Issue #9 |
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at Theater for the New City |
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Briana Bartenieff |
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Sarah Boess |
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Follow Us:
Trigger Warnings for the play are the following:
Portrayals of Suicide and Eating Disorders.
Song List
ACT ONE
Amazing Grace
Look at Us
(Un)Happy Birthday
Voices and I
Death Movement
ACT TWO
Backroom
God's Plan
Loved Enough
To be a Daughter
Cast
Creative Team
Briana Bartenieff
J.H. Greenwell
Alexander Bartenieff
Franklyn Rodriguez
Brian Park
Mark Marcante
Lytza Colon
Lola Saènz
Amy Herzberg
Audrey Latt
Susan Hemley
Billy Little
AZIZA
Sarah Illes
JC Augustin
Matthew Seepersad
Jon McHatton
Meet the Company
Sarah Boess
Sarah Boess is an actor, director, and producer. She is the Artistic Director of Sanguine Theatre Company, a non-profit new work company that has dismantled boundaries for emerging artists since 2010. In 2015, she co-founded Tredyffrin Performing Arts Camp, which received the 2021 PA Humanities in Action Award and the 2023 Vattemare Award for connecting children in the Philadelphia area to affordable arts education in a safe social environment. Recent acting credits include Heroes Of The Fourth Turning (Studio Theatre), Measure For Measure (Brown Box Theatre Company), Little Things (11th Hour Theatre Company), The Honey Trap (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre), Chicago (Broadway Theatre of Pitman), and more. B.F.A Boston University
Grace Bradley
Grace is a sophomore at SUNY Purchase. She started dancing at the age of six. She always loved performing and started doing theatre in the 4th grade after seeing the sound of music. She is so grateful to be a part of such an important show. She’d like to thank the incredibly talented cast and crew, as well as her family for their endless support. You can also follow her on Instagram @grac3g0esd0wn for more info on her writing, theatre, and film endeavors.
Sandy Melissa Garcia
Sandy Melissa Garcia is a New York City based artist born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She is a singer, songwriter and actor currently attending SUNY Purchase College as a first-generation college student. She has been singing and acting for as long as she can remember and has been in numerous in-school productions growing up. Sandy has been classically vocally trained throughout attending her high school, Brooklyn High School of The Arts, while also being given the opportunity to perform in places such as Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, etc.
Sandy has also been a part of The Stars of Tomorrow Project Inc., for the last 4 years, participating in vocal, acting, and dance classes as well as performing with the Cops and Kids Chorus. She is thankful for the friends, colleagues and figures who supported her as well as played a vital role in her journey as an artist. Special thanks to her parents, siblings, Ms. Jung, Mr. Proudfoot, Brian D. Hills, Bijoux Lukelo, Uncle Tony and La Toya Lewis.
Amy Herzberg
Amy Herzberg (she/her) is a musical theater performer who has taken part in many productions, including The Magical Journey of Arlekina (Off-Broadway, Sean the Kid), The Noteworthy life of Howard Barnes (dream ballet Maggie, experimental), The Wild Party (co-choreographer, Nadine), When You Dance (co-creator, choreographer, Del), Choices - A Rock Opera (co-choreographer, featured dancer) Stephen Schwartz Tribute Concert (Glinda), Carrie (ensemble) and many more.
When she is not performing she can be found rewatching Game of Thrones and Grey’s anatomy with her cat. Find her on instagram and TikTok: @299adi
Audrey Latt
Audrey Latt (she/they) is thrilled to be a part of this incredible production! Audrey’s recent accomplishments include graduating from AMDA in Spring ‘23, being part of the sketch comedy show “The Wicked Fresh Awesome Dance Party!”, and singing at many local cabarets in lovely venues such as Don’t Tell Mama. She has 16 Film & TV credits along with performing at a few of their local theatres in her hometown of Simi Valley, CA before moving to NYC. You are beautiful and you are loved!!! Let’s end toxic beauty standards together! @audrey.latt
Ada Victoria
A sophomore majoring in Theater and Performance at SUNY Purchase. 22 year old performing artist. She is a songwriter, vocalist, and actress. She grew up watching musicals such as Annie, The West Side Story, Grease, and many other musical classics. For the last couple of years she has performed in Westchester County, all 5 boroughs in NYC and New London, CT. She recently released her first EP (Extended Play) and it’s available on all streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube etc. Her Instagram is Torii.israel. Her dream roles/gigs are to play Elphaba in Wicked one day and be a part of the Rent cast/production.
Briana Bartenieff
Graduated with a BA in Playwriting and Screenwriting from SUNY Purchase. She has written and directed multiple short plays for TNC’s Lower East Side Festival of the Arts and been Assistant Director for TNC’s Summer Street Theater Musical for four years in a row. She participates in Lissa Moira’s Live Poet’s Society. Her writings have been published in The Villager, The Village Sun, AM New York, and Purchase College’s website as part of their Covid series. She is developing another new musical, “Scammed into Love,” to be produced by TNC in April 2025. She is the daughter of Lighting Designer/Actor/Puppeteer Alexander Bartenieff and granddaughter of Crystal Field and George Bartenieff, co-founders of TNC.
J.H. Greenwell
A multi-instrumentalist and composer. Originally from Highland Park, Illinois, they are currently studying music and film at Purchase College in New York. Greenwell has been composing music since third grade, beginning on their Nintendo DS with a copy of “WarioWare D.I.Y.”
Alexander Bartenieff
Franklyn Rodriguez
Brian Park
Mark Marcante
Lytza Colon
Lola Saènz
Amy Herzberg
Audrey Latt
Susan Hemley
Billy Little
AZIZA
Sarah Illes
JC Augustin
Matthew Seepersad
Jon McHatton
Photos
Articles
ISSUE #9 Comes to Theater For the New City in April
From April 4 to 21, Theater for the New City will present the world premiere of "Issue #9," an original musical written and directed by Briana Bartenieff, composed by J.H. Greenwell. It's set in an upstate gas station's convenience store, where adolescent bullying and obsession with unattainable beauty ideals prompt tragedy in teenage girls and revenge by family members who love them.
The piece is a musical with nine pop rock songs and an all female cast. Its story revolves around Natalie and her adolescent daughter Lexi, who move to Germantown, NY (a burgh in Columbia County) in 1995. Natalie takes a job at the local gas station, and is unaware of the struggles of her daughter, Lexi,who deals with toxic friendships and an eating disorder after becoming obsessed with teen magazines. Lexi is eventually overcome by her dieting compulsion, leading to her tragic death. After her death Natalie, initially ignorant of the severity of her daughter's obsession, takes control and tries to expose the incredibly harmful influence that teen magazines hold over youth. Ultimately, she exacts a terrible revenge on her daughter's oppressors (which we won't explain here).
While it's a horror story, it's a character-driven narrative of emotional depth, unlike mainstream horror films that more often prioritize scares and spectacle. It grapples with the existential dread associated with teenage bullying and diet culture. It bears out truthfully the growing concern among mental health professionals about the harmful effects of diet culture and beauty magazines on vulnerable adolescents. The play's title refers to an issue of the mass market fan/beauty mag that the characters are obsessed with; it is found in the racks of the convenience store the play is set in.
The play was originally developed as Bartenieff's senior project at SUNY Purchase. It was written in the fall of 2022. A staged reading, which she directed, which was produced last Spring at Purchase College. Since that time, Ms. Bartenieff has expanded and developed much of the piece, adding new songs and replacing dialogue with song.
The actors are Herut Ashkenazi, Sarah Boess, Grace Bradley, Amy Herzberg, Audrey Latt and Ada Victoria. Understudy is Taylor Lynn. Set Design is by Mark Marcante. Lighting and Sound Design are by Alexander Bartenieff. Broken mirror costume is by Billy Little. Choreographer is Amy Herzberg. Stage Managers are Rose Desiderio and Franklyn Rodriguez.
Briana Bartenieff (writer and director) graduated with a BA in Playwriting and Screenwriting from SUNY Purchase. She has written and directed multiple short plays for TNC's Lower East Side Festival of the Arts and been Assistant Director for TNC’s summer Street Theater musical for four years in a row. She participates in Lisa Moria’s Live Poet’s Society. Her writings have been published in The Villager, The Village Sun, AM New York and Purchase College’s website as part of their Covid series. She is developing another new musical, “Scammed into Love,” to be produced by TNC in April 2025. She is daughter of lighting designer/actor/puppeteer Alexander Bartenieff and granddaughter of Crystal Field and George Bartenieff, co-founders of TNC.
J. H. Greenwell (composer and musical director) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. Originally from Highland Park, Illinois, they are currently studying music and film at Purchase College in New York. Greenwell has been composing music since third grade, beginning on their Nintendo DS with a copy of “WarioWare D.I.Y.”
Donors
Issue #9 Angels
| Ilana Hessing | In Memory of George Bartenieff: | |
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Reanna Armellino |
Karen Malpede | |
| Rachel Wintemberg | Sally Ann Parsons | |
| Laura Brodsky | Martha Eddy | |
| Cinna Vesterberg |
Nina Barrett |
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| Lucy Israel | Paul McIsaac | |
| Diann Booth | Tony Giovannetti | |
| Franklyn Rodriguez | Mary Ting | |
| Myrna Duarte | Perry Cook | |
| Isis Barrera | Cindy Rosenthal | |
| Martha S Bragin | ||
| Joan Wickersham | ||
| Charlotte Phillips | ||
| Jerome A Chanes | ||
| Joan Lipkin | ||
| Kathleen Chalfant | ||
| Stefanie Siegel |
I would like to Thank Alexander Bartenieff, Franklyn Rodriguez, Mark Marcante, Lytza Colon, Lola Saènz, Billy Little, and Susan Hemley for all their incredible hard work on this production. I also want to thank Crystal Field, Emily Pezzella, and the rest of my TNC Family for making this production possible. My endless gratitude to you all.
I would like to also thank Mac, Neena, and Rachel for their work on the reading of Issue #9. As well as extend my gratitude to my teachers from SUNY Purchase Professor Mariana, Professor Peggy, and Professor Sarah.
My biggest act of gratitude is to my cast. My amazing cast who have cared so much in bringing this show to justice. You have worked so hard to bring alive this play that is so heavy and delicate at the same. It is an honor to have you perform my work, and it is a privilege to build together this wonderful creature that is Issue #9.
