Written by Douglas Carter Beane, Mondo Drama will begin performances May 9 with an official opening scheduled for May 22. Directed by Christopher Ashley, the new comedy will run through June 14 at the Greenwich House Theatre.
Written in the style of sixties shockumentary Italian films, playwright Beane explains that Mondo Drama is “a documentary performed live on stage that explores life at its most perverse.” The press material describes the play as “a crazy quilt of endangered sea turtles, the meaning of the Mona Lisa, truly independent filmmaking, Satan, ashrams in the Catskills and prostitutes in Amsterdam.”
Rhea will be making her New York theatrical debut in Mondo Drama, and additional casting is expected shortly. The creative team includes Allen Moyer (set design), Gregory A. Gale (costume design), Kirk Bookman (lighting design), Laura Grace Brown (sound design) and Lewis Flinn (original music).
Best known for her syndicated talk show “The Caroline Rhea Show” and her work on “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” Caroline Rhea has also appeared in “Pride & Joy,” “Man on the Moon,” “Ready to Rumble,” “The Drew Carey Show” and “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire.” Douglas Carter Beane is the author of As Bees in Honey Drown, The Country Club, Music From a Sparkling Planet, Advice From a Caterpillar, White Lies and Devil May Care and Old Money. Christopher Ashley has directed As Thousands Cheers, The Country Club, Rude Entertainment, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Jeffrey, Blown Sideways Through Life, Fires in the Mirror, Bunny Bunny and Das Barbecu.
Conceived in 1994 in a “cheap rental car,” the Drama Dept. has since presented such acclaimed productions as June Moon, As Bees in Honey Drown, As Thousands Cheer, The Book of Liz and Rude Entertainment. For more information about the company, visit www.dramadept.org. Through May 31, Mondo Drama will play Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8 PM, Saturdays at 7 and 10 PM and Sundays at 7 PM. Beginning June 1, the comedy will play Monday through Fridays at 8 PM and Saturdays at 7 and 10 PM. Tickets for Mondo Drama are priced at $45 and are now on sale by calling (212) 239-6200. The Greenwich House Theatre is located off Seventh Avenue South at 27 Barrow Street.
