Horse Trade in association with
Disgraced Productions presents

A new play
Written by Robert Attenweiler
Directed by John Patrick Hayden

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Horse Trade kicks off its 10th Season with Disgraced Productions as we flash back to the 1980s and the heyday of heavy metal for ...and we all wore leather pants, a magical realism dark comedy set in America's rust belt.  Martin Denton of nytheatre.com has said of Attenweiler’s work, “confirms my suspicion that he's one of the most talented poets writing for the theatre right now."

It’s Buried Child meets Def Leppard.  It’s 100 Years of Solitude written by Twisted Sister.  The ground literally moves beneath the feet of the Sturgess family with the arrival of a strange visitor, some heavy metal-tinged magic in the air and the revelation that one of them may be part of the world’s most notorious rock band.  Disgraced Productions brings to the stage all the fun, attitude and absurdity of 80s heavy metal mixed with a working class family trying to keep all that they have, each other, from slipping away.

 

Disgraced Productions (www.disgracedproductions.com) was founded in 2005 by Robert Attenweiler with the intent to work with other emerging artists to make ambitious, high quality, independent theater.  Disgraced Productions shows have been seen at the New York International Fringe Festival, have sold out and extended shows (Cowboy Mouth/Thick Like Piano Legs) and recently received the Audience “Sold Out” Award in the inaugural FRIGID New York Festival. 

Robert Attenweiler (playwright/producer) was a playwriting fellow at the Lark Play Development Center, has been named in “Who is Indie Theatre in New York?” by indietheater.org and was a semifinalist (top 20 of 2400) in the ABC/Disney Television Writing Fellowship.  His exciting blend of poetic language and dynamic storytelling has earned his work comparisons to that of Sam Shepard, August Wilson and Eugene O’Neill.  Critics have called his work “poignant and moving” (Martin Denton, nytheatre.com) and “intelligent and fascinating works of art” (Rajiv Joesph, playwright, Cherry Lane and Second Stage).  He has his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

John Patrick Hayden (director) directed Sam Shepard’s Cowboy Mouth for Disgraced Productions in 2006 and also helmed The Butterfield Tones.  John has recently received an Innovative Theatre Awards nomination for his work on Orpheus Productions’ Hamlet.  Of his work on Cowboy Mouth, Martin Denton of nytheatre.com said “Hayden’s staging is sublime: claustrophobic, uplifting and always startling.”  He has also worked with the Atlantic Theatre School, Northern Stage and the LA Globe Theater. 

Adam Groves has appeared in Kansas City Or Along The Way and Cowboy Mouth for Disgraced Productions. Other Off-Broadway credits include No. 11, Blue and White and Straight Jacket and Tie.

Ariana Shore is originally from Los Angeles, California, Ariana has been performing all over New York City.  Some of her recent NYC credits include:  The Importance of Being Ernest, Happy Hour, Closer Than Ever, Merrily We Roll Along.  Film and television credits include:  Rescue Me and the independent hit Horizon. She can also be seen on television on The Home Shopping Network. She holds a Bachelor of Music, Musical Theater from the University of Miami.

Joe Stipek is a graduate of the Atlantic Theater Co. Acting School and Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. His credits include: Film and TV: Montana Meth PSA directed by Darren Aronofsky, NYU Grad Thesis Film futureperfect.  Off-Broadway: The Night Heron Atlantic Theater Co. New York Theater: Say Hello, Children Red Room, Life and Limb pennydreadful, Three Days of Rain Pantheon, Unidentified Human Remains... Theater Row.  Most recently, Joe played Ike Butterfield in Disgraced Productions’ The Butterfield Tones.