Primitive Grace Theater Ensemble premieres new drama by Obie Award winner Paul Calderon.
January 16 - February 9 at The Bridge Theater
“One of the most physically intense hours of theater you’ll ever see… a visceral ride.” – Theater That Matters
“Disturbing and soul wrenching…It is plays such as this that make you believe in the true art of theater again…It is simply a thrilling, powerful, flawless play, and a theatrical gem that should not be missed.” – Theater Pizzazz
“A compelling and masterful drama…mesmerizing.” – White Rhino Report
“Raw, intimate, and inescapable… The audience and actors reach a level of involvement and critical thinking that other plays rarely achieve.” – Front Row Center
“Unsettling…The depiction of post-traumatic stress disorder, the eternal dramatic clash between brothers and the plight of the underclass are all vividly realized… The production is small in scale, but its elements achieve high caliber theatricality.” – TheaterScene.net
Primitive Grace Theater Ensemble presents the World Premiere of MASTER OF THE CROSSROADS written and directed by Obie Award winner and SAG Award nominee Paul Calderon (The Bad Lieutenant, Boardwalk Empire). Previews begin January 16th at The Bridge Theater. Opening is slated for Wednesday, January 23rd.
When Yolanda stops by her ex-husband Cornbread’s house to drop of his medication, she discovers that he has a stranger tied up to a chair in his living room at gunpoint and is threatening to crucify him. Things get even more complicated when Yolanda turns to Cornbread’s estranged brother, who is also an Iraqi combat vet suffering from PTSD, for help. MASTER OF THE CROSSROADS is a drama about mental health and who we turn to for help when no one else will.
MASTER OF THE CROSSROADS stars Obi Abili (The Emperor Jones at Irish Rep), Nixon Cesar (Mother Courage at The Public Theater, Nat Turner at National Black Theatre), and Sarah Kate Jackson (God’s Waiting Room, A Hard Wall at High Speed). The production team includes Catherine Calderon (producer), Rich Devaney (producer), and Evan Louison (stage manager).
Paul Calderon has worked with such film luminaries as directors Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Spike Lee, Martin Scorcese, Abel Ferrara, and Sidney Lumet; and actors Robert Redford, Al Pacino, George Clooney, Jesse Eisenberg, Christopher Walken, and Steve Buscemi. In 2014 Paul was nominated for a SAG Award for Best Ensemble for HBO's Boardwalk Empire. In 2016, he could be seen in AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead; Amazon’s Bosch, NBC’s The Blacklist; and CBS’ Madam Secretary. He received an Obie Award for his performance in Blade to the Heat at the Public Theater. His stage appearances include Cuba & His Teddy Bear on Broadway opposite Robert DeNiro, Troilus & Cressida at the Delacorte in Central Park, and Two Sisters and a Piano (all at the Public Theater); Heart of Darkness; Richard the Second; and Last Breeze of Summer, among others. Paul co-wrote the cult classic The Bad Lieutenant, starring Harvey Keitel. He has also co-produced several indie films. He is a co-founder of Labyrinth Theater Company where he directed productions starring the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Rockwell, and Stephen Adly Guirgis. As a writer, he has had various short stories published in literary magazines including the Sonora Review and Noir Nation. He is an Adjunct Professor at NYU Tisch's Graduate Film Program. For more on his work visit www.paulcalderon.net
MASTER OF THE CROSSROADS runs January 16 – February 9, Wednesday - Saturday at 8pm. The Bridge Theater is located at Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street between 7th & 8th Aves -- accessible from the C, E & 1 trains at 50th Street. Tickets are $18 at BrownPaperTickets.com.