The Shattered Glass Project brings West Coast Premiere of “All New Cells” to Theatre off Jackson
For immediate release | April 1, 2023 ~ Seattle, WA
“BECOMING IS EXHAUSTING.”
The Shattered Glass Project (TSGP) presents the West Coast premiere of All New Cells, written by Aliza Goldstein and directed by Alison Kozar, June 2-18, 2023 at Theatre Off Jackson. A powerful story of disconnection and a search for identity contrasting how we live IRL (in real life) and how we present to the online world, All New Cells is TSGP’s second fully-mounted production.
Featuring Kasper Cergol (he/him) as Nils; Zenaida Rose Smith (they/them) as Lux; Jasmine Lomax (they/them) as Aeon; and Kay Taylor Yelinek (they/them) as Moody, All New Cells will preview June 1 and run June 2-18, 2023 at Theatre Off Jackson, located at 409 7th Ave. S, Seattle WA 98104. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are available on a sliding scale Pick Your Price model, with tiered pricing ranging from $10-$50. A limited number of free community access tickets are available for every performance. Tickets are available at https://www.shatteredglassproject.org/all-new-cells-june2023.
All New Cells centers on Nils, a young trans man. When Nils's ex-girlfriend dies suddenly, he is dragged back into a toxic online roleplay scene he swore he'd never return to. He'd been doing okay sticking to his seven-year plan for getting over their breakup - but now, everyone either blames him or expects him to have answers, and he's getting nasty anonymous messages that might be coming from beyond the grave. A nuanced examination of identity, trauma, assault, grief, and mental health through an online world.
CONTENT NOTE: All New Cells contains references to suicide, child sexual abuse and self harm, which are discussed but not depicted; themes include transphobia and online bullying.
Alison Kozar (they/them), a Seattle-based stage manager, sound designer and cohort member in TSGP’s 2021 Incubator/Mentor Program for emerging directors and playwrights connected with Aliza Goldstein (she/they), a playwright based in Orange County, CA, through the New Play Exchange, and brought All New Cells to TSGP as part of the company’s 2021 Zoom-based script development series.
All New Cells is a powerful story of disconnection and a search for identity contrasting how we live IRL (in real life) and how we present to the online world. The importance of role-play gaming and the construction of new personalities in new bodies is woven through the fabric of Nils’ story and personal development, as is the theme of creating power for and over yourself in a world where people often feel powerless. All New Cells touches on the way in which the digital ghosts of our past come back to haunt us. Ultimately, as Nils’ story shows, we can find agency for ourselves in a digital world and carry that agency into the life we live in the real world. We have the power to redefine ourselves.
TSGP is a theatre company with a mission to amplify the voices of theatre artists who have been marginalized on the basis of their gender or sex by offering unique opportunities to create and grow professionally. Programming includes an online developmental reading series bringing emerging directors together with new scripts; and the Director and Playwright Incubator/Mentor Program, a professional development program building community and relationships between gender-marginalized theatre artists. Company history and details are available at www.shatteredglassproject.org.
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More information, including promotional photos and details about our cast and creative team, will be available in our press room: www.shatteredglassproject.org/press-room-all-new-cells