Flashpoint’s 5th anniversary season starts with a bang! An Impending Rupture of the Belly is a darkly comic play that was one of L.A. Weekly's Top 10 Best Plays of 2007. The play centers around Clay Stilts, a man who will stop at nothing to protect his family from natural disasters, nuclear terrorism, and all the other catastrophes lurking around the corner. Unfortunately, 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. “Matt Pelfrey’s galvanizing black comedy resembles those nightmares that nag at one’s psyche the following day – too off-kilter to accept as reality, yet infused with imagery too haunting to dismiss.” (Critics Pick! Backstage)

“We'd been reading Matt's original plays since we produced his short play Drive Angry for the SPARK Festival in 2005,” says director Michael Osinski. “We were thrilled when we read An Impending Rupture of the Belly. It's a perfect fit for our company, and it couldn't be more timely. Matt has written a play that makes a pretty big political statement without seeming overtly political. There's still a very funny, very engaging, and very terrifying story underneath it all.”

According to Variety, Matt Pelfrey “has a gift for oddball concepts and sardonic dialogue.” He received his MFA from UCLA, where he currently teaches playwriting. He is the recipient of the Heideman Award (National Ten-Minute Play Award) and has been nominated for a Los Angeles Ovation award. His 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, (Mostly) Harmless Theater Company, Moving Arts and the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble.

Flashpoint is honored to host a talkback with playwright Matt Pelfrey. This special one-night-only event will follow the 8pm performance on Saturday, November 8.

The stellar cast features Jared Nelson, new to the Flashpoint stage, who recently performed in Les Miserables at the Walnut Street Theatre. Rob Neddoff appeared in Flashpoint’s 2006 production of autobahn and has been nominated twice for an Outstanding Ensemble Barrymore (Spring Awakening, EgoPo and Animal Farm, Mum Puppettheatre). Also returning to Flashpoint is Nathaniel Robertson, who previously performed in US Drag, Feed The Hype and two of Flashpoint’s SPARK Festival selections, including Matt Pelfrey’s Drive Angry. Frances Calter’s most recent Flashpoint production was Schoolgirl Figure in 2005. She has also performed with Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, Uncut Productions, Simpatico Theater Project and more. Chris Fluck recently appeared in A Streetcar Named Durang for Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium and is a regular performer for Luna Theater Company.

Lighting for the production will be designed by Josh Schulman, recent Barrymore nominee for Art at Delaware Theatre Company and designer for Rock ‘n’ Roll this fall at the Wilma, as well as multiple Flashpoint shows. Set Designer Christian Pedone returns for his sixth production, having designed last season’s The Faculty Room and many others. Pedone also designed for Nice People Theater Company’s Killing Women. Up-and-coming costume designer Regina Rizzo returns to work with Flashpoint after last season’s The Faculty Room. Rizzo recently designed for Delaware Shakespeare Festival's Romeo and Juliet and has designed for 1812 Productions, Theatre Horizon and Azuka Theatre Company. Sound will be provided by John Glaubitz, who recently collaborated with director Osinski on this past spring’s The Dead Guy. Properties will be provided by Natalia de la Torre, who has designed props and costumes for Flashpoint, Brat Productions, Azuka Theater Company and many others.

Director Michael Osinski has been the Managing Director and Production Manager of Flashpoint Theatre Company since its inception. For Flashpoint he has directed the Philadelphia premieres of Schoolgirl Figure, autobahn, Far Away, and last season's The Dead Guy. In January he will direct Laura Wade's Colder Than Here for Allens Lane Theatre. He has also worked with the Wilma Theater and the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival.

All performances 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 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.

WHAT:
An Impending Rupture of the Belly, by Matt Pelfrey

WHEN:
October 29 - November 22, 2008

WHERE:
2nd Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA

TICKETS:
$18 (Adults), $15 (Students/Seniors) – Fridays, Saturdays 8:00pm
$15 (Adults), $12 (Students/Seniors) – Weekdays and Sundays
$10 – Industry night and Fridays 10:00pm
$5 – previews

PHONE:
215-665-9720
WEBSITE:
www.flashpointtheatre.org

PRODUCTION AND DESIGN STAFF:
Director - Michael Osinski
Set Designer - Christian Pedone
Lighting Designer - Josh Schulman
Costume Designer - Regina Rizzo
Sound Designer/Original Music - John Glaubitz
Props Designer - Natalia de la Torre
Production Stage Manager - Catherine Pidgeon
Production Dramaturg - Gigi Naglak
Fight Choreographer - Brett Cassidy

THE CAST:
Clay Stilts - Jared Nelson
Ray Stilts - Rob Neddoff
Terri Stilts - Frances Calter
Eugene/Adam - Nathaniel Robertson
Doug/Prisoner - Chris Fluck
Photos available upon request – erin@flashpointtheatre.org, 215-514-8965