University of Alabama's HELL: PARADISE FOUND Plays 59E59 Theaters, 7/13-22

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) will host the NY premiere of HELL: PARADISE FOUND, written and directed by Seth Panitch. Produced by The University of Alabama, HELL: PARADISE FOUND begins performances on Tuesday, July 10 for a limited engagement through Sunday, July 22.

Press opening is Friday, July 13 at 8:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday – Thursday at 7:15 PM; Friday and Saturday at 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $18 ($12.60 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.

Recently deceased lawyer Simon Ackerman must argue his way into Hell, which turns out to be the far better place to end up. Standing in his way are other proud denizens of the deep-down, including Shakespeare, Sinatra, and a terribly chic Mother Teresa.

This scorcher of a play for the summer season, HELL: PARADISE FOUND originally premiered in Los Angeles.

The cast features Chip Persons (Švejk at the Duke; Andorra at the Lortel), Peyton Conley, Alexandra Ficken, Lawson Hangartner, Matt Lewis, Seth Panitch, Stacy Panitch, and Dianne Teague.

The creative team includes Brian Elliott (set and lighting designer); Tiffany M. Harris (costume designer); Raphe Crystal (composer and arranger); and Stacy Alley (choreographer). The production stage manager is Matthew Burkholder.

Seth Panitch (playwright/director) is Associate Professor of Acting and directs the MFA and Undergraduate Acting programs at the University of Alabama. A professional director, actor and playwright, Seth has worked internationally in Havana, Cuba with the Ministry of Culture (directing productions of The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Beyond Therapy at the Teatro Bertolt Brecht and Teatro Adolfo Llaurado), Off Broadway at the Westbeth Theater Center, Urban Stages, and The Raw Space; regionally at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Texas Shakespeare Festival and Idaho Repertory Theatre; and in Los Angeles at the Globe Playhouse, Odyssey Theatre, Complex Theatre, Ventura Court Playhouse, and the Hillside Repertory Theatre. His documentary A Night in the Theater is distributed by Insight Media and his plays Dammit, Shakespeare! and What’s Taking Moses So Long? have received critical success in both New York and Los Angeles productions. In 2010, Seth received the Alabama National Alumni Association’s “Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award” and was named the Druid Arts Educator of the Year. Seth received his MFA in Acting at the University of Washington’s Professional Actor’s Training Program under Jack Clay and is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

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