US Drag – PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE! By Gina Gionfriddo Directed by Erin Lucas May 2 - 25, 2007 2nd Stage at the Adrienne – 2030 Sansom St.

Gina Gionfriddo brings her biting wit to this satirical commentary on urban life in America. US Drag is a funny, thought-provoking play featuring a line-up of truly flawed, disturbed characters desperate for a connection that will make them feel alive. This exciting new script and a crew of talented, up-and-coming artists make Flashpoint’s final production of 2006-07 a show not to be missed.

A deranged serial attacker known as “Ed” is at large on the streets of New York, using a plea for help as a guise to lure his victims. Scheming wannabe socialites Allison and Angela decide to capture him and take home the cash reward. The girls begin attending meetings of the community activism group SAFE (Stay Away From Ed), which encourages the people of New York to avoid attack by not helping. They adopt the mantra “A good Samaritan is a dead Samaritan” and distribute flyers with Ed’s likeness all over the city.

Allison and Angela get wrapped up in the movement, begin dating James, a misguided activist living off an inheritance, and Christopher, a needy author whose recently published and questionably factual memoir about his childhood has brought him critical success, fame and money, but turned his parents against him. One night Allison has a disturbing vision, which causes her to reevaluate her selfish, money-grubbing ways and forces a wedge between the two girls. When one of the group is attacked, and doubts about Ed’s existence are voiced, the group divides, couples part, and Allison and Angela go back to their old greedy ways.

Gina Gionfriddo, whose After Ashley was recently produced at Philadelphia Theatre Company, is one of America’s hottest up-and-coming playwrights. She has won the Susan Smith Blackburn Playwriting Award, the Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights, a Lucille Lortel Fellowship and a Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Fellowship for U.S. Drag. Gionfriddo’s other plays include Guinevere and Safe and her writing has been featured on Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Cold Case.

Flashpoint’s Producing Artistic Director Erin Lucas directed Flashpoint's debut production of Keith Bunin's The Credeaux Canvas, as well as Joe Hortua’s Between Us in 2005. She also directed Matt Pelfry’s Drive Angry and Dan Aibel’s The Box for the SPARK 10-for-10 Festival. Other directing credits include Apres Opera (San Diego Actors Alliance Festival), Atheist (American Living Room Festival, HEREArts Center, NYC) and Tom Stoppard’s If You’re Glad, I’ll Be Frank. Lucas is a member of the Board of Directors of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and is the chair of the Theatre Alliance SPARK Committee.

Choreographer Karen Getz lends her expertise to this production. Getz is a 2005/2006 recipient of a Philadelphia Theatre Initiative Grant and a 2006 Independence Fellowship in support of her comic actors' ballet, Suburban Love Songs, which ran in the 2006 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. She's worked in Philadelphia with 1812 Productions, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, Brat Productions, Villanova, Tapestry Theatre and many others. She's a three-time Barrymore nominee for her choreography and can be seen improvising with Comedysportz, Lunchlady Doris and others.

The cast of U.S. Drag includes some familiar faces on the Flashpoint stage. Kate Bailey starred in Flashpoint’s 2005 production of Between Us and recently appeared in Anne of Green Gables at People’s Light and Theatre Company. Nathaniel Robertson played Steve in Flashpoint’s Feed the Hype in 2006 and has recently worked with Simpatico Theatre Project and Philadelphia Theatre Workshop. David Stanger appeared in Flashpoint’s Autobahn and in The Box at the 2006 SPARK Festival and recently understudied for A Prayer for Owen Meany at Arden Theatre Company. Nick Wilder also appeared in Autobahn, as well as The Desk Set at Montgomery Theatre. Other cast members include Jess Conda (Brat Productions’ Eye-95 Re-tarred), Katy O’Leary (Iron Age Theatre Company’s The Cripple of Inishmaan), Andrew Gorell (Azuka Theatre Company’s Twas the Night), and Melissa Connell (Theatre Catalyst’s Taking Leave and The Women).

The set will be designed by Adam Riggar, who recently designed both The House of Yes and Autobahn for Flashpoint, as well as Ferdinand the Bull for Arden Theatre Company, where he regularly works as a scenic artist. Joshua Schulman will provide lighting for the production. Josh recently designed Flashpoint’s critically-praised Far Away and designs and teaches at West Chester University. Sound will be designed by Flashpoint’s Managing Director Michael Osinski, who has previously partnered with Erin Lucas on The Credeaux Canvas and Between Us. New York designer and actress Kristen Bonstein will design costumes for the production. Props will be provided by Natalia de la Torre, a recent Temple graduate who designed costumes for The House of Yes and Feed the Hype. Dramaturgy is by Gigi Naglak, Flashpoint’s resident dramaturg who recently assisted on Far Away. Season stage manager Marianne Maloy will run the show.

US Drag runs May 2-25, 2007 on 2nd Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street. More information can be found at www.flashpointtheatre.org. Tickets are $15 and $12 (students/seniors) and can be purchased online at Flashpoint's website, or by calling the box office at 215-563-4330. Performances held on May 7th and 11th will feature post-show discussions with the cast and director.

Flashpoint Theatre Company is dedicated to expanding cultural arts awareness in the greater Philadelphia area through the production of socially provocative and emotionally resonant works of theatre, through the development of educational programming within the community, and through collaboration with new and emerging voices from all artistic disciplines. Founded in 2003, Flashpoint’s first two seasons have included four Philadelphia premieres and one world premiere, and several readings of new plays as part of the High Voltage workshop series. Flashpoint’s 2006-2007 season is sponsored by Philadelphia City Paper and Philly Car Share.