Gloria Reuben Stars in Glyn O’Malley's A Heartbeat to Baghdad at NYC's Flea

By Ernio Hernandez
November 1, 2004

Actress-singer Gloria Reuben stars in the New York premiere of Glyn O’Malley's A Heartbeat to Baghdad at The Flea Theater in downtown New York City under the direction of Jim Simpson.

Performances for the work began Oct. 31 and continues at the Flea Theatre through Nov. 23.

From the playwright whose Paradise caused controversy in Cincinnati due to its Palestinian-Israeli themes, comes a play "inspired by the first hand accounts of returning soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as the stories of wives, widows and families," according to a release.

In O'Malley's words, interviews he conducted with soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division "did nothing to alter my personal feelings about the inevitable pain, horror, and contradictions of war, but it did about the integrity, self-sacrifice, extraordinary consciousness, and often very real heroism of the large cross section of American soldiers who shared pieces of their souls with me."

Joining Reuben in the cast are Phyllis Somerville, Christian Baskous, Steven Rishard as well as Kristin Stewart Chase, Joanie Ellen, Gordon Holmes, Joe Holt, Jace McLean, David Marcus, Alfredo Narsico and Irene Walsh.

The design team for A Heartbeat To Baghdad features Kyle Chepulis (set and lights), Melissa Schlactmeyer (costumes), Jeremy Wilson (sound) and Thea Yatras (props).

Reuben, who recently appeared as Condoleezza Rice in a New York Theatre Workshop reading of David Hare's Stuff Happens, is known to television audiences from her turn as the HIV-positive Jeanie Boulet in the NBC's "ER." The actress, who has also appeared on film in "Time Cop" and "Nick of Time" as well as Off-Broadway in Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues, also enjoys a singing career, having sung back up for Tina Turner in concert and released her own album.

Director Simpson is the founder and artistic director of The Flea Theatre. He has helmed the stage production (as well as the subsequent film version) of The Guys starring his wife Sigourney Weaver as well as the recent staging of Mrs. Farnsworth.

For tickets to A Heartbeat To Baghdad, at The Flea, 41 White Street (between Church and Broadway), call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.theflea.org.