Civilians to Present Musical Documentary Gone Missing

by BWW News Desk

The Civilians, the acclaimed New York-based experimental theater troupe, will play a rare local summer season (and make their commercial Off Broadway debut) with their documentary musical of loss, Gone Missing. Directed by Steven Cosson, and featuring music and lyrics by Michael Friedman, Gone Missing will begin performances on June 14th with an opening night set for Sunday, June 24th, at the Barrow Street Theatre, signaling a Musical Summer along Barrow Street.

"Devised by the company from interviews with real-life New Yorkers, Gone Missing is a collection of very personal accounts of things lost everything from keys, personal identification and a Gucci pump to family heirlooms, your dog and your mind creating a unique tapestry of the ways in which we deal with and relate to loss in our lives. A company of six (Emily Ackerman, Damian Baldet, Stephen Plunkett, Robbie Sublett, Colleen Werthmann and Jennifer Morris) performs more than 30 characters, intertwining stories of lost objects with those of the 'finders,' from a retired NYPD cop to a pet psychic. Since its initial performance, just after September 11, 2001, Gone Missing has continued to morph into its new incarnation, set against Friedman's score, which incorporates salsa, ballads, operetta and tuneful pop. (Mr. Friedman will also be represented in New York this summer by his score for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Romeo & Juliet, directed by Michael Greif)," according to press notes.

"Since their founding in 2001 by Artistic Director Steven Cosson, The Civilians have created four original shows that have been presented in a range of sites downtown and in theatres, nightclubs, art centers and festivals throughout the United States and in Europe. Using methods that combine documentary and artistic practices, The Civilians works illuminate the interplay between the personal and larger social phenomena and their collaborations take inspiration from the full range of theatrical forms from cabaret to experimental theater."

Gone Missing features set design by Takeshi Kata, costume design by Sarah Beers, lighting design by Thomas Dunn and sound design by Ken Travis and is produced by Scott Morfee and Tom Wirtshafter in association with The Civilians.

The Barrow Street Theatre is located at 27 Barrow Street at 7th Avenue South in the heart of Greenwich Village. Nearby subway stops are the 1 at Christopher Street (walk 1 block South on 7th Avenue to Barrow) and the A, C, E, B, D, F and V at West 4th (walk West on 4th Street, left on Barrow). For more information, visit www.barrowstreettheatre.com.

The performance schedule for Gone Missing is Tuesday Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 - $45.00 and are available through Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.Telecharge.com.