Theater News

Farrell, Friedman, Steggert, et al. to Star in Vineyard’s Slug Bearers

Bobby Steggert
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)
Bobby Steggert
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)

Tom Riis Farrell, Peter Friedman, and Bobby Steggert will star in the Vineyard Theatre’s production of The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (Or, The Friends of Dr. Rushower). The musical, to be directed by Bob McGrath, will begin previews January 25, with an opening set for February 12.

The show, which features libretto and drawings by Ben Katchor and music composed by Mark Mulcahy, is set in and around Manhattan and on a tropical factory-island of exploited workers. Katchor was inspired by the tradition of the “picture reciter,” a form of live entertainment from 17th-century India. Updating and exploring this tradition, he has created original, hand-drawn still and animated sequences which complement Mulcahy’s indie-rock score.

The cast will also include Stephen Lee Anderson, Jody Flader, Matt Pearson, and Will Swensen. The production will feature set and projections by Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg, costume design by Mattie Ullrich, lighting design by Russell H. Champa, sound design by David Arnold and Brett Jarvis, choreography by John Carrafa, and musical direction by Erik James.

Farrell has appeared on Broadway in Coram Boy, Dirty Blonde, Wrong Mountain, and 1776. Friedman received a Tony nomination for his work in Ragtime, and Drama Desk nominations for The Heidi Chronicles and The Common Pursuit. Steggert starred in the Broadway revival of 110 in the Shade, and most recently appeared in the Gallery Players production of Yank!

Katchor is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. His books include Cheap Novelties, Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: Stories, The Jew of New York, and The Beauty Supply District. His comics and strips appear in magazines and newspapers around the country. Mulcahy is the former lead of the indie-rock band Miracle Legion. As a solo artist, he has performed throughout the US and abroad. McGrath is co-founder and Artistic Director of Ridge Theater, and has received three OBIE awards for his work with the company.

For more information, visit www.vineyardtheatre.org.

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