Bruise & Thorn to Have World Premiere at Pipeline Theatre Company

Pipeline Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Bruise & Thorn by C. Julian Jiménez (Bundle of Sticks), formerly known as J. Julian Christopher, and directed by Jesse Jou (Say You Heard My Echo). Performances are set to begin in the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres on March 4 ahead of an official March 13 opening, and will run through March 27.

Bruise & Thorn is described as follows: "Bruise and Thorn are Nuyorican, queer, and tired af of their jobs at a busted-up laundromat in Jamaica, Queens. But not for long: Bruise is saving up to become a chef (like on Chopped!), and Thorn spits bars on street corners, one America's Got Talent audition away from becoming the Boricua Nikki Minaj. When the laundromat's basement turns out to be an illegal cockfighting ring, the cousins can't tell if this is an opportunity to cash out and become their most fabulous selves — or a trap to keep them locked into what everyone expects them to be."

The cast of Bruise & Thorn will include Jae W. Brown (Completely) as Thorn, Fernando Contreras (Ghost the Musical) as Bruise, Zuleyma Guevara (Gotham) as Mrs. Gallo, Carson Fox Harvey (FBI) as Lizard, and Tony nominee Lou Liberatore (The Good Wife) as Old Fart. Dancers Kevin Matthew Taylor, Jason Ford, Ashton Muñiz, Sijean Gonzalez (u/s Bruise/Thorn/Mrs.Gallo), and Billy Nugent (u/s Lizard/Old Fart) will round out the company.

The creative team will feature scenic and props design by Sasha Schwartz, lighting design by Harbour Edney, costume design by Saawan Tiwari, and sound design by Matt Otto. Cesar Valentino serves as choreographer, with Richard Mosqueda as associate director, Billie Harmon as assistant costume designer, Brian Quijada and Marvin Quijada as rap consultants, and Denise Hurd as fight choreographer and intimacy director.