McSweeny to Direct Grote's 1001 at Nagelberg Theatre

By Andrew Gans
September 17, 2007

Page 73 Productions will present the New York premiere of Jason Grote's 1001 at the Nagelberg Theatre at the Baruch Performing Arts Center.

Ethan McSweeny will direct the production, which "marries global conflicts to modern-day relationships and explores the Israel-Palestine conflict, the politics of cultural identity, and the West's influence on contemporary notions of Arab culture," according to press notes. Previews are scheduled to begin Oct. 22 with an official opening Oct. 31; the cast will include Mia Barron, Drew Cortese, Roxanna Hope, Jonathan Hova, Matt Rauch and John Livingston Rolle.

"Mixing the labyrinthine wordplay of Jorge Louis Borges with the ideas of Edward Said and the slapstick comedy of Monty Python, 1001," press notes state, "hyperlinks Scheherazade's tales to contemporary Manhattan. Time blurs and reality is fractured and reconstructed in a world inhabited by characters whose identity shifts unpredictably and deliriously. With rollicking storytelling, a touch of magic realism, and even a little trip-hop music, 1001 simultaneously defaces and energizes 'A Thousand and One Arabian Nights' to guide us through a tour of the dizzyingly precarious world of the 21st century."

The design team comprises Rachel Hauck (scenic design), Murell Horten (costume design), Tyler Micoleau (lighting design) and Lindsay Jones (sound design). The play will be underscored by DJ Arisa.

Show times are Monday-Friday at 8 PM and Saturday at 3 and 8 PM through Nov. 17. Tickets, priced $25 (general admission) and $35 (reserved seating), are available by calling (212) 352-3101 or by visiting www.1001nyc.com.

The Nagelberg Theater at the Baruch Performing Arts Center is located at 55 Lexington Avenue — entrance on 25th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues. For more information visit www.p73.org.