First of Four Julia Jordan Plays This Season, St. Scarlet, Begins in NYC, June 10-July 5

By Ernio Hernandez
23 Apr 2003

Women's Expressive Theater (WET) will present St. Scarlet, the first of four works by playwright Julia Jordan to receive New York stagings this coming season. The world premiere dark comedy will play June 10-July 5 at the Ontological Theater in lower Manhattan.
Chris Messina directs the work, which is scheduled to open June 13. In St. Scarlet, three siblings find themselves snowed in at their Minnesota home. The night their mother dies, a stranger from Brooklyn arrives and changes their lives. The play was formerly titled 3 1/2 Catholics.

The three other Jordan works that will see the New York stage this season will be Summer of the Swans (Lucille Lortel Theatre), Tatiana in Color (The Culture Project) and Boy (Primary Stages.) Jordan's play Tatiana In Color was published in "Women Playwrights, The Best Plays of 1997." Other works by the up-and-comer include libretto work on The Mice (with Neil Benjamin and Batboy's Larry O'Keefe) — which appeared as part of Prince Music Theatre's production of 3hree — and Sarah Plain and Tall with the same songwriting team.

St. Scarlet features a cast that includes Michael Chernus, Rosemarie Dewitt, Sasha Eden and Ivan Martin. The design team includes Eric Flatmo (sets), Joshua Bradford (lighting), Sarah Beers (costumes) and Eric Shim (sound).

Director Messina has helmed productions of Theresa Rebeck's What We're Up Against and Keith Reddin's Throwing Smoke. He currently appears in the cast of Salome: The Reading on Broadway opposite Al Pacino.

For tickets to St. Scarlet  at the Ontological Theater (at St. Mark's Church), 131 East 10th Street (at Second Ave.), call (212) 868-4444.