On Stage Now

PERFECT FIT TIX ON SALE NOW!
BUY YOUR TICKET HERE or call 800.838.3006

PERFECT FIT is a contemporary comedy about three friends who grapple with the twists and turns of life, years after college. Radhika, a fashion designer in LA, returns to NYC after a dirty divorce to visit ex-boyfriend Jake, only to find out he has a new girlfriend, Hannah. Ex-roommate Mary Beth has a newborn baby but her surgeon-husband Takashi is constantly busy. Can old friendships survive the journey to adulthood? What makes a family? Do we live in a post-racial world? What is boiled wool? Set in New York City today, PERFECT FIT subversively raises these and other pressing questions about contemporary American life with a keen eye and razor sharp wit.

"Lina Patel is a masterful playwright, capable of exploring both the world and the human heart. Her work provokes, enlightens and moves me."
- David Henry Hwang, Tony Award for M. Butterfly

"Lina Patel has a great ear and a unerring sense of character. She is always writing about something important, to her and to us, but in a subtle and human way. PERFECT FIT is a rare thing today: a social comedy about heartache. I can't recommend it enough."
- Ian Morgan, Associate Artistic Director, The New Group

"Lina is one of the most prolific and incisive new writers on the scene with a deep intellectual rigor seasoned by a keen sense of history and humor."
- Shishir Kurup, Playwright/Director

"Lina Patel is that rare playwright who not only excites and entertains but proves over and again that a sharp intellect and the desire to explore ideas make for great theatre."
- Jamil Khoury, Artistic Director, Silk Road Theater

"Maura, you put together a nice show here. It moves, it flows."
- Jimmy Smits, Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Award Winner, past show review

"Director Maura Kelley's staging is charmingly informal..."
- Talkin Broadway, past show review

"Director Maura Kelley has created an amusing, instructive show."
- Nytheatre.com, past show review

Starring:
DAN CHEN, CHRIS DAVIS, KATE GELLER,
QURRAT ANN KADWANI, RASHIDA M. STEWART

Press Inquiries:
Contact Obaid Kadwani
press@eyeblink.org

Tickets are available now!

BUY YOUR TICKET HERE or call 800.838.3006

SCHEDULE: May 14-15 @ 8pm May 16 @ 3pm May 19-21 @ 8pm May 22 @ 3pm & 8pm May 23 @ 3pm

LOCATION:    Times Square Arts Center Roy Arias Theatre 300 West 43rd St bet 8th and 9th Ave New York, NY Google Maps

COST: $20 in advance $30 cash at the door $15 online for students with ID $15 online for seniors with ID For group discount tix, please contact info@eyeblink.org

Lina Patel (Playwright) is a critically acclaimed writer and actor. Lina's first play, Sankalpan (Desire), set in the volatile period of pre-Partition Bengal, was a semi-finalist for the Sundance Theatre Institute. The play was developed at the New Group, Silk Road Theater and the Lark Play Development Center, (Playwrights Week) helmed by Ian Morgan. A Sherwood Award finalist, Lina was invited by Center Theatre Group to develop a new play in their nine-month writer's retreat. Set in New York, The Ragged Claws examines the value of history and art in a time of crisis through parallel stories of people adapting to unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances. The Ragged Claws received two staged readings at Silk Road Theater Project and a Roundtable at the Lark and is a BAPF finalist. Lina's drama, The Disappearance of Luck (as in Lakshmi, goddess of Fortune) is an urban tale about what happens when a man's wife disappears and a stranger appears his life. Luck was developed in a writer's group led by Jose Rivera. Lina's new play, an imagined conversation between Lionel Trilling and Virginia Woolf, Understanding Eugenia, received a Lark Roundtable. Her new play, Dionollo, a playful contraction of Apollo and Dionysus, about two men approaching a certain age, received a reading at the New Group. Lina is currently at work on a play about the Depression-era photographer, Dorothea Lange. Lina's first production, That Could Be You, premiered as part of The DNA Trail at Silk Road Theater Project, presented in association with the Goodman Theater and directed by Steve Scott. A stage and television actor, Lina has performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Taper, Pasadena Playhouse, the Globe Theaters and has guest starred on "24", "CSI", "Numb3ers" and "Medium." A voice-over artist, Lina has narrated several books for Penguin and Random House including Faulkener's, As I Lay Dying and Arturo Perez-Reverte's, The Queen of the South.

Maura Kelley (Director) began her career as an actress. After years of performing and writing improv and sketch comedy she evolved into directing and conceiving her own variety, spoof and sketch comedy shows. After a few years of directing plays and musicals, Maura went back to school and was awarded her MFA in directing from Brooklyn College in 2008. Maura seems to like festivals as she has directed for 3 consecutive years in the NY Fringe festival and 5 consecutive years in the Estrogenius festival at Manhattan TheaterSource. This past summer, her production of Much Ado About Nothing (with a baseball theme) toured in NY Parks in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens (theatersmarts.com) Maura is also a playwright and that's probably one of the reasons she loves working on new plays and musicals so much. Most recently a reading of her comedy, Dog Park was performed at the Drilling Company. Maura is overjoyed to be returning to eyeBLINK after directing a staged reading: Lovers and Thieves, a comedy by Sem Megson a couple of summers ago. Associate SDC, AEA and SAG. Visit www.maurakelley.net

Dan Chen (Takashi) is pleased to be joining eyeBLINK with this production of Perfect Fit by Lina Patel. Dan was most recently seen on stage as Jean in Miss Julie. On film, he can currently be seen playing the title role in The Fortune Writer. See also www.TheFortuneWriter.com. Look for Dan next upcoming music video for Love Come Down opposite rap hip hop star Fabulous. Love to my real-life wife, Cristina Aguirre, for all her support. For more info, please visit Dans website at www.DramaLaw.com

Chris Davis (Jake) is excited to perform in his first production with eyeBLINK. Past stage credits include: The Shaughraun & The Jeweler's Shop (Storm Theatre), tour of Lights on for Louie with National Theatre for Children. Film credits: Good Rules for Badguys (Footnote Studios), What Really Frightens You? (New Wave Film Distribution), Leave Me Behind (Running on Faith Productions) and The Yard (Saiyan Films.) Also, he was formerly known as Chris Keveney, but don't even get him started. Thanks to all who had a hand in this production.

Kate Geller (Mary Beth) is thrilled to be a part of eyeBLINK's production of Perfect Fit. She is an MFA in Acting graduate from the Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts. Credits include: TV/FILM: Mercy (NBC), Couples (Cannes Film Festival '08), Sara&Jay4Ever (Pilot), multiple CollegeHumor.com sketches. THEATRE: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse (Mile Square Theatre), Second Love (Kate), Mad Forest (Columbia University Theatre Co.), Jesus Hopped the A Train (Rutgers Theatre Company), The House of Bernarda Alba (Rutgers Theatre Company), Dershowitz Protocol (Michael Weller Theatre and Fringe Fest '08), and Imminent Indeed. (Fringe Fest '06) Thanks and love to Chris, and my supportive friends and family.

Qurrat Ann Kadwani is the founding Artistic Director of eyeBLINK and the head of the Theatre department. She is currently the host of 100% Desi and Desi Jams on Namaste America, a nationally syndicated show on cable. TV appearances also include ABC News' What Would You Do, As The World Turns, All My Children. Some stage work extends to Baby Taj (TheaterWorks Palo Alto), where she earned rave reviews, The Women of the Mahabharata (eyeBLINK), Sankalpan (New Group and The Lark), First Language (New Group), Rangoon (Pan Asian Rep), Inside Out (Abingdon Theatre Company), The Quaking (Abingdon Theatre Company), Falling Man (NYU), The Greeks (Imua Theatre Company), Beneath the Banyan Tree (eyeBLINK). She has also emceed events for YourDil, Lend A Hand India, LRBT, and Asha for Education. www.qurratannkadwani.com

Rashida M. Stewart (Hannah) comes to New York by way of Chicago and is certainly not a newcomer to the stage, as she has graced many as an actress, dancer, and model. Rashida first appeared in the limelight of the stage at the age of three when she fearlessly recited a poem for a program at her preschool. Rashida has always had an affinity for the arts and she received her first taste of "big-screen" action with a minor part in MGM® Studios 2002 feature, Barbershop; that is when acting became a stronger focus for her. Since then, she has appeared in various independent films, stage productions and a couple of commercials. Rashida is a classically trained dancer, choreographer and model. In the vein of sharing what she's learned, Rashida teaches dance and modeling to kids; as well as being a mentor to at-risk teens. She's also a burgeoning violinist; presently, re-exploring the instrument she first trained on in her youth. She is very excited to be part of Perfect Fit.

Christopher Minard (Scenic Designer) has designed regional productions of "Proof," "A Dream Play," "21A," and "365 Days/365 Plays; Week 47," "Godspell," and "Soft Rock at the Triple Door." He has also worked as an assistant designer with Hal Tiné for the New York Grand Opera Co., T. Schreiber Studios, and the New York Historical Society as well as for David Korins on "When the Rain Stops Falling" at Lincoln Center Theater. Chris is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design. www.chrisminard.com

Rebecca Cullars (Lighting Designer) just finished a national tour of The Break/s: A Mix-Tape for Stage as Lighting Director/ Ast. Designer. She has designed for the Clark Sisters and The Mighty Sparrow. She has Ast. Designed Off Broadway productions of Nathan the Wise and Cyclone and the Pig-Faced Lady. Rebecca is thrilled to be working with Maura Kelly again on this captivating production of Perfect Fit.

Susan Voelker (Costume Designer) loves the way costume reflects personality. Working on short films and plays, in addition to years of clothing design and fashion show creation, Susan sees each project as a chance to express a character's style and mood through the clothes on the actor's back. With love for all things aesthetic, Susan studied art history and fashion in Georgia before moving to NYC and costume design in 2007. She's excited to be a member of the creative team of Perfect Fit and to show off the 5 stylish metropolitan friends who tell the story so well!

Josh Hobbs (Sound Designer) has been a professional sound designer for the past eight years. He graduated from Kent State University in Ohio and has recently moved to New York to further his Sound Design career. Thank you eyeBLINK for giving me this opportunity to showcase my Design work for the first time on the New York stage. A special thanks to my family and friends for without them I would not be doing what I love. Much love to Anne and Sadie. Thank you for making this move with me and for your support. Enjoy everyone. The world is a stage.

Mahmoud Bawatneh (Stage Manager) was the proud recipient of the Fort Hamilton High School Theatre Award for excellence in theatre and the Leviton Award for character, skill & scholarship in Technology. At Fort Hamilton, he was a volunteer technical director, stage manager, assistant stage manager, set designer, set builder, sound engineer, and crew trainer for productions such as Jekyll and Hyde the musical and Arsenic and Old Lace. After high school Mahmoud had the pleasure of being an intern crew member at Lincoln Center out of Doors. He continued his work as an engineer and technician for Prosho Sound. Also he was a set builder and assistant stage manager for the off-Broadway production of True West at the Athena Theatre in Manhattan. Most recently, he was the production stage manager for the unknown Tennessee Williams Production lab of Escape at the Target Margin Theatre. Currently, he is the producer and stage manager for The Gloria Glitter show at the Broadway Comedy Club.

Shilpa Sharma (Stage Manager) is thankful to eyeBLINK for opening the door to the exciting world of working backstage. Being a big enthusiast of the theatre, she hopes to continue embarking this journey. The rest of the time she works as a Business/ Quality Assurance analyst, is a self proclaimed adventure junkie, plays the Dumbek and is an avid painter.

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eyeBLINK Theatre presents

**JUST CHILL**

...with Happy Hour, Premium Open Bar, Raffle, Music and...
a good time while helping a growing non-profit organization!

DATE: Thursday, April 15, 2010
TIME: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
LOCATION: Woody's, 234 West 14th Street, between 7th and 8th Ave, NYC
Tix are available at the door for $30 cash.

7PM - 8PM Enjoy Happy Hour: $3.50 Domestic Bottled Beer; $5.50 Pint of Guinness; $16.25 Bucket of Yuengling

8PM - 9PM PREMIUM OPEN BAR! Kettle One, Absolut, Tanqueray, Jack Daniels, Bacardi, Wine, Beer, Juice, Soda and our specialty cocktail Perfect Fit!

9 PM: RAFFLE includes:

• $50 bar/food tab at Woody's
• $50 dinner Planet Thailand 212
• Brunch for 2 at Marc Forgione
• 1 Personal Training session by DE Fitness
• 1 Body Sculpting session by DE Fitness
• 1 Kickboxing session by DE Fitness
• 1 Private Krav Maga session by DE Fitness
• 3 Krav Maga / Self-Defense sessions by DE Fitness
• 1 Group Pass for The Cloisters (up to 10 people) by The Met Museum of Art
• Public speaking / accent reduction session by Speak Clear Communications

Photography to be provided by Joy Zhu
Help us keep promoting multiculturalism through the arts!

What are we doing with all the funds we raise?

eyeBLINK Theatre is producing Perfect Fit by Lina Patel
May 14-16 and May 19-23; Weekdays at 8PM, Weekends at 3PM
The Times Square Arts Center: Roy Arias Theatre
300 West 43rd Street, 4th Floor
NY, NY 10036

Three thirty-somethings grapple with a recent dirty divorce, parenthood and new relationships, ten years after college. When fashion designer Radhika reunites with old college flame Jake, sparks fly despite the fact he has a new girlfriend, Hannah. Mary Beth, a furniture maker- turned new, freaked out mom, and her surgeon-husband Takashi, are both too busy to notice how much they miss each other. Can old friendships survive the journey to young adulthood? What makes a family? Do we live in a post-racial world? What is boiled wool? Set in New York City today, Perfect Fit subversively raises these and other pressing questions about contemporary American life with a keen eye and razor sharp wit.

Special Thanks to our Sponsors!
Vanessa Primiani at Woody's
Matan's D&E Personal Training
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Speak Clear Communications
Planet Thailand 212
Marc Forgione

Special Thanks to our Fundraising Assistants!
Sabeen Altaf, Reny Johny, Vaihari Patel, Urooj Zahra

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eyeBLINK Theatre presents

Tomorrow's Gold! New Work Series

More Than Breakfast by Callan Stout

Directed by Dina Epshteyn

This March, be one of the first to see a staged reading performance of More Than Breakfast, a new play by Callan Stout. Four sensuous, passionate, provocative, and witty women meet at a California forest retreat to overcome their recent divorces. A couple of divorcees, some trees and way too much idyllic downtime make for an interesting night of fun! Towards the end lurks a sharp twist - one deep, dark secret unknowingly uniting them all.

New plays are selected based on multicultural themes, non-traditional casting, and the play's ability to affect social change. A staged reading is a directed peice with fully developed characters and an enjoyable theatrical experience. It has minimal lighting and blocking and the actors read from the script. The focus of this is to analyze the themes of the play and to help the playwright make the play as strong as possible. There will be a Q&A directly after with the playwright!

Callan Stout (Playwright) grew up in Los Angeles, surrounded by entertainment, people and entertaining people. She started working in theatre over ten years ago and has been fortunate enough to have a variety of productions and readings during that time. Her first play, an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's AESOP'S FABLES, was produced by the children's theatre company she was working with at the time. The next year they produced another original children's play BROWNIES, BICYCLES AND BIGFOOT. Her play RED INDIA received a staged reading in The Next Stage New Play Festival. She also studied in London with Dr. Roy Kendell at the Institute of Contemporary Art, where her play THE PASTRY QUEEN received a reading. Callan has also worked with The Cherry Lane Theatre, The Public Theatre and Thirteen Playwrights. She has a BFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and an Mlitt in Folklore from the University of Aberdeen, UK. MORE THAN BREAKFAST received a first reading at NYU in 2008. Callan is thrilled to have the opportunity to share this story with a new audience.

Dina Epshteyn (Director). New York-Abroad Stage: Ghost Light (currently). Vignettes for the Apocalypse: We Appear to Have Company (currently). Manhattan Theatre Source: Tumble Jumble. Fringe Festival: George the Fourth. Urban Stages: The Clockmaker (reading). Strawberry One-Act Festival: No Applause Please. Where Eagles Dare: Cold Feet. Regional-Capital Rep: The Oxford Roof Climber's Rebellion (AD). Two River: Heartbreak House (AD). Westport: Sedition (World Premiere), Mary's Wedding (AD/Dramaturg); I Dream before I Take the Stand. Baltimore's CENTERSTAGE: The Life of a Dollar Bill (Young Playwrights Festival); Hearts (AD/Choreographer); Ah, Wilderness!, The Three Sisters, Death and the Maiden, The Boys from Syracuse, Things of Dry Hours, Trouble in Mind (Dramaturg). Education: McGill University.

Special Thanks: Mahira Sheikh, Eddie Priest, Kay Crimmins, Suneha Khan, Joy Zhu

See previous Tomorrow"s Gold pics