A New Television Arrives, Finally at Theatre 54

Live From Planet Earth Productions presents A New Television Arrives, Finally, an absurdist black comedy by Kevin Mandel, directed by Kevin Kittle, opening at Theatre 54 on 10 Sep 2007, following prevoews from 6 Sep - 30 Oct 2007.

A New Television Arrives, Finally: Centers around an American couple visited by a charismatic man presenting himself as a television set. Is the handsome stranger a charlatan or a guru? And why is he awakening them from their spiritual slumber?

As a creative choice, the playwright and director have cast actors from different sides of the Atlantic in the dynamic role of �Television�, offering audiences two distinct interpretations of the role. Performing on alternating nights will be American actor Tom Pelphrey and British actor Victor Villlar-Hauser. Also in the cast are Bryan Fenkart (EST Marathon 2007, subUrbia/Second Stage) and Kate Russell.

Director Kevin Kittle says about the play: "Television recalls for me the revolutionary theater artists like Artaud and Ionesco, as well as contemporary "shaker uppers" like Philip Ridley. It immediately places us in a particular and peculiar world and holds us there until it's ready to spit us out, changed. It's pointed in its views on our current culture of need. 24 hour tv news programs, the Internet, iPods, text messages, Dr. Phil---we don't know what to do with ourselves if we're not constantly being told what to do, who to be and how to conduct our life."