Spleen Theatre's ANNA CHRISTIE Plays Barge on Hudson River, Now thru 9/23

Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer-Prize winning Anna Christie, a timeless story of longing and redemption that unfolds on O'Neill's fictional "Simeon Winthrop" coal barge, will perform aboard the century-old Lehigh Valley Barge #79, docked in historic Red Hook along Brooklyn's Hudson River, beginning tonight, September 8, presented by Spleen Theatre. The production is directed by Laura Tesman.

Performances will take place on the Lehigh Valley Barge #79 at the Waterfront Museum, 290 Conover Street, Pier 44, Brooklyn, NY, tonight, September 8, 9, 15, 16, 21 and 23 at 7:30PM. Tickets are $18 (TDF accepted). For reservations call 212 868 4444.

Stripped to the bone and in search of a fresh start, Anna Christie arrives in New York looking for refuge. Her last resort is the formerly sea-faring father who abandoned her as a child. Now the Captain of a coal barge, Old Chris Christopherson takes her in. But just as the fog and sea air begin to cleanse her, and the grime of her past begins to wash away, that Ol' Devil Sea throws the ship-wrecked Mat Burke on board, plunging them all into uncharted waters.

The production features Rahaleh Nassri* as Anna, John O'Creagh* as Chris Christopherson, Gene Gillette* as Mat Burke, Bairbre Dowling* as Marthy, Michael Kingsbaker* as Larry, and Nathan Gurr* and Gregory Anderson-Elysee as Longshoremen. Also featuring original music and traditional sea shanties performed by Nathan Gurr on Banjo and Guitar.

Directed by Laura Tesman, Scene Design by Kip Marsh, Costume Design by Annette Westerby, Lighting and Stage Management by Hae-Jin Han.

The Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge #79, built in 1914, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only floating wooden covered barge of its kind that remains afloat and accessible to the general public. From the barge and pier, visitors are treated to a rare front view of the Statue of Liberty, and to the tugs, freighters, container and cruise ships that crisscross the harbor daily. The Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge #79 is an authentic floating artifact from the era of railroad lighterage in the New York Harbor (1860-1960). By the early 19th Century, New York had been the largest seaport in America for almost a century. It would soon become the largest seaport in the world, a position it would hold for the next half-century.

ANNA CHRISTIE plays tonight, September 8 and September 9, 15, 16, 21 and 23 @ 7:30pm with one preview on September 7 @ 7:30pm, at The Lehigh Valley Barge #79 at The Waterfront Museum, 290 Conover Street, Pier 44, Brooklyn, NY. For more information, visit www.waterfrontmuseum.org. For more information, call 347-365-5959.

Tickets are available at SmartTix online at www.smarttix.com or via Ticket Hotline at 212 868 4444. Tickets are $18.

DIRECTIONS: By FERRY (Free Ikea ferry daily until 8pm): From Pier 11 (5 minute walk to barge). From A, C or F trains: B61 from Jay St. Metrotech. From 2, 3, 4, 5 or R trains: B61 from Borough Hall.

The mission of SPLEEN THEATRE is to create site-specific, physical and viscerally engaging theatre that is raw, dangerous, amusing, impulsive, spirited, eager, capricious, tempestuous…and sometimes bloody. Anna Christie is Spleen Theatre's second production. For more, go to www.spleentheatre.org.

*Appearing Courtesy of Actor's Equity Association. Equity Approved Showcase.

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