Flashpoint Theatre Company announces its milestone 5th season, featuring three hot plays new to the Philadelphia stage and the 5th anniversary of David Sedaris' holiday hit, The Santaland Diaries. This season's roster of artists features Flashpoint and Philly favorites, as well as a talented group of up-and-comers making their Flashpoint debut. Kicking things off in late October is Matt Pelfrey's dark comedy An Impending Rupture of the Belly, followed by Neena Beber's poetic drama Jump/Cut in February and closing the season is Douglas Carter Beane's hilarious The Little Dog Laughed.

This season audiences will be thrilled to welcome back Keith Conallen (The Dead Guy, The Faculty Room, Feed the Hype, Between Us, The Credeaux Canvas), who recently appeared in Azuka's Fringe hit Kid Simple, and has performed with Brat Productions, Mauckingbird Theatre Company and Lantern Theatre Company. Barrymore nominated lighting designer Josh Schulman (Art, Delaware Theatre Company) returns after designing for The Dead Guy, Far Away and US Drag. Schulman's work can also be seen this fall in Rock 'n' Roll at The Wilma. Frances Calter joins the cast of An Impending Rupture of the Belly, after appearing in Flashpoint's first-season smash Schoolgirl Figure and recently appearing in productions with Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival and Uncut Productions. Also returning will be Rob Neddoff, two-time Barrymore nominee for Best Ensemble in EgoPo's Spring Awakening and Mum Puppettheatre's Animal Farm, previously seen in Flashpoint's autobahn.

New to the Flashpoint stage is Jared Nelson, who recently performed at Walnut Street Theatre in Les Miserables. Kristyn Chouiniere joins the cast of Jump/Cut. Kristyn can be seen currently in The Hothouse at Lantern Theatre Company and recently performed in As You Like It for Shakespeare in Clark Park and Mr. Marmalade for Theatre Exile. Also making his Flashpoint debut is Matt Lorenz who was seen in Azuka's Sweetie Pie and designed sound for Lonesome West and Master Harold and the Boys at Lantern Theatre Company.

THE SEASON

An Impending Rupture of the Belly - Philadelphia Premiere
by Matt Pelfrey
directed by Michael Osinski
October 29 - November 22, 2008

Clay Stilts will stop at nothing to protect his family from natural disasters, nuclear terrorism, and all the other catastrophes lurking around the corner. Too bad he can't even get the guy down the street to curb his dog. But in one violent instant, Clay's paranoia overtakes him, and he finds himself confronting much more than just a pesky pet. This darkly comic play was one of L.A. Weekly's Top 10 Best Plays of 2007.

Matt Pelfrey's plays include Cockroach Nation, Terminus Americana, Honkies with Attitude, Gore Hounds, Drive Angry, Jerry Springer is God, Monkey, and A Feast of Famine. They have been produced in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago by such companies as the Actors Theater of Louisville (Humana Festival '99), Roadworks, American Theater of Actors and others. He is the recipient of the Heideman Award (National Ten-Minute Play Award) and has been nominated for a Los Angeles Ovation award.

Jump/Cut - Philadelphia Premiere
by Neena Beber
directed by Erin Lucas
February 11 - February 28, 2009

Paul wants to do more than make donut commercials. His girlfriend Karen wants to do more than write memoirs. So when the two join forces to make a documentary about Paul's bipolar friend Dave, it seems like the perfect project to get their creativity going. But as Dave's mind unravels, so does Karen and Paul's romance-and one devastating choice changes all their lives forever. Variety calls Jump/Cut "a remarkable, absorbing, complex and intelligent play."

Playwright Neena Beber received commissions from Actors Theatre of Louisville (Humana Festival of New American Plays), Playwrights Horizons, and Otterbein College, among others. Her plays include Hard Feelings (Women's Project), Thirst (The Public), The Dew Point (SPF/Summer Play Festival), A Common Vision (Magic Theatre) and Tomorrowland (New Georges). She has received the A.S.K. Exchange to the Royal Court Theatre, Distinguished Alumni Award from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and Paulette Goddard and MacDowell Colony Fellowships.

The Little Dog Laughed - Philadelphia Premiere
by Douglas Carter Beane
directed by Meghann Williams
May 6 - 30, 2009

Meet Mitchell - a rising Hollywood star. If his agent Diane has anything to do with it, his face will be on every poster, his movies in every multiplex, and his future nothing but bright. All she has to do is keep him in the closet. But when Mitchell meets Alex, Diane's job becomes infinitely harder. Add to the mix Alex's fun-loving girlfriend and one persnickety playwright, and you'll find that Hollywood endings are not always what they seem. This "devastating and satirical comedy" (Talkinbroadway.com) was nominated for two 2007 Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Playwright Douglas Carter Beane's works include the screenplay of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and several plays including The Country Club and As Bees in Honey Drown, which ran at New York's Lucille Lortel Theatre in 1997. Beane also wrote the book for Xanadu, which made its Broadway debut in 2007 and was nominated for multiple Tony Awards. He is also the artistic director of the Drama Dept. Theater Company in New York.

Flashpoint announces the return of their popular holiday show!
The Santaland Diaries
By David Sedaris, adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
Directed by Meghann Williams
December 2008 (dates/times TBA)
Location TBA

Returning to the stage as the mischievous Macy's elf is Flashpoint founder Derick Loafmann (The House of Yes, Orson's Shadow - Phila. Theatre Company) in David Sedaris' hysterical holiday classic.

All performances other than The Santaland Diaries will be held at 2nd Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street, in Philadelphia. Information about performance dates and times, as well as ticket prices and artists featured in each production, can be found at www.flashpointtheatre.org. Tickets can be purchased online at Flashpoint's website, or reserved for purchase at the door by calling the box office at 215-665-9720. Discounted season subscriptions are also available online.

PLEASE NOTE: Flashpoint has a new phone number: 215-665-9720.

Flashpoint Theatre Company is dedicated to expanding cultural arts awareness in the Greater Philadelphia area through the production of socially provocative and emotionally resonant works of theatre, through the development of educational programming within the community, and through collaboration with new and emerging voices from all artistic disciplines. Founded in 2003, Flashpoint's first four seasons have included ten Philadelphia premieres and one world premiere, several readings of new plays as part of the High Voltage workshop series and numerous outreach events including artist talkbacks and special performances for Philadelphia high school students. Flashpoint is also an active participant in the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia's SPARK program. Flashpoint's 2008-09 season is sponsored by Zipcar, Whole Foods Market, Zinc Bistro and Fergie's Pub.

Photos available upon request - erin@flashpointtheatre.org, 215-514-8965