September 12, 2011<\/p>\n
For Immediate Release<\/p>\n
Animals & Plants<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n by Adam Rapp<\/strong><\/p>\n October 13 \u2013 November 5, 2011<\/p>\n Directed by Michael O\u2019Connell<\/strong><\/p>\n Featuring Chris Murray, Joseph Bolenbaugh <\/strong>and Nikki Weaver<\/strong><\/p>\n CoHo is proud to facilitate an unprecedented collaboration two more of Portland\u2019s hottest theater companies. Adam Rapp\u2019s quirky comedy will feature\u00a0 <\/strong> Nikki Weaver<\/strong>, the Drammy-winning star of Portland Playhouse (who also received rave reviews for her work in CoHo\u2019s recent reasons to be pretty<\/em>!) and Chris Murray<\/strong> a talented young member of the acclaimed Third Rail Repertory. Also from Third Rail, director Michael O\u2019Connell<\/strong> will apply his unique vision to Rapp\u2019s script.<\/p>\n In Animals and <\/em>Plants, Burris and Dantly are trapped in a seedy motel room outside of Boone, North Carolina, waiting out a snow storm. Errand men for a drug dealer in New York, they\u2019re here to purchase a large quantity of mind-altering drugs from a mysterious \u201cBurning Man\u201d. As the snow piles up outside, cryptic phone calls ring in, bears lurk in the dark, and visits from local denizens begin to alter the minds of Burris and Dantly, unassisted by any drug. Animals and Plants<\/em> received its World Premiere in 2001 in the New Stages Program at the American Repertory Theatre. Rapp recently directed a site-specific version of the play at NYC\u2019s Gershwin Hotel, a collaboration with the Amoralists theatre troupe. Variety <\/em>calls Animals & Plants<\/em> \u201ca lurid comic phantasmagoria of life on the underside of Middle America.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n Adam Rapp <\/strong>is a novelist, filmmaker, playwright and director. In 2006, he was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his play Red Light Winter<\/em>. His other plays include Bingo with the Indians<\/em>, Kindness<\/em>, American Sligo<\/em>, Nocturne<\/em>, Blackbird<\/em>, Stone Cold Dead Serious<\/em>, Finer Noble Gases<\/em>, Essential Self Defense<\/em>, Trueblinka<\/em> and Faster<\/em>. As a director, his production of Blackbird<\/em> received two Drama Desk nominations. Red Light Winter<\/em> won the Joseph Jefferson Award in Chicago and a Lucille Lortel Nomination for Best New Play and two Obie Awards in NYC. Finer Noble Gases<\/em> at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival received a Fringe First Award. His films include Winter Passing<\/em> and Blackbird<\/em>. In a recent online interview with Jesse Schmitt, Rapp said of his work, \u201cI feel like [in] theatre, that’s where you want to know what humanity can be and how horrible we can be and how beautiful we can be. So I do deal with extremes but one thing that’s real important about that is, as brutal as my stuff is, I actually think it can be as tender or as sweet or as beautiful at times; I want that combustion.\u201d<\/p>\n Director Michael O\u2019Connell<\/strong> is a Drammy-winning actor that has performed all over Portland and teaches at Portland State University, as well as Porltand Center Stage\u2019s acclaimed Visions and Voices program. Michael’s Third Rail credits include <\/span>The Lying Kind<\/em><\/span> (<\/span>Drammy<\/span>), <\/span>A Skull in Connemara<\/em><\/span>, <\/span>Nobody Here But Us Chickens<\/em><\/span>, <\/span>Number Three<\/em><\/span>, <\/span>The Pavilion<\/em><\/span>, <\/span>The Lonesome West<\/em><\/span>, <\/span>Dirty Story<\/em><\/span> and <\/span>Recent Tragic Events<\/em><\/span> (<\/span>Drammy<\/span>). Michael has numerous local acting, regional and New York acting credits and recently directed Matt Zrebsky\u2019s Forky<\/em> for the Made in Oregon Series at the JAW Festival. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Chris Murray<\/strong> is a veteran co-producer at CoHo, having adapted and performed in Shakespeare\u2019s Hamlet<\/em> in 2010. He recently starred in Futura <\/em>at Portland Center Stage and The Unseen<\/em>, produced by Quick & Dirty Arts Project. Chris played Mairtin in <\/span>A Skull in Connemara<\/em><\/span> at Third Rail, before his inclusion in the company in 2009. Other Portland credits include Mr. Marmalade<\/em> and Take Me Out<\/em> (<\/span>Drammy<\/span>, Best Supporting Actor) at <\/span>Artists Repertory Theatre<\/span>, Six Degrees of Separation<\/em> and The Sisters Rosensweig<\/em> at <\/span>Profile Theatre<\/span>, The Receptionist<\/em> at <\/span>CoHo Theatre<\/span>, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em> at <\/span>Lakewood Theatre<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Nikki Weaver <\/strong>is a founding member of Portland Playhouse and won a Drammy Award in 2011 for her performance in The Scene<\/em>. She recently received praise for her role in CoHo\u2019s reasons to be pretty<\/em>. Before relocating to Portland, Nikki performed on the East Coast for Shakespeare & Company, Centastage, Theatreworks, and 11:11. Other Portland Playhouse credits include Telethon<\/em>, bobraushcenbergamerica<\/em>, After Ashley<\/em> and Mauritius<\/em>.<\/p>\n Performance Schedule Ticket Information<\/strong><\/p>\n Adults: $25 (Prices do not include online\/phone fees)<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Friday, October 14 at 8pm \u2013 Opening Night
\nSaturday, October 15 at 8pm
\nThursday \u2013 Saturday, October 20 \u2013 November 5 at 8pm
\nSundays, October 16 \u2013 October 30 at 2pm<\/p>\n
\nSeniors (60+)\/Students\/Educators\/Groups (8+): $20
\nThursdays are Pay-What-You-Will<\/p>\n