Arizona Theatre Company Adds Stray Cat Theatre's Production of "Sex With Strangers" to 2015-16 Season

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release

 

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY TO PRESENT STRAY CAT THEATRE'S PRODUCTION OF SEX WITH STRANGERS AS ADDED 7^TH SHOW TO

2015-16 SEASON

 

            PHOENIX/TUCSON (May 13, 2015):  Arizona Theatre Company has added a seventh show to the 2015-16 season as it presents a very special production from Stray Cat Theatre, one of Arizona's leading indie theatre companies. Sex With Strangers, a recent off-Broadway hit, is a digital-era story about what happens when you let someone in your door who may know more about you than they let on.

            Written by Laura Eason and directed by Stray Cat Theatre Artistic Director Ron May, Sex With Strangers will be presented in Stage West at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix from Sept. 24 through Oct. 1 and at the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson from Feb. 2-21, 2016.

The story revolves around Ethan and Olivia, two apparently beautiful strangers who are trapped in a snowstorm in a secluded cabin.  Opposites instantly attract, undeniable chemistry ignites and sex is imminent.  As dawn rises, however, what could have been just a one-night stand transforms into something much more complicated.  The Washington Post called Sex With Strangers "a bodice ripper with brains…a sexy romantic comedy strictly for grown-ups."

"Over the last decade or so, Arizona has been increasingly blessed with a flowering of theatrical innovation from the independent theatre companies doing top-notch work in our region," said ATC Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein.  "I have been eager to find ways for ATC to partner with our indie colleagues on projects and bring a wider range of theatrical work to our audiences.  When Ron May and I discovered we both were anxious to produce the delicious Sex With Strangers, it became a tremendous opportunity for ATC to collaborate with Stray Cat Theatre to give their exciting work more exposure in downtown Phoenix and Tucson while bringing a provocative work to both theatres' audiences.  I hope this will be the first of many such collaborations between ATC and other superb theatre companies around the state."

 "The kind of opportunity and exposure this affords Stray Cat Theatre as we head into our 14^th season is really extraordinary," Stray Cat Artistic Director May said.  "In a time when there is such declining governmental arts support and financial stress on arts organizations of all kinds, having the State Theatre reach out to collaborate with us is incredibly exciting.  We hope to ultimately help set a mode and a trend for arts organizations statewide to pursue these kinds of collaborations."

Charles Isherwood, writing in The New York Times, called Sex With Strangers "a twisty and timely play….a two-character drama about lust, love and the complex nature of identity in our digital-dominated era. When a persona can be tweaked, primped or entirely fabricated online, it may be a little tricky to figure out exactly who is lying in bed beside you: a sympathetic soul, or just a brand with a hot body?"

The show contains adult language and strong sexual content.

Single tickets for all Arizona Theatre Company productions during the 2015-16 season go on sale June 15.  Season-package holders can purchase premium tickets to Sex With Strangers for $30 before July 31. Flex Package holders can include Sex With Strangers as one of their options.  The price range for individual single tickets is $20-$60. 

To purchase tickets season or individual tickets, for more information about all of ATC's 2015-16 season or to make a donation go to www.arizonatheatre.org. For more information about Stray Cat Theatre, visit www.straycattheatre.org.

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About Arizona Theatre Company:

Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) is the preeminent fully professional theatre in the state of Arizona committed to inspiring, engaging, and entertaining - one moment, one production, and one audience at a time. Boasting the largest seasonal subscriber base in the performing arts in Arizona, ATC is the only resident company in the U.S. that is fully based in two cities providing its wide array of programming and community outreach across the region. Now in its 48th season, more than 130,000 people a year attend our performances at the historic Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, and the elegant Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. Each season of home-grown productions reflects the rich variety of world drama—from classics to contemporary plays, from musicals to new works—along with a wide array of community outreach programs, educational opportunities, access initiatives and new play programs. Designated The State Theatre of Arizona, ATC is led by Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein, Interim Managing Director Matt Lehrman, Managing Director Emeritus Jessica L. Andrews, and a dedicated Board of Trustees.  

 

About Stray Cat Theatre:

Decidedly off the beaten path, Stray Cat is indie theatre at its best: quirky, edgy and irreverent. Stray Cat Theatre scratches the Valley's itch for a visceral, provocative theatre experience for culture-savvy cats who crave something beyond the standard kitty chow. Consistent with our mission, Stray Cat is committed to: Aggressively seeking out and showcasing the most vital contemporary material; Cultivating the next generation of theatre artists; Constantly exploring theatrical possibility – what the live theatre is uniquely capable of; Striving to produce and/or develop original, unpublished work; Fostering a creative incubator – a free-radical environment dedicated to risk-taking where artists can find a home to do consistently fascinating things; Provoking, challenging and jolting our audiences out of conventional responses – sparking them to look at the live theatre experience through a fresher lens. Stray Cat Theatre is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

Contact: Steve Carr, The Kur Carr Group, Inc., (602) 317-3040, scarr51@gmail.com