STRIPPED by Christopher Demos-Brown

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1 MEDIA CONTACTS: Arsht Center Suzette Espinosa Fuentes Gino R. Campodónico (786) (786) Zoetic Stage Nick Richberg (305) Zoetic Stage and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Present the World Premiere of STRIPPED by Christopher Demos-Brown American Theatre Critics Association/Steinberg Award Citation recipient (Fear Up Harsh, Captiva) explores new territory in the battle between a mother s rights and the American legal system "This is a playwright who crafts smart, insightful dialogue and memorable characters in service of compelling, engagingly theatrical stories. - The Miami Herald Kicking off Zoetic Stage s Season and the Arsht Center s Theater Up Close Series November 5, 2015 Preview November 6, 2015 Opening Night through November 22, 2015 Tickets: $50-$55* Carnival Studio Theater in the Ziff Ballet Opera House MIAMI, FL October 22, Zoetic Stage and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County are proud to present STRIPPED, a world premiere about a woman s struggle for true freedom written by Christopher Demos-Brown, the author of the award-winning plays Fear Up Harsh and Captiva. Playing November 5 22, 2015 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House), STRIPPED launches Zoetic Stage s 5 th anniversary season at

2 the Arsht Center and continues the Center s momentous 10 th anniversary season and highlyacclaimed Theater Up Close Series. STRIPPED is sponsored by Robin Ellen Meyers. The Arsht Center s Theater Up Close Season is supported by Adrianne and Jerry L. Cohen, Alan and Diane Lieberman and the Hotel Croydon Miami Beach. Tickets to STRIPPED are $50-$55* and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) or online at Directed by Stuart Meltzer, Zoetic Stage s Carbonell and Silver Palm Award-winning Artistic Director, STRIPPED is the story of Maria "Masha" Mikhailovich (Lindsey Corey), an immigrant, an exotic dancer, and a mother. Devastated when the State takes custody of her daughter, Masha must struggle against all odds to reunite her family. STRIPPED is a moving, irreverent portrait of one woman s quest for true freedom. Zoetic Stage is incredibly thrilled to be returning to our home at the Arsht Center for our fifth anniversary season, says Artistic Director Stuart Meltzer. The development of new work is central to the mission of Zoetic Stage, and we are so very proud to be producing the world premiere of this electrifying new play by our very own Christopher Demos-Brown. The season ahead is eclectic and daring, and STRIPPED is the perfect way to kick it off. Asked to describe the genesis of STRIPPED, playwright Christopher Demos-Brown said, STRIPPED was inspired by an actual child dependency case in California. I felt compelled to write about it because the case poses such poignant, relevant questions in our age of helicopter and free-range parenting. The Arsht Center is proud to launch its fifth anniversary season of Theater Up Close with its Carbonell Award-winning creative partners at Zoetic Stage, said Liz Wallace, vice president of programming at the Arsht Center. We re thrilled to co-present another world premiere by Christopher Demos-Brown, one of South Florida s celebrated playwrights, and believe STRIPPED s captivating story will resonate with Miami s culturally diverse audiences. Zoetic Stage was founded in 2010 to create fresh, bold interpretations of contemporary plays and musicals, and is dedicated to enhancing South Florida s national artistic profile by producing regional premieres and developing new works to become part of the American stage repertoire. The company will co-present two more exciting productions in the season. Zoetic Stage s 5 th anniversary season will continue with the South Florida premiere of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN (January 14 31, 2016), an intensely smart, immensely funny (The New York Times) Pulitzer Prize finalist about the choices women face today by Gina Gionfriddo; and PASSION (February 18 March 13, 2016), Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine s Tony Awardwinning, emotionally charged chamber musical. Over the past four years, the Theater Up Close Series has transformed the Arsht Center into a showcase for some of the most dazzling theatrical work being done anywhere in this country. Productions in the series have earned 13 Carbonell Awards and 41 nominations. The Center is also honored to have partnered with and be the home of Zoetic Stage, one of South Florida s most critically-acclaimed theater companies. Most recently, Zoetic Stage was presented with three 2014 Carbonell Awards in the categories of Best New Work and Best Director for the comedy Clark Gable Slept Here, as well as Best Production of a Musical for Assassins.

3 ABOUT THE CAST AND CREATIVES CHRISTOPHER DEMOS-BROWN s (Playwright) last Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center world premiere, Fear Up Harsh, received a Steinberg Award Citation from The American Theatre Critics Association. It also received both Carbonell and Silver Palm Awards for Best New Work in His other plays include When the Sun Shone Brighter (Carbonell Award, Silver Palm Award, Steinberg Nomination, Smith Prize Finalist), Captiva (Silver Palm Award, Steinberg Nomination) and An American Son, which will receive its world premiere at Barrington Stage next summer. Chris thanks the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Lynn University/Jan McArt New Play Reading Series for their support in developing Stripped. Chris and his wife, Stephanie, are two of Zoetic Stage s co-founders. LINDSEY COREY s (Maria "Masha" Mikhailovich) favorite roles include The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (Actors Playhouse); Melissa in The Savannah Disputation (Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center); and Squeaky Fromme in Assassins (Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center). When Lindsey isn t onstage, she is working at Insight for the Blind, producing audio recordings of books and magazines for the Library of Congress. She holds a B.F.A. in Music Theatre from New World School of the Arts. CHAZ MENA (Nicholas Pisaris/Masha s Lawyer) is a Carbonell Award-winning actor, nominated for ACE, ALMA & Pennsylvania Critics Awards for his theatrical and TV work. Regional credits include Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center, Laguna Playhouse, Baltimore s Centerstage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Eugene O Neill Theatre Center, Arena Stage in D.C., San Diego Repertory Theater, Arizona Jewish Theatre in Phoenix, Theater Virginia, Coconut Grove Playhouse, American Stage in St. Pete, GableStage, Actors Playhouse in Miami. His New York credits include the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, The Flea Theatre, Spanish Repertory, The New Georges Theatre, INTAR, The American Place Theatre, Young Playwrights and The Cherry Lane Theatre. He s recipient of the 2013 Freedom Foundation s Award for Yo Solo... a PBS production, written and performed by Chaz. For other, film/tv credits visit AVA-RILEY MILES (Raisa) is 11 years old and a 6 th grader at Palmer Trinity School. She is making her South Florida professional debut at Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center. Previous Broadway credits include Dr. Zhivago (Young Tonia) and Evita (Child). Workshops: Hazel, A Musical Maid in America (Benedetta) and Lost Girl (Jane). Locally, she has been in numerous Miami Children s Theater and Area Stage productions, including Annie (Annie), Alice in Wonderland (Alice) and Wizard of Oz (Dorothy). MARGOT MORELAND (Emma Pisaris/Magistrate Zimmer) is a four-time Carbonell Award recipient: Ruthless!, Heartbeats, Tomfoolery, and Annie. Favorite productions include Les Miserables, She Loves Me, Closer than Ever, Fat Pig, They re Playing Our Song, Dirty Blonde, Gypsy, and Unmerciful Good Fortune (with Chris Brown). Margot has traveled the country in various tours of Menopause the Musical and Shear Madness. Her film credits include Cape Fear, Bart Got a Room, Chapter Zero, & Lost Everything. MAKEBA PACE (Erica Peebles) has worked at several theaters (Boca Raton Theatre Guild, The Florida Rep, and M Ensemble West Coast Black Theatre Troupe). Her TV credits are Survivors Remorse, Burn Notice and Graceland. Makeba received a Carbonell Award nomination for her performance in Sunset Baby. The Chicago native earned her M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Iowa and has made South Florida her home.

4 MATT STABILE (Zack) returns to Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center after past productions including The Great God Pan and Detroit. Favorite appearances include The Book of Liz (The Vanguard); uncertain terms (Theatre at Arts Garage); Paradise Motel (Mangrove Creative Collective); The Last Schwartz (Parade Productions); The Timekeepers (Island City Stage); and Shorts Gone Wild & Shorts Gone Wild 2 (ICS & City Theatre). Off-stage, Matt writes and produces material for the stage and screen, and is a passionate advocate for arts and education in South Florida. He is a graduate of SMU and a proud member of AEA. STUART MELTZER (Director, Sound Design) is the Artistic Director and a founding member of Zoetic Stage. He is the proud recipient of the 2014 Carbonell Award for Best Director of a Play for Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center s production of Clark Gable Slept Here. He is pleased to return to the Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht Center after directing Zoetic Stage s highly successful productions of Betrayal, Trust, Detroit, The Great God Pan, Assassins (Carbonell nominations - Best Director of a Musical & Sound Design), Fear Up Harsh, The Savannah Disputation, All New People, I Am My Own Wife (Carbonell Nomination - Best Director), Moscow, The SantaLand Diaries, Captiva (Carbonell Nomination - Best Director) and South Beach Babylon. Previously, Stuart served as the Artistic Director of City Theatre in Miami, where he oversaw and expanded the Summer Shorts Festival. New York and South Florida credits include Romulus Linney's Gint, Harold Pinter's One for the Road, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Painted Alice, Everything Will be Different and Melt. He is the recipient of a Silver Palm Award for his Consistent Outstanding Work as the Resident Director of Zoetic Stage. He received his M.F.A. in Directing from the Actors Studio in 2002 and B.F.A. from New World School of the Arts in Miami, where he currently serves on the faculty. The play s creative team features scenic design by Carbonell Award winner Michael McClain; lighting design by Rebecca Montero; costume design by Curtain Up Award winner and Carbonell Award nominee Estella Vrancovich; prop design by Elayne Bryan; and choreography by Barbie Lazaro. CALENDAR LISTING Zoetic Stage and the Adrienne Arsht Center present STRIPPED by Christopher Demos-Brown World Premiere! Directed by Stuart Meltzer Preview: November 5, 2015 Opening Night: November 6, 2015 Through November 22, 2015 Carnival Studio Theater Adrienne Arsht Center Tickets: $50-$55* "This is a playwright who crafts smart, insightful dialogue and memorable characters in service of compelling, engagingly theatrical stories. - The Miami Herald Christopher Demos-Brown, author of the award-winning plays Fear Up Harsh and Captiva, explores new territory in the battle between a mother s rights and the American legal system. STRIPPED is the story of Masha, an immigrant, an exotic dancer, and a mother. Devastated when the State takes custody of her daughter, Masha must struggle against all odds to reunite her family. STRIPPED is a moving, irreverent, portrait of one woman s quest for true freedom. STRIPPED receives its world premiere at Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center under the highly-anticipated direction of Carbonell Award-winning director, Zoetic Stage co-founder and Artistic Director Stuart Meltzer. STRIPPED is sponsored by Robin Ellen Meyers. The Arsht Center s Theater Up Close Season is supported by Adrianne and Jerry L. Cohen, Alan and Diane Lieberman and the Hotel Croydon Miami Beach.

5 *All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit for up-to-date information for details and schedules. Photos: For High-Resolution Download, Right Click on Photo(s) Below and Select Open Hyperlink. Lindsey Corey as Maria "Masha" Mikhailovich Photo Credit: Chris Headshots Lindsey Corey as Maria "Masha" Mikhailovich Photo Credit: Chris Headshots Additional high-resolution photos are available at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations. In its 10 th anniversary season, the Arsht Center thanks its institutional donors for their historic commitment to the performing arts and Greater Miami: Adrienne Arsht; Miami-Dade County; John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Dr. Sanford L. and Dolores Ziff & Family; The Arison Family/Carnival Corporation; Knight Ridder Inc. and The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald; Sears Roebuck and Co.; Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation; Bank of America; Joyce and M. Anthony Burns; Audre and Donald Carlin, Hedy Carlin and B. Pair Carlin; The Cejas Family Foundation; Gilbert S. Kahn and John J. Noffo Kahn; Haskell Company; Miami Salon Group Inc.; Odebrecht; Peacock Foundation Inc.; Ryder Charitable Foundation; Terra Group; Wells Fargo and Lynn Wolfson. Zoetic Stage is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. ### About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world s leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida s diversity as well as

6 a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 500 events each year across its eight flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs 12 signature series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, the biggest flamenco festival on the East Coast, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 30,000 children each year. As Miami s new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses Brava!, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower and a weekly Farmers Market. Visit for more information. About Zoetic Stage Zoetic Stage was founded in 2010 to create fresh, bold interpretations of contemporary plays and musicals, and is dedicated to enhancing South Florida s national artistic profile by producing regional premieres and developing new works to become part of the American stage repertoire. Zoetic Stage was named the Best Theater Company of 2014 by the Miami New Times, and has been nominated for an impressive 37 Carbonell Awards, including five for Best Production of the Year, and won ten of the coveted awards including 2014 Best Production of a Musical (Assassins). Zoetic Stage productions have received twelve Silver Palm Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Zoetic Stage is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network and a member of the South Florida Theater League. Visit for more information.