Photo Flash: Meet the Cast of Queens Players and Femme Fatale's THE BACCHAE

The Queens Players in association with Femme Fatale Theater presents Euripides' timeless tragedy The Bacchae,in a production dripping with a sense of foreboding dark comedy and sexual menance this March 28th through April 13th at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City, Queens. Femme Fatale Theater Co-Founder Robert Ribar directs a cast lead by Peter Oliver ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") as the seductive god Dionysus and Michael Axelrod (The Flea's Restoration Comedy) as the doomed king Pentheus in a production that features an all-male chorus and an original ambient music score employing viola, clarinet and Gregorian chant. Meet the cast in the photos below!

When the young king of Thebes outlaws the worship of his cousin, the half-human god Dionysus, the deity returns to Earth to extract revenge on the family that has shunned him. Severed heads and cross-dressing kings populate this mysterious masterwork from 405 BC. This production explores The Bacchae's inherent sense of impending doom and the dangers that can arrise when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object.

The Bacchae features Harlan J. Alford, Michael Axelrod, William Barnet, Stan Buturla, John Graham, John C. Hume, Alexander Kveton, Blake Merriman, MeLinda Nichols, Peter Oliver, Stacy Salvette, Nick Smerkanich and LatticeWorks Dance Collective, who also contribute choreography.

The production features scenic and lighting design by Jonathan Cottle (The Flea's Job, Bushwick Starr's The House of Von Macrame), costumes by Naomi Raddatz (Half Straddle's Seagull [Thinking of You]), original music by Ryan Marino (who records as ambient artist Remnants) and projections designed by Daniel DeStefano. The production stage manager is Jasmin Sanchez. The Bacchae is produced for Femme Fatale Theater by Stephen Gribbin.

The production will run Thursday 3/28, Friday 3/29, Saturday 3/30, Thursday 4/4, Friday 4/5, Saturday 4/6, Thursday 4/10, Friday 4/11 and Saturday 4/12 at 8pm with additional performances on Sunday 4/7 at 3pm and Saturday 4/13 at 2pm. All tickets are $18 and can be purchased at www.secrettheatre.com.

Founded in 2005 by Richard Mazda the Queens Players is a not-for-profit theatrical company at the forefront of the developing LIC art scene. Primarily focusing on classical material, the company presents these works to a modern audience with vibrancy, creativity and edge in a way that is thought provoking, accessible to a modern audience, and visually unique.

Femme Fatale Theater was founded by Stephen Gribbin and Robert Ribar. Past productions include an all-male production of Oscar Wilde's Salome at the Secret Theatre, the world premerie of Dylan Lamb's Alligator Summer in the New York International Fringe Festival, the world premire of Shaymus Murchae's God as a Character in the Short Play Lab Festival and their ongoing, acclaimed monthly performance series Queer Not Cool. Femme Fatale Theater is the first guest artist in the history of The Queens Players.

Robert Ribar is the co-founder of Femme Fatale Theater for whom he has directed an all-male production of Oscar Wilde's Salome (The Secret Theatre) and the world premieres of Shaymus Murchae's God as a Character (Short Play Lab Fest) and Dylan Lamb's Alligator Summer (FringeNYC) along with many readings and workshops and is the co-creator and host of Queer Not Cool, a monthly performance series at the Secret Theatre (#1 Critics Pick in "Time Out New York"). He was the associate producer of Dangerous Beauty at the Pasadena Playhouse and serves as the story editor and associate producer for the two-time Tony nominated producers Tara Smith and B. Swibel.

Photo Credit: Hunter Canning