SEEING PLACE FESTIVAL II

Mosaic Theatre Productions

for immediate release

contact: lary moten

         associate producer

         215-477-1932

Seeing Place Festival II March 7-12 at the Shubin: Potent Plays, Philly Stars

Mosaic Presents Denise Shubin as ‘Martha Mitchell,’

Ed Shockley and lary moten in ‘Slave Narratives’

Mosaic Theatre Productions makes its maiden voyage under the flag of The Seeing Place Festival II, March 7 with the mainstage production of two powerful one-act plays, Martha Mitchell in Mostly Her Own Words by Rosanna Yamagiwa-Alfaro and Slave Narratives Revisited, by Ed Shockley; both Alfaro and Shockley are highly-acclaimed prize-winning playwrights.

            Noted Philadelphia actor and producer Denise Shubin plays Martha Mitchell in Yamagiwa-Alfaro’s one-woman show based on the moral challenges and emotional turmoil of the wife of the United States Attorney General during the infamous Nixon debacle. 

“They say great writing requires great acting,” says Shockley in his role as Artistic Director of the new theatrical group.  “This actor and this playwright confirm the truth of that.” 

            Shockley will take the stage with veteran actor and emerging director lary moten in his series of poignant – sometimes stinging -- theatrical interpretations of stories, diary entries, news accounts and letters as past voices that continue to echo the cry for freedom from oppression.

“Just reading the play can make you cry, laugh or both,” says actor moten. “No punches are pulled.  If you don’t feel differently about injustice by the end of the show, we’re not doing our job.”

The mainstage performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 9, 10 and 11, and March 13 Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.  The Thursday event is open dress rehearsal, pay what you want.  Admission for performances is $12.

Mosaic also presents Bill Rolleri’s The Pride of Broadway, a new play that has been in development at the Philadelphia Dramatists Center, the American Concert Theatre and the InterAct Theatre Playwrights Forum over a period of three years.  With Shockley as dramaturg and moten directing, this premiere concert reading stars Jerry Puma, Demetria Joyce Bailey and Rob Sebastian.

“I see Pride as a virulent invasion of the human psyche,” says director moten.  “It shows no mercy, draws blood and makes no apologies. The actors are over the top with talent and experience.”

Pride will be presented at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, March 7^th and 8^th and Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.  Admission for performances is $10.

Mosaic Theatre Productions founder and Artistic Director Shockley, author of more than 50 plays and recipient of the coveted Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim Awards, is joined by co-founders and associate producers lary moten and Bill Rolleri with Demetria Joyce Bailey as business manager.

Shockley says Mosaic is committed to the policy of prioritizing dramatic quality and craft over social cause or political message; aims to open the stage to a wide range of philosophy and diversity of culture-based perspectives.

“Whenever the so-called message is deemed more important than theatrical craft and dramatic validity, theater suffers,” he says. “We’re not going to try to appeal to the audience on the basis of shared views.  We aspire to give an intelligent audience what it deserves…good theater.”

###