN'T SAY (recipient of the Literary Prize at the 2001 Washington Theatre Festival, and deemed an Outstanding New Play by Talkin' Broadway); SHAKE AND BE SAVED! (Last Frontier Theater Conference); SOME OTHER PLACE (Black Dog Theatre); NO ONE TALKS TO THE MAILMAN (winner of the HD Lewis Award for playwriting at the Washington Theatre Festival); ELMO ON THE HALF SHELL (Washington Theatre Festival); HEAD GAMES (Shadowbox Cabaret); etc. Wall also authors non-fiction works, including: "The Size of the Room," "Toaster In Three Parts," etc. His writing has appeared in The Saint Ann's Review, The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, Dramatics magazine, The Pacific Review, and anthologies by Dramatic Publishing and Smith & Kraus. He has a BA in English from Dartmouth, an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University, and an MFA in dramatic writing from New York University, where he teaches as a lecturer.

Giovanna Sardelli (Director) credits include: World Premieres of Lila Rose Kaplan's WILDFLOWER, Rajiv Joseph's plays ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER (Joe A. Callaway Award for Outstanding Director, Lucille Lortel Nomination Outstanding Play), ALL THIS INTIMACY (all for Second Stage), THE LEOPARD AND THE FOX (Alter Ego), HUCK & HOLDEN (Cherry Lane); ABSALOM by Zoe Kazan (Actors Theatre Of Louisville Humana Festival), Lynn Rosen's BACK FROM THE FRONT; Adriana Sevan's TAKING FLIGHT (The Goodman, CTG, San Diego Rep and Sundance Institute Theatre Lab). She spent two seasons as Director of the Shakespeare Sedona Institute and two seasons as the Artistic Director of Studio Tisch. Giovanna received her MFA in Acting from NYU and is a graduate of their Director's Lab.

The Playwrights Realm is an Off-Broadway Theater Company committed to developing and producing theater with artists - and for audiences - who share its belief that the playwright's vision is central to great theater. Last season they presented Anna Ziegler's critically acclaimed production of DOV AND ALI, and earlier this season they held the 2009 Writer's Jam Session. The Playwrights Realm is led by Artistic Director Katherine Kovner and Producing Director Stephanie Ybarra.

Scheduled June 4 through June 26, performances of DREAMS OF THE WASHER KING run Tuesdays - Fridays at 7:00pm, and Saturdays at 3:00pm & 7:00pm (with an added performance on Sunday, June 6 at 7:00pm) at the Cherry Lane Studio (38 Commerce Street). Tickets are $20 - $30 and can be reserved by calling TeleCharge at 212-239-6200, or online at www.playwrightsrealm.org.

PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Pearson