Playwright Bettis and Kira Sternbach will star in the play's world premiere, which features direction by Jeff Cohen. Opening night is set for April 6.
American Girls, according to press notes, is "the story of two 14-year-old mid-western girls (Bettis and Sternbach) who are on a collision course with pop culture and faith." The production has "mature themes and may not be suitable for audiences under 14 years of age."
In a statement director Cohen said, "Hilary manages to capture a cultural collision – girls caught between the Faith-based culture and the Sex industry. Like Christopher Shinn's Four and Tristine Skyler's The Moonlight Room, Ms. Bettis is an exciting, authentic new playwriting voice."
The design team comprises costume designer Gail Cooper-Hecht, set designer Ryan Kravetz, lighting designer Evan Purcell and video designer Gray Winslow.
Bettis was seen Off-Broadway in the world premiere of First Date at the 2007 Seaport Summer Theatre Festival. Sternbach's credits include the workshop of Neil Labute's In A Dark, Dark House as well as Clay McLeod Chapman's The Interstate And On at the Seaport Summer Theatre Festival and Charles Grodin's At Home With Bill at the Arclight theatre. She was nominated for a NY Independent Theatre Award for her work in How I Learned To Drive. Producers of American Girls are Dog Run Rep and Pat Blake.
Show times are Wednesday-Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 and 8 PM and Sunday at 5 PM.
The 45th Street Theater is located in Manhattan at 354 West 45th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). Tickets, priced $55, are available by calling (212) 868-4444 or by visiting www.smarttix.com.
