From Broadway World
Two-time Golden Globe and three-time Emmy Award-winner Edie Falco and Tony nominee Alison Pill will star in the Naked Angels-produced American premiere of This Wide Night, by Blackburn Prize-winning playwright Chloe Moss, directed by Anne Kauffman. Previews begin May 8, 2010 and the play will officially open at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre (416 West 42nd Street) on May 16, 2010. This Wide Night will run through June 20, 2010.

This Wide Night will be the first play in a full season of compelling new works produced by Naked Angels in celebration of its 25th Anniversary as one of the most innovative theatre companies in New York. The remaining productions of the Naked Angels 25th Anniversary Season will be announced at a later date.

THIS WIDE NIGHT
By Chloe Moss
Directed by Anne Kauffman
Starring Edie Falco and Alison Pill
at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre
Previews begin: May 8, 2010; Opening Night: May 16, 2010

A prison sentence isn’t over once you leave jail. Having just begun to rebuild a life on the outside, Marie (Pill) is confronted with her past when former cellmate Lorraine (Falco) shows up unannounced on her doorstep. The two outcasts, once so close on the inside, struggle to navigate a friendship beyond the prison walls – which may threaten their prospects to start over. This Wide Night is a heartfelt and witty portrait of two lost souls trying to find their way in an unforgiving world.

This Wide Night was commissioned and first produced by Clean Break – a London-based theatre company that works with women affected by the criminal justice system – and premiered to critical acclaim in July 2008 at The Soho Theatre in London. The Times in London called the play “comic, colorful, full of pain and tenderness and truth. Raw and riveting.” In 2009 the play was awarded the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize honoring women playwrights in the English-speaking theatre.

The creative team for This Wide Night includes Rachel Hauck, Scenic Design; Emily Rebholz, Costume Design; Matt Frey, Lighting Design; Robert Kaplowitz, Sound Design; Deborah Hecht, Dialect and Vocal Coach; Desiree Maurer, Props Master; Melanie Ganim, Production Stage Manager; and Dave Nelson, Production Manager.

Artistic Director Geoffrey Nauffts says, “We are thrilled to be bringing two actresses of such immense talent to Naked Angels for the American premiere of this provocative work by one of Britain’s most exciting voices. Edie Falco is a long-time friend of the company, and in addition to being the perfect person to play this courageous and heartbreaking character, she is extremely passionate about this project and its message of the complexity of friendship and starting over. The raw energy and nerve that Alison Pill brings to her acting makes her the ideal complement to Edie, and we can’t wait to see the sparks fly between them onstage in this powerful award-winning new drama.”

Naked Angels’ chief aspiration is the strengthening of a community of artists through the development and production of provocative new work.

Naked Angels was formed in 1986 by a group of restless and ambitious artists reacting to a void in the theatre community for new and creative voices. The name Naked Angels was taken from the John Tytell book, which described Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and other Beat poets of the 1950′s as “a generation that wanted to break out of convention and scream.” Sometimes outraged, often irreverent, occasionally absurd, and always intelligent, enthusiastic and fun, Naked Angels continues to be a vital, thriving crossroads where talented theatre artists collaborate: the destination of choice for those seeking a truly celebratory theatrical experience.

Dedication to the emerging artist has led to the company’s reputation for developing and producing outstanding, innovative plays. Naked Angels’ latest production, Next Fall, written by Naked Angels Artistic Director Geoffrey Nauffts, played a sold-out, critically-acclaimed run Off-Broadway in the summer of 2009 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, extending three times, and opened on Broadway on Thursday, March 11th at the Helen Hayes Theatre to further critical acclaim.

Naked Angels is led by Geoffrey Nauffts (Artistic Director), John Alexander (Managing Director), Andy Donald (Associate Artistic Director) and Brittany O’Neill (Producer).

Performances for This Wide Night begin May 8, 2010 and will continue through June 20, 2010. This Wide Night opens on May 16, 2010.

This Wide Night will play the following performance schedule:
Tuesday – Friday at 7:30 PM; Saturday at 2 PM and 7:30 PM; and Sunday at 2 PM and 7 PM. The Peter Jay Sharp Theatre is located at 416 West 42nd Street.