Vineyard Theatre presents the play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), directed by Giovanna Sardelli (Animals Out of Paper). Opening night is March 6. Performances play to March 24.
According to the Vineyard, "In the psychological drama The North Pool, a high school principal and a Middle-Eastern-born transfer student engage in a politically and emotionally charged game of cat and mouse, with dangerous consequences."
Turner (playing Dr. Danielson) appeared Off-Broadway in the Keen Company's Benefactors and Classic Stage Company's Race. Tafti (playing Khadim Asmaan) is making his Off-Broadway debut. His regional credits include Scorched (A.C.T.), Blood and Gifts (La Jolla Playhouse) and the East Coast premiere of The North Pool at Barrington Stage. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
Playwright Joseph was the recipient of Vineyard's 2008 Paula Vogel Award for emerging playwrights. His play, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, a 2010 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, played on Broadway in 2011, starring Robin Williams. His other plays include Gruesome Playground Injuries, Animals Out of Paper, The Leopard and the Fox, All This Intimacy and Huck & Holden. He has written for the Showtime award-winning series, "Nurse Jackie." He received his B.A. in Creative Writing from Miami University and his M.F.A. in Playwriting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Under the direction of Sardelli, The North Pool received its world premiere at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, CA, prior to its run at Barrington Stage in Massachusetts. It won the 2010 Edgerton New American Play Award.
His new play, The Lake Effect, will get its world premiere in Chicago this spring by Silk Road Rising. Sardelli directed the world premieres of Dead Accounts by Theresa Rebeck and The North Pool, and many other regional productions.
The creative team includes scenic designer Donyale Werle (Tony winner for Peter and the Starcatcher); costume designer Paloma Young (Tony winner for Peter and the Starcatcher); lighting designer David Lander (The Lyons); and sound designer Daniel Kluger.
Performances play Tuesdays at 7 PM, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Saturdays and Sundays at 3 PM.
The Vineyard is at 108 E. 15 St. between Irving Place and Union Square East. Tickets can be purchased by calling The Vineyard Box Office at (212) 353-0303 or online at vineyardtheatre.org.
Based on availability, $20 Rush tickets are available 2 hours prior to curtain at the Box Office.
