Heidi Blickenstaff, Tina Benko, Victoire Charles, David Wilson Barnes and more to take part in a reading of the new play

DISRUPTION, a new play written by Andrew Stein and directed by Hersh Ellis (Rain and Zoe Save The World; Pacific Overtures) will have an industry reading on Thursday, March 31 at 4:00 PM at Open Jar Studios (1601 Broadway, 11th Floor).

With every aspect of human life documented with data and disrupted by technology, will computers soon be able to tell us what will make us truly happy? And should we listen? One tech gazillionaire thinks so and is using his friends to prove it.

DISRUPTION features Heidi Blickenstaff (Jagged Little Pill; [title of show]), David Wilson Barnes (The Lieutenant of Inishmore), Tina Benko (Top Girls), Victoire Charles (Pretty Little Liars), Avanthika Srinivasan (Test match), Paco Tolson (To The Yellow House), Sathya Sridharan (India Pale Ale) and Tommy Schrider (War Horse).

DISRUPTION is produced by Jack DePalma.

“A couple of years ago, I was without my phone for a day and it hit me how scarily reliant my entire existence had become on this one small box,” said playwright Andrew Stein. “I started thinking about how technology is this slow-burn, taking over our lives inch by inch until what? Where does it end? And is this something we ultimately really want?”

Seating is limited; please contact disruptiontheplay@gmail.com for availability and information.

BIOS

ANDREW STEIN (Playwright) Five years ago he restarted a writing career and has since written four full-length plays, two of which were semi-finalists at O’Neill (Cringe in 2019 and Disruption in 2020). He has also written two comedy pilots. Prior to this, he started a successful commercial real estate company. He is a graduate of Brown where he studied American Civilization and wrote plays. After graduating he continued writing and studied acting with Bill Esper.

HERSH ELLIS (Director) Hersh Ellis is a NYC-based theatre director and filmmaker. He recently directed the world premiere of Rain and Zoe Save the World at the Jermyn Street Theater Off West End, which was called “an inspired piece of physical theatre” by The Stage, and said to be “directed with delightful inventiveness” by Broadwayworld London. He was artistic director of Home Grown Theatre Co. in Kansas City for six seasons where he directed over 20 productions. For several years, he directed the Century Clubs’ annual benefit of A Christmas Carol (Starring Alec Baldwin, Sam Waterston, Marsha Mason, and Chuck Cooper). Recent developmental projects: Mary and Max: The Musical by Crystal Skillman and Bobby Cronin (Dramatists Guild), Pulp Verite by Crystal Skillman (Urban Stages), Wanderer, or the Literal Extraterrestrial I Met on Grindr, and the two-part epic Turn Back Now both by Kaleb Tank (Chicago’s Otherworld Theatre). He was a directorial observer to Pacific Overtures (Classic Stage Company, starring George Takei) and worked on the world premiere of Heathers the Musical (New World Stages). He’s a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, an alum of the Pace Performing Arts, an SDC Associate Member, and is repped by A3 Artists.

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