For Immediate Release: June 7, 2006
Media Contact: Dave Ebersole, HATG Theater Company, 215.525.1551

HATG Theater Company presents a comedy by Pulitzer Prize winning author Paula Vogel during the 2006 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Desdemona: a play about a handkerchief will run during the Philadelphia Fringe Festival at the Triangle Theatre located at 1220 North Lawrence Street. Tickets are $10 and are available by calling the Fringe Festival Box Office at 215-413-1318.

Paula Vogel's Desdemona takes us in the back room of Othello's castle where we see a different tale unfold when the three women of Shakespeare's famous tragedy get together when the men aren't around. Desdemona is seen a chaste victim in Shakespeare's Othello, but here she is a bored, spoiled, rich army wife making her idle hours go by having sex with all of Cyprus. Desdemona's maid, Emilia is disgusted with her place in society and sees her only way to escape it is with her husband's death. Bianca, the local brothel owner decides that she will sell herself in order to confirm her future in society. Vogel's spins Othello into a modern day moral code in her story of how female sexuality is presented.

Paula Vogel has said that 'Desdemona' shows how women participate in a social system that does not allow them to bond within their class structure. On the surface, Vogel's Desdemona is a rollicking bawdy comedy, but the absurdity lies in the dangerous situation the women are in and how the outcome will always be the same.

“Vogel remains one of the smartest, most original and engaging playwrights to come along in the past few years.” -New York Newsday

Cast and Crew

Sara Gruber (Desdemona) Sara Gruber is a graduate from McDaniel College and has appeared in numerous productions in the Delaware County area. Sara appeared in the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe, playing Melissa in Pillow Cases. In the Washington, D.C. area she appeared at the Elden Street Players and the Madcap Players Winter Carnival.

Jennifer Wolfe (Emilia) Jennifer Wolfe has appeared in several local theaters, most recently in Anton in Show Business, All in the Timing, and The Good Doctor. Jennifer also directed productions of Much Ado abouth Nothing, Tartuffe, The Importance of Being Earnest and You can’t take it with you.

Rebekah Bonney (Bianca) Rebekah Bonney is excited to be working with HATG Theatre Company on her Philly Fringe Debut! Her most recent performance was the role of "Fin" in Adult Education at an original works festival. Other favorite roles include "Maria" in Twelfth Night, "Elyse" in The Illusion, "Holly" in Anton in Show Business and "Babe" in Crimes of the Heart. Rebekah currently holds a BA in Theatre from Messiah College in Pennsylvania.

Paula Vogel (Playwright) Paula Vogel was born in Washington, D.C. is best known for her Pulizter Prize winning play How I Learned to Drive. She graduated from The Catholic University of America in 1974. The Baltimore Waltz won the Obie for Best Play in 1992. Other plays include, Hot ‘N’ Throbbing, And Baby Makes Seven, The Mineola Twins, and The Oldest Profession.

Bridget Dougherty (Director) Bridget was born and raised in Southwest Philadelphia. She is the artistic director of HATG Theater Company and holds a B.A. from Temple University’s Theater Program. HATG produces the monthly Starving Artists’ Monologue Slam at Fergie’s Pub. Directing credits include The Maids, David’s Redhaired Death, Anton in Show Business, and Icarus.

Christine Marese (Costume Designer) Christine holds a B.S. in Fashion Design from Drexel University. She has designed costumes for theatrical productions of How I Learned to Drive for Mayphair Theater Company, The Persians for Swarthmore College and The Drexel Dance Ensemble. Her film and television credits include, shorts for Cinevore Studios, Fresh Films, Fretboard Pictures and PSA for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Christine has worked as the wardrobe supervisor for Philadelphia Theatre Company and currently is employed by Urban Outfitters Inc.

HATG Theater Company was founded by Penny L. Beene, in their debut production of Crimes of the Heart at the Baby Grande Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware in August 2005. HATG Theater Company is a nonprofit (c)(3) and has continued the company’s mission statement to showcase emerging talent with the Starving Artists’ Monologue Slam hosted by Fergie’s Pub. Desdemona marks HATG’s sophomore production, furthering the mission statement of promoting contemporary and classic theater.

FESTIVAL INFORMATION: The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe were originally founded in 1997 as the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Today, the Live Arts Festival serves as a series of selected cutting-edge, boundary-breaking performing arts events, created by some of the most renowned contemporary artists from our region and around the world. The Fringe serves as a collective home for artists bringing their work to audiences in every conceivable form - in traditional and untraditional venues, using new artistic forms and established ones, breaking rules or refining them.

For more information: www.hatgtheater.com 215-525-1551 www.myspace.com/hatgtheatercompany www.livearts-fringe.org/

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