Neon Mirage -- Visions and Realities of Las Vegas by the Actors Theatre of Louisville, at New York's Fringe Festival

Neon Mirage, a musical comedy of 16 vignettes about Las Vegas, is a featured performance in New York's Fringe Festival, August 2006. Neon Mirage is a collaboration of five playwrights and one composer, commissioned for the Actors Theatre of Louisville's 2006 New American Plays festival.

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 8, 2006 -- Neon Mirage, a musical comedy of 16 vignettes about Las Vegas, is a featured performance in New York's Fringe Festival, August 2006. Neon Mirage is a collaboration of five playwrights and one composer, commissioned for the Actors Theatre of Louisville's 2006 New American Plays festival.

Take a wild ride across the desert to Las Vegas. The neon shrine shows its glittering mirage and its harsh realities, from sixteen unusual points of view. This hilarious and thought-provoking show from the Tony Award-winning Actors' Theatre of Louisville comes to New York's August, 2006 Fringe Festival on:
·    TUE 8/22 @ 7:15 - 8:45
·    WED 8/23 @ 4:45 - 6:15
·    THUR 8/24 @ 7:15 - 8:45
·    FRI 8/25 @ 6 - 7:30
·    SAT 8/26 @ 7 - 8:30

Neon Mirage will be performed at Fringe Festival's Venue #5: Henry Street Henry DuJur Playhouse, at: 465 Grand Street (near corner of Pitt - Subway F to Delancey, JMG to Essex; BUS: 14A).

Meet the insiders, founders, and workers who give the city its unique, sparkling mystique. See a spectacular musical production number set in the MGM Grand Hotel, and then watch strikingly different employees of that hotel, arguing about borrowing a cell phone. One scene suggests that the concept of Las Vegas was invented, as an afterthought of a desperate conversation. Another scene recalls the nearby nuclear testing of the 1950's, with a twist. A few minutes with two memorable hotel housekeepers casts a thought-provoking light on Vegas hotel workers. Siegfried and Roy's tigers discuss the tragic mauling incident -- can tigers be judged morally? Six playwrights dissect and probe the collection of myths, folklore, and stereotypes that surround Las Vegas.

Feel the hopes of gamblers at the endless slot machines. Hear a desperate, feminist showgirl explain how she got into an absurd situation, and how all makes sense -- almost. Another Las Vegas girl tells the story of her mother's disappointment, in a gesture. A street girl explains the rules of survival on The Strip, hinting at the stark underside of the glittering culture. A too-typical guy and gal have a chapel wedding, presided by The King, of course. Meet the guy who can't win, the girl who can't lose, the man bedeviled by his mediocre luck, and the poignant twist of fate when the three meet. Meet the girl who went to Vegas, her friend who didn't, and the difference Vegas made when they meet later in life. Rick Hip-Flores' high-energy musical numbers capture the spirit, the fantasy, and the personal tragedy of the Las Vegas experience. These authors create on the DeJur stage, the stark reality and the glittering mirage of America's theme park for grownups.

Coming to the New York Fringe Festival from the Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Neon Mirage is a magical synthesis of the genius of six playwrights (Liz Duffy Adams, Dan Dietz, Julie Jensen, Lisa Kron, Tracey Scott Wilson and Chay Yew) and a composer (Rick Hip-Flores). The characters are brought to life by the 2006 Actors' Theatre Apprentice Company. Commissioned for this Spring's 30th Anniversary Humana Festival of New American Plays, Wendy McClellan directs this kaleidoscope of stories, forging a unified work in 16 fast-paced scenes that leave the audience both laughing and thinking. The show's Web site is http://www.actorstheatreapprentices.org/ . Additional information and tickets are available from the Fringe Festival Web site at http://www.fringenyc.org/ .

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