PRESS
REPRESENTATIVE: JONATHAN SLAFF, 212-924-0496,
JS@JSNYC.COM
THEATER
FOR THE NEW CITY'S DREAM UP FESTIVAL PRESENTS THE AMERICAN PREMIERE
OF "GOD IN A BOX" BY CRAIG SILVER WHERE AND
WHEN: NEW YORK, August 7 -- "God in a Box" is a one act play written, directed and performed by Craig Silver, on a man agonizing over his love/hate relationship for God. Silver plays a man contemplating what to do with God when the deity has been captured and put into a box in front of him. Theater for the New City's Dream Up Festival will present the piece's American premiere September 4 to 15. A black cardboard box, where God is imprisoned, will be visible at the center of the stage. Silver's soliloquy erupts with active physicality as he channels aggression toward the box, indicting God for His offenses against humanity. Silver also acknowledges first his appreciation and then his love for the Divinity. After he tires of criticizing God's crimes and cruelties, curiosity engulfs Silver. He breaks open the box and much to his surprise, finds a do-it-yourself God kit consisting of a white beard, robe and sceptre. Silver concludes that God helps those who help themselves and goes into a happy dance accompanied by the song "Get Happy." "God in a Box" was previously presented at the VIA Festival in Paris. Craig Silver is originally from Wisconsin and has been involved in the arts and media in New York since the 1970s. His one-act play, "The Oven," was produced at the 13th Street Repertory and his short dramatic piece "The Harmony of the Sticks," was presented at the Fusion Arts Festival. His radio drama, "Babyman," received a grant from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. Silver is also a singer/songwriter, appearing in clubs and cafes around New York. His musical "Cyberbabies," for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics, will be produced at Theater for the New City early next year. The eighth annual Dream Up Festival (www.dreamupfestival.org) is being presented by Theater for the New City from August 27 to September 17. An ultimate new work festival, it is dedicated to the joy of discovering new authors and edgy, innovative performances. Audiences savor the excitement, awe, passion, challenge and intrigue of new plays from around the country and around the world. The festival does not seek out traditional scripts that are presented in a traditional way. It selects works that push new ideas to the forefront, challenge audience expectations and make us question our understanding of how art illuminates the world around us. A unique and varied selection of productions will again be offered that draw upon a variety of performance specialties including singing, clowning, poetry, street music, magic and movement. The Festival's founders, Crystal Field and Michael Scott-Price, feel this is especially needed in our present time of declining donations to the arts, grants not being awarded due to market conditions, and arts funding cuts on almost every level across the country and abroad. # # #
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