East of the Sun, West of the Moon

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Based on the Scandinavian version of "Beauty and The Beast"

A new play for children written by Frankie Little Hardin

Directed by Naima Warden

APRIL 14 - MAY 20, 2012

You know about Beauty and the Beast, but do you know

about the Trolls, Hags and Winds?

Looking Glass Theatre, celebrating almost 20 years of productions

strengthening the voice of women in theater and the arts, proudly

presents the NYC premiere of Frankie Hardin’s East of the Sun,

West of the Moon, a new play for children directed by Naima Warden.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon opens Saturday, April 14 and

continues through Sunday, May 20 with performances Saturday at

12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Looking

Glass Theatre, located at 422 West 57th Street, between 9th and

10th Avenues. Tickets are $15 adults, $12 kids 12 and under.

Group tickets also available.

Running time is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.

To save her father and mother, a young daughter makes a promise

to live with a beastly bear, whose palace is secretly filled with nasty,

bumbling trolls.

In the dark of night, our heroine falls in love with a sweet shy Prince.

She makes a promise never to see his face in the light and to keep

their love in the dark. But when the sneaky trolls convince her to

sneak a peak, she breaks her promise and the trolls whisk away

the newly un-enchanted Prince.

So- what’s a girl to do? Save him, of course! On her amazing journey

to save her true love, she encounters Hags and Horses and gets

help from the Winds. Will she save her hero from the evil trolls? Can she mend her broken promise?

Will they live happily ever after? Join us and find out!

FEATURING:

Samantha Cains

Melody Harnish

Lauren Hart

Irina Kaplin

Natalie Kropf

Kevin Russo

CREATIVE TEAM

Assistant Director / Stage Manager: Margaret Morton

Scenic Design: Joseph Lark-Riley

Light Design: Porsche McGovern

Costume Design: Karim Rivera

CLICK HERE FOR FULL BIOS.

Playwright FRANKIE LITTLE HARDIN is playwright, director, actor, producer and general theatre maid-of-all work, currently residing in Newnan, Georgia. She taught theatre history, mask performance and children’s theatre at Old Dominion University (1997-2006) and created the family theatre programs ChildsPlay (Generic Theater), PlayTime Theatre (Old Dominion) and The Children’s Theatre of Hampton Roads (40th Street Stage, where she also served as Managing Director). Ms. Hardin is the author of 23 works for children’s theatre, and six plays for adult audiences, including Willow Song (2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival). The Trashanator, commissioned by the Hampton Roads Waste Authority, which taught thousands of schoolchildren about trash and recycling; Perfect Faith (semi-finalist, 2012 Stanley Drama Award), and The Greater Love (Utah Shakespeare Festival’s New American Playwrights Project, August 2012). Ms. Hardin is a graduate of Georgia Tech, with a BS in Management, and holds a Masters in Humanities from Old Dominion University. She studied at The Goodman School and Del Arte and is a member of The Dramatist’s Guild. She and husband Lauriston have two children, Thomas and Mollie. She’s an avid reader and part-time farmer.

DIrector NAIMA WARDEN is a native Brooklynite; a true New Yorker! She received her BFA from Adelphi University in Theater Arts. Additionally, she attended “The Actors’ Studio” at New School University, on a masters' track for directing. Currently she is a certified NYC theater teacher, sharing her talents with many parts of South Brooklyn. She has directed students between the ages of 11-18 in the musicals Grease, Little Shop Of Horrors and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. This is her first mainstage production at Looking Glass Theatre, where she has directed numerous Looking Glass Forum shows since 2008 and made her playwriting debut with Sign Me (also directed) in the Forum. It's easy to love the wonderment of East of the Sun...

Looking Glass Theatre’s mission is to theatrically and truthfully reflect a female vision on the stage while creating a community of artistic freedom. We fulfill this by presenting female directors' visions of original works or the classics and by staging new plays either written or directed by women. This includes children’s shows and educational programming as well as our semi-annual festival of new works, featuring emerging women playwrights and directors, each season. In 2009 nytheatre.com said, “Looking Glass Theatre deserves kudos for consistently programming affordable shows for families that really are produced and staged with the youngest theater-goers in mind.” The New York Times called Looking Glass Theatre’s Adventures of the Puppet Princess “charming” and “especially amusing to children under 10...a substantial introduction to the culture of Bali.” The New York Times also described our 2010 production of Betsy is Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored! as “a briskly paced romp through daydreams.”

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EAST OF THE SUN, WEST OF THE MOON

April 15 - May 20, 2012

SCHEDULE: Saturday @ 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.; Sunday @ 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

TICKET PRICE: $15 adults, $12 kids 12 and under

ADDRESS: 422 West 57th Street (btwn 9th//10th Aves)

PHONE: (212) 307-9467

Click here for tickets!

COMPANY BIOS

HOME

ABOUT US

FOR KIDS!

CAST

SAMANTHA CAINS (Troll Queen / House Manager / The Horse) hails from La Porte, Indiana. A 2011 graduate of Ball State University's BFA acting program, since arriving in New York in July, Samantha completed the Looking Glass Theatre Acting Internship, played Lady Macbeth in Frailty, Thy Name is Woman as part of Looking Glass Winter 2011 Writer/Director Forum, and can currently be found studying Improv 201 at the Upright Citizen's Brigade. Favorite Roles include Mel in God's Ear, Flo Owens in Picnic, Sarah in The Lover, Joan Hinton in Daughters of Trinity, and Teresa in The Memory of Water. A big thanks to Naima for being such an NYC inspiration. Huge thanks to this production's team. As ever, for the fam. Click here for more about Samantha...

MELODY HARNISH (Troll Princess / East Wind) is delighted to be making her return to children’s theatre! She had her first experience with young audiences while performing the role of Bossy Best Friend in the east coast tour of Tomato Plant Girl. She is also a founding member of the Madame Smudge Royal Theatre Company, where she organized and taught workshops for children and young adults with a focus on physical theatre and improvisation. She would like to thank everyone at Looking Glass Theatre for this wonderful opportunity. Enjoy!

LAUREN HART (Narrator / South Wind) is very excited to be a part of East of the Sun, West of the Moon with Looking Glass Theatre. She is currently in production on several short films and a web series all shooting in NYC. Lauren is originally from Potomac, MD and graduated from New York University, in addition to currently studying at William Esper Studio. Many thanks to her friends and family for their continued support!

IRINA KAPLAN (Mother / West Wind / The Hags / Doby / ASM), previously a first grade teach in Austin, Texas, is a true believer in the importance of children’s theatre. She is currently training for her MFA at The Actors Studio Drama School, where she has played roles including Lorna in Golden Boy and Jenny in The Agreement. This is Irina’s first show with Looking Glass Theatre, and she couldn’t be more delighted to work with the East of the Sun ensemble. Irina is a long time troll sympathizer and holds a BA in American Culture from Vassar College.

NATALIE KROPF (The Youngest Daughter) recently earned her Bachelor's degree from Cornell College and is now working as an actor in New York City. This is her first show with Looking Glass Theatre. New York credits include Frankenstein (THEATRE in asylum) and Voices in Conflict (The Public). Other professional credits include Atlas of Mud (Mud, Working Group Theatre), The Diary of Anne Frank (Anne, Riverside Theatre), and The Long Christmas Ride Home (Claire, Riverside Theatre). School credits include Waiting for Godot (Lucky), The Arabian Nights (Dunyazade), 4.48 Psychosis (Woman), Eurydice (Little Stone), Cabaret (Helga/Gorilla), Pirates of Penzance (Kate), and Electra (Chorus).

KEVIN RUSSO (The Bear Prince / North Wind) is a BFA-wielding graduate of Adelphi University since 2009. A Long Island resident for most of his life, he is now living in Queens. Recent credits include Salvatore in the Off-Broadway production of Midnight in Havana at the Jerry Orbach Theater; Sam in Everybody Wants Me as part of the Strawberry One-Act Play Festival; and Prometheus in Fire Thief, a revolutionary adaptation on the myth by Laura Hirschberg performed in this very room as part of the Looking Glass Forum. In addition to acting, Kevin is a proficient reed player and an SAFD-certified Actor-Combatant. Kevin is super excited to be playing a bear. And a prince. And a wind.

CREATIVE TEAM

FRANKIE LITTLE HARDIN (Playwright) is playwright, director, actor, producer and general theatre maid-of-all work, currently residing in Newnan, Georgia. She taught theatre history, mask performance and children’s theatre at Old Dominion University (1997-2006) and created the family theatre programs ChildsPlay (Generic Theater), PlayTime Theatre (Old Dominion) and The Children’s Theatre of Hampton Roads (40th Street Stage, where she also served as Managing Director). Ms. Hardin is the author of 23 works for children’s theatre, and six plays for adult audiences, including Willow Song (2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival). The Trashanator, commissioned by the Hampton Roads Waste Authority, which taught thousands of schoolchildren about trash and recycling; Perfect Faith (semi-finalist, 2012 Stanley Drama Award), and The Greater Love (Utah Shakespeare Festival’s New American Playwrights Project, August 2012). Ms. Hardin is a graduate of Georgia Tech, with a BS in Management, and holds a Masters in Humanities from Old Dominion University. She studied at The Goodman School and Del Arte and is a member of The Dramatist’s Guild. She and husband Lauriston have two children, Thomas and Mollie. She’s an avid reader, part time farmer and has far too many animals.

NAIMA WARDEN (Director) is a native Brooklynite; a true New Yorker! She received her BFA from Adelphi University in Theater Arts. Additionally, she attended “The Actors’ Studio” at New School University, on a masters' track for directing. Currently she is a certified NYC theater teacher, sharing her talents with many parts of South Brooklyn. She has directed students between the ages of 11-18 in the musicals Grease, Little Shop Of Horrors and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. This is her first mainstage production at Looking Glass Theatre, where she has directed numerous Looking Glass Forum shows since 2008 and made her playwriting debut with Sign Me (also directed) in the Forum. It's easy to love the wonderment of East of the Sun... She would like to thank her family, and the entire Looking Glass Theatre staff (Justine, Aliza, and Jenn) for helping to define and shape her directorial voice. And, major gratitude to her amazing cast for their endless support.

MARGARET MORTON (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) hails from the great state of New Jersey where she has been educational mentor in all things theatre at the fabulous Ranney School the past two years! On the side and in the city, he has worked on Vital Theatre's Angelina Ballerina, Opera Manhattan's Hansel and Gretel, and NYMF 2010's I Got Fired! She graduated from DePaul University's Theatre School with a BFA in Stage Management. There, her favorite shows, out of many, were Holes and The BFG. Outside the theatre, she has recently kicked the butt(!) of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and is complete remission!

JOSEPH LARK-RILEY (Scenic Design) is excited and grateful to be working with Looking Glass Theatre. Joseph recently moved to NYC after spending three years working as a scenic designer in Chicago’s off-loop theatre circuit. Joseph holds a BA in Drama and Visual Arts from Loyola University, New Orleans, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College, Chicago. Click here for more about Joseph...

PORSCHE MCGOVERN (Lighting Design) is a New York-based lighting designer. Selected designs include Parker and Dizzy's Fabulous Journey to the End of the Rainbow (NY Fringe), Twelfth Night on a Brooklyn rooftop, Orpheus Descending in a Greenwich Village church, and the 6th Annual Bring a Weasel and a Pint of Blood Festival. Some of her honors include Oregon Shakespeare Festival Richard L. Hay Fellowship in Lighting Design, ETC-LDI Sponsorship, USITT Young Designers’ Forum, Clambake, and the Prague Quadrennial American Student Exhibition. Porsche holds an MFA in Lighting Design from California Institute of the Arts and a BA from St. Lawrence University. Click here for more about Porsche...

KARIM RIVERA (Costume Design) was born and raise in San Juan, Puerto Rico. BA in Theater Education from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. One year ago, Karim moved to NY to continue Graduates Studies in Costume Design and Production for the Performing Arts. She has participated in theater workshops in Brazil (Theater of the Oppressed), Ecuador (Malayerba) and Peru (Yuyachkani). Karim loves doing art getting dirty with paint!!