2012 Araca Project of New Work Continues With Seth Moore's The Man With America Skin, Aug. 16-26 in NYC

By Michael Gioia
August 16, 2012

The second annual Araca Project, featuring six original shows, continues with Seth Moore's new play The Man With America Skin, exploring the effects of post-traumatic stress in two unlikely companions, Aug. 16-26 at the American Theater of Actors. 

Alex Bisker directs David Triacca and Pete McElligott in Moore's play, which was developed at the University of Michigan, earning Moore his second Hopwood Award for Dramatic Writing.

Here's how the work is described: "Somewhere in the midst of a wasted Americana, a paranoid artist has spent a year (or was it nine?) alone, trying to pull himself together after leaving his family. The arrival of a soldier, back covered in shrapnel scars, shakes up his world and begins to pull him from the depths. Together, they convert the boarded up house into a camera obscura, watching the world through a bullet hole, and healing each other."

The creative team includes Bisker (producer/director), Stephanie Shechter (producer/production manager) and Justin Lang (production designer). Nathan Lehmann and Leigh Adel-Arnold are co-producers.

Additionally, the run of America Skin features "Late Night" shows following each performance, including improvisers from The PiT, a new interactive dance piece, the band The Chewing Gum Tree and comedian Myq Kaplan.

Visit TheManWithAmericaSkin.com.

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The 2012 lineup also includes the multi-composer musical Hot Mess in Manhattan, featuring music and lyrics by up-and-coming composers Ryan Scott Oliver, Kait Kerrigan & Brian Lowdermilk and Nick Blaemire; an improvised musical (One Night Only); and a musical/comedy variety hour (The Rescignos). Previously featured were Shawn Nabors' Cake and Phil Blechman's The Black Book.

All productions are produced by young professionals who graduated between 2002 and 2012.

Here's a glance at the remaining productions:

Hot Mess in Manhattan
Aug. 30-Sept. 8
Produced by Justin Nichols, David Brush, Greg Schaffert in Association with New York Theatre Barn
Book by Cait Doyle and Meggie Doyle
Music and lyrics by Adam Gwon, Ryan Scott Oliver, Julianne Wick Davis, Kait Kerrigan & Brian Lowdermilk, Gaby Alter, Nick Blaemire, Sam Carner & Derek Gregor, Ryan Cunningham & Joshua Salzman, Drew Gasparini, Michael Mahler and Keith Varney
Musical Direction by James Cunningham
Choreographed by Joe Barros
Directed by David Ruttura
"Hot Mess in Manhattan is a high-heeled, low-brow musical comedy following one 20-something woman trying to conquer the big city the only way she knows how: the way of Carrie Bradshaw. Armed with a score featuring a dozen of musical theater's hottest new composers and one worn-out pair of Blahniks, she is met with her greatest fear: if 'Sex and the City' LIED, then what's to become of a 'Hot Mess in Manhattan?'" Visit HotMessInManhattan.com.

One Night Only
Sept. 11-15
Produced by Michael Girts
Directed by TJ Shanoff
Music direction by Mike Descoteaux
"The great Stephen Sondheim composed eight musicals in 31 years. Slacker. At One Night Only, the cast creates a brand new musical each night, complete with singing, dancing, rhyming, rapping and free play. These veteran Chicago improvisers use audience suggestions to create a 60-minute joyride that’s never been seen before – and will never be seen again." Visit OneNightOnlyNYC.com.

The Rescignos
Sept. 19-29
Produced by Paul Rescigno, Robbie Rescigno and Mike Hadge
Written by Paul Rescigno, Robbie Rescigno and Mike Hadge
Directed by Lisa Anne Porter and Nicole Ricciardi
"Donning sweater vests and each armed with a razor-sharp wit, Paul and Robbie Rescigno are like Cain and Abel, but with more singing and less fratricide. In The Rescignos, the titular twin brothers are joined by a talented ensemble of actors for a musical comedy show that hearkens back to an old-school television variety series, with contemporary material and brand-spanking new music. If 'old-school' feels redundant, we only need to remind you: they're twins. Redundancy is what they do best." Visit TheRescignos.com.

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The Araca Group is a Broadway producing and merchandising organization led by Matthew Rego, Michael Rego and Hank Unger. The Araca Project launched in 2011 as a collaboration between The Araca Group and Syracuse University. In its second incarnation, the project has welcomed the University of Michigan as a partner in The Araca Group's commitment to early career development.

The American Theatre of Actors is located at 314 W. 54th Street. For more information and tickets, visit AracaProject.com.