FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DRAMA OF WORKS
PRESENTS
BLOOD RED ROSES:
THE FEMALE PIRATE PROJECT
CREATED BY THE ENSEMBLE
DIRECTED BY GRETCHEN VAN LENTE
WORLD PREMIERE
PREVIEWS MAY 11 & 12
OPENING NIGHT MAY 16
MAY 11-31 @ THE WATERFRONT MUSEUM
Drama of Works will present the World Premiere of
Blood Red Roses: The Female Pirate Project, a puppet theater piece created by the ensemble and directed by Drama of Works Artistic Director Gretchen Van Lente,
May 11-31 at
The Waterfront Museum (290 Conover Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn). The production will feature Joseph Garner, Emily Hartford, Gretchen Van Lente, Scott Weber, and Meghan Williams with Costume Design by Emily Blumenauer. Preview performances will be on Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12 with an opening night performance on Saturday, May 16. The show will then run Friday through Sunday through May 31. Doors will open at 7:45pm and the performance will begin at sundown (approximately 8pm). Tickets
($15 in advance; $20 at the door) are available online at
http://bloodredroses.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 866-811-4111.
The show runs approximately 55 minutes, with no intermission.
Blood Red Roses is a devised immersive shadow puppetry piece that examines the history of female pirates – performed on a boat in the Red Hook Channel. What made these incredible and dangerous women choose this life, as opposed to a more conventional path? The shadows will be cast all around you, constantly surprising you. Come go to sea with us, drink rum with us, sing along with us, go on this journey with us…
The Waterfront Museum is housed on board the
Lehigh Valley No. 79,
an authentic floating artifact
that was built in 1914 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the last wooden barge of the "lighterage era" (1860-1960), which remains afloat. From the barge and pier, visitors are treated to a rare front view of the Statue of Liberty, and to the tugs, freighters, and container and cruise ships that crisscross the harbor daily. For more information on the Waterfront Museum & Showboat Barge and its upcoming events visit
www.waterfrontmuseum.org.
Gretchen Van Lente (Director) is a freelance director and the Artistic Director of the award-winning multidisciplinary company, Drama of Works. The company has created over a dozen shows, received seven Henson Foundation grants, participated in multiple developmental series and performed in international festivals in over five countries. Outside of DOW, Gretchen has directed or assistant directed at Theatre for the New City, Brooklyn College, Bond Street Theatre, New Georges, Dixon Place, at various festivals, and many others... Gretchen is also a speech, visual arts and theatre teacher. She received her BFA in illustration from Parsons School of Design, her BA in theatre from Eugene Lang College and an MFA in directing from Brooklyn College.
Drama of Works Founded in 2009 DOW's mission is to be a performing arts organization that furthers the art of theater incorporating puppets. Their main purpose is to create unique, premiere theater experiences that push the boundaries of theatrical norms and conventions. To that end, DOW offers a wide variety of public performances, both classic and original works, throughout New York City and representing NYC elsewhere, for all ages. DOW aspires to be the leading theater company of cutting-edge stage performance in Brooklyn, New York. In the coming years expect expanded programming from DOW, including partnerships with national and international artists and more classes for the Brooklyn community. DOW is known for their innovative works that cross the line between actors and puppeteers. Led by Artistic Director Gretchen Van Lente (former president of UNIMA-USA), they have performed locally and abroad: around New York City, the East Coast and at seven international festivals to date, with their unique brand of theatre: gaining members, fans and supporters along the way. Drama of Works prides themselves on including members from a variety of backgrounds including puppetry, experimental theatre, clowning, classical theatre, folk dance, physical theatre and comedy. They are the recipients of seven Henson Foundation grants, two grants from the Rhode Island Foundation, a grant from Brooklyn Arts Council, ART/NY and the Fund for US Artists at International Festivals, a Chashama/NEA Performance Development Award and an Ensemble Studio Theatre/Sloan Project Commission, among others. Their work has been developed as a part of HERE Arts Center's HARP/Dream Music Puppetry Program, the Arts at St. Anne's Puppet Lab, the Eugene O'Neill Puppetry Conference and many others.
"Heavy on fantastic production design—Drama of Works provides a hell of a show indeed."
Alexis Soloski, The Village Voice
"Drama of Works consistently produces work that satisfies on multiple levels."
Frank Episale, Performing Arts Journal
"Talented and refreshing, Drama of Works engages audiences…aspires to be one of the city's leaders in cutting-edge stage performance."
Johnathan Bench, TheaterOnline
Blood Red Roses: The Female Pirate Project is made possible, in part, with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the NY State Council on the Arts, administered in Kings County by Brooklyn Arts Council; the Jim Henson Foundation; and with subsidized studio space provided by the A.R.T./New York Creative Space Grant, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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