Casting Announced For Penny Jackson's THE BATTLES OF RICHMOND HILL At HERE 4/26-5/11

91 Central Productions in association with Anemone Productions will present the World Premiere of The Battles of Richmond Hill a new comedy by Penny Jackson (I Know What Boys Want at the Lion Theatre; A Different Place in the 2017 FRIGID Festival), directed by Kathy Gail MacGowan (Kentucky Cantata at HERE; In the Summer Pavilion at 59E59) at HERE (145 Sixth Avenue, enter on Dominick Street, one block south of Spring Street), April 26-May 11.

Performances will be on Friday, April 26 at 8:30pm, Saturday, April 27 at 4pm, Saturday, April 27 at 8:30pm, Sunday, April 28 at 4pm, Tuesday, April 30 at 8:30pm, Wednesday, May 1 at 8:30pm, Thursday, May 2 at 8:30pm, Friday, May 3 at 8:30pm, Saturday, May 4 at 8:30pm, Sunday, May 5 at 4pm, Wednesday, May 8 at 8:30pm, Thursday, May 9 at 8:30pm, Friday, May 10 at 8:30pm, and Saturday, May 11 at 8:30pm. Tickets ($35 VIP; $25 General; $15 students & seniors) are available for purchase in advance at www.here.org or by calling 212-352-3101.

The performance will run approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. This production is a part of SubletSeries@HERE: a curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical support.

Sheila O'Connor is in trouble. She has been drinking too much lately at her favorite pub, The Dublin Rose, and has become a danger to herself. When her worried grandson arrives, determined to re-locate her from her beloved Richmond Hill, Queens to an assisted living community in New Jersey, the battle lines are drawn. Over the course of one tumultuous vodka-fueled evening filled with Irish magic and long-buried secrets, Sheila will learn to overcome her fears and finally find the courage to face the next chapter.

The cast will feature Jordan Ahnquist (Shear Madness at New World Stages; Anything's Dream at The Flea), Mac Brydon (Pimm's Mission at 59E59; Order at Theater Row), Nora Chester (Happy Birthday with The Actors Company Theatre; Pagans at Abingdon Theatre), Kevin Gilmartin (Live From the Surface of the Moon with Stable Cable; Camino Real at The Connelly Theater), lindsay Ryan (The Great Society at Dallas Theater Center; Richard III with Colorado Shakespeare Festival), and Alan Safier (Humbug! The Musical; Say Goodnight Gracie). The creative team will include Set Design by David Goldstein (Emojiland at NYMF 18; Church and State at New World Stages), Costume Design by Debbi Hobson (2015 NYIT Award for Unmentionables; Luft Gangsta with Nylon Fusion), Lighting Design by Kia Rogers (Operating Systems at Abrons Arts Center; Nora Goes 2 Space, Motherfuck*r at 3LD), and Sound Design by Jacob Subotnick (The Baby Monitor at 14th Street Y; The American Play with The Dirty Blondes).

Penny Jackson (Playwright) is a playwright, novelist, and screenplay writer. She is the recipient of many writing awards including a MacDowell Colony Fellowship, The Pushcart Prize, a Mirrellies Fellowship from Stanford University and The Elizabeth Janeway Prize from Barnard College. Penny's play about gun violence, Before, was chosen as one of the best plays in 2016 by Applause Books. Her novel, Becoming the Butlers, was recognized as one of the best young adult books of the year by The New York Public Library and was optioned for film by Warner Brothers Studios. Penny's new short film, My Dinner with Schwartzey, based on her award-winning short story, will have its world premiere at The Bermuda International Film Festival. Penny is currently a member of The Playwrights/Directors' Unit at The Actors Studio, and is a resident playwright of the A.R.T/New York theater company NY Madness. Her plays have been produced in New York City at 59E59, Dixon Place, The Lion Theater at Theater Row, The Theater at the 14th Street Y, The Paradise Factory, TADA Theater and The Kraine Theater. Her play Before, was produced at The Playwrights for a Cause benefit against gun violence at The Atlantic Theater. Penny's short plays have also been produced in Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and abroad at The Edinburgh Fringe and twice at The International Dublin Gay Theater festival. www.pennybrandtjackson.com

Kathy Gail MacGowan (Director) is committed to developing and directing new work for the New York stage. She has successfully ushered more than a dozen new plays to production and enjoys being closely involved with the playwrights in this process. Her work has been highlighted by The Daily News, Village Voice, and BackStage (Critic's Pick) among others. She has directed plays at 59E59, The Sheen Center, HERE, Workshop Theater, UP Theater, IATI, Dorothy Strelsin, Paradise Factory, The 14th Street Y, and numerous New York festivals. She serves as a curator, director, and dramaturg at The Sheen Center and is currently working on a new play about the life of Henri Nouwen. She has also worked with The Stella Adler Studio and the NYU Company at Tisch. She holds an MFA in Directing from The New School and was a Drama League Directing Finalist. www.kathygailmacgowan.com

91 Central Productions (Producer) is a producer of new plays and films that always ensures that at least 50% of the creative roles-directors, playwrights, and designers-are women. Artistically, we develop and produce compelling new plays and films that give voices to stories of women. Previous productions include Safe at The Theater at the 14th Street Y and the film My Dinner with Schwartzey which will have its world premiere at The Bermuda International Film Festival.

Anemone Productions (Producer) was founded by Nancy Nagrant in 2014 to generate work for film, television, and theatre with an emphasis on the female protagonist. By choosing stories in which women are at the center of the action, we diversify the storytelling spectrum. Through diversity we create opportunities for greater empathy and understanding, and ultimately a more equitable society. Anemone currently has three short films directed by Michelle Bossy in post-production - Miracle Baby by Steven Fecther, Telling by Josephine Cashman, and Stag Party by Sami Bass. Past Anemone productions include: the short film Find Some Love by Michele Aldin Kushner, directed by Melissa Attebery; the full-length play Rosemary and Time by Jennifer Fell Hayes, directed by Kathy Gail MacGowan; and various developmental readings of new works. www.anemoneproductions.org