[ This Just In! ]
For Immediate Release
Date: February 20, 2006
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SALVAGE VANGUARD THEATER PREMIERES RYAN PAVELCHIK’S STATIC
(AUSTIN, TX) - Rehearsals began today for Salvage Vanguard’s newest production, the world premiere of Ryan Pavelchik’s STATIC, set and performed in a motel room.
Salvage Vanguard’s Artistic Director Jason Neulander is opening SVT’s 2006 season with STATIC after viewing Pavelchik’s workshop presentation of the piece at UT’s 2005 David Mark Cohen New Works Festival.
“I was looking for a play that would introduce a new voice to Austin and also teach me something new about theater,” says Neulander. “This play does both of those things. Ryan has an amazing original voice.”
Pavelchik, a James A. Michener Center for Writers fellow, describes himself as “one of many lower-class white men raised by single mothers in those parts of the world where … brothers are fathers, where older friends are fathers, where neighbors are saints and you create the means to pay for college.” His past works have been performed at the Center Stage Theatre, The Actors Gang Theater, The Green Theatre and Actors Theatre of Louisville.
STATIC tells the story of Josh, a young man dressed in uniform who awakes in a motel room. With the aide of the television, telephone, alarm clock and his digestive tract, he dissects and confronts his past.
“I’m always careful not to give expectations,” says Pavelchik. “So I’m being careful of not explaining it too much. It’s about remembering yourself in both senses of the word-- like in memory, but also putting yourself back together. Remembering yourself as a member of society.”
Since STATIC is set in a motel room, Neulander is choosing to perform it in a motel room. This is the second time Salvage Vanguard has produced a site-specific work, the first being 1999’s circus-tented Venus.
“In this play the environment is a character. In a motel room, you take the TV and radio for granted. When they become a part of the story, I think it's going to be pretty magical,” says Neulander.
“ There's going to be this sense of voyeurism. Think about it-- you're going to be only feet, sometimes inches away from a character who isn't aware of your existence. It should be pretty intense!” he adds.
STATIC features Brent Werzner (Americamisfit, The Intergalactic Nemesis: Twin Infinity) in the role of Josh. Neulander will direct and create video with Pavelchik. Laura Cannon (Death of A Cat, Genghis Khan, Americamisfit) will design costumes and Buzz Moran (The Intergalactic Nemesis Trilogy, Foleyvision) will design sound.
STATIC opens March 31st and runs through May 6th, Thursday through Sunday at 8:00 PM and a 5:00 PM matinee on Saturdays. Seating for STATIC is extremely limited- 12 to 15 people at most will be allowed for each night. The play will take place at The Woodward Inn, 3401 S. IH-35. Tickets are on a sliding scale of $20 - $50 with 2-for-1 tickets available for matinee shows. For more information visit the SVT website at http://www.salvagevanguard.org.
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