Mirror Stage Announces THE ANATOMY OF PAIN, 5/19 & 20

Mirror Stage continues reflecting the diversity of the community on stage in high quality, progressive productions that play it smart without always playing it safe with West Coast premiere reading of The Anatomy of Pain on Saturday, May 19 at 8pm and Sunday, May 20 at 2pm at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre in Seattle. Feed Your Mind: The Anatomy of Pain will be directed by Suzanne M. Cohen and feature McKenzie Clifford (Maty), Ryan Dominguez (Detective Gutierrez), Macall Gordon (Grace), TRoy Johnson (Lt. Burch/Bruce), Eleanor Moseley (Nancy) and Kevin Tighe (Fredrik).

A retired surgeon who is sometimes wheelchair-bound by severe arthritis. A 15 year old professional cellist squirming under the thumb of her domineering mother. An undercover cop sidelined by a back injury assigned to investigate their online chess games. When Maty ends up in Fredrik's living room, all the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet. A moderated discussion with the artists follows every performance.

A darkly layered drama shrouded in mystery and intrigue, The Anatomy of Pain explores the delicate balance between the emotional, intellectual and physical way we experience of the world around us, while also examining how paranoia and obsessive work ethics can tear apart family bonds. The Anatomy of Pain is the fourth script by Ms. McCullough to be presented in the Feed Your Mind series following Chagrin Falls in 2005, Echoes of Another Man in 2006 and Spare Change in 2007.

Mia McCullough's plays have been produced in Chicago at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Stage Left Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists; and around the country at theatres such as Actors' Express in Atlanta, InterAct in Philadelphia, Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company in San Diego, the Victory Theatre in Los Angeles, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival.  Her break-through play Chagrin Falls garnered many awards including the American Theatre Critics Association Osborn Award, first prize in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition, and a Joseph Jefferson Citation for New Work. Since Africa was commissioned by the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and a nominee for a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Play. Ms. McCullough is currently adjunct faculty at Northwestern University, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Theatre That Gets People Talking, Feed Your Mind is Mirror Stage’s ongoing series of staged readings that examine topical issues from different perspectives, featuring 100 percent local professional actors. The plays are presented simply: no costumes or sets—just the actors and the text. Following every performance, a discussion with the audience and artists further explores the relevance of issues raised in more depth.

50% of tickets sales from both performances will be donated to the Primeau Fund to help defray the expense of former Mirror Stage board member John Primeau's battle against cancer.

Feed Your Mind: The Anatomy of Pain by Mia McCullough runs May 19-20, 2012 at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre, located at 3940 Brooklyn Ave NE in Seattle. Saturday evening admission is $10. Sunday matinee admission is $8. Half-price tickets are available for Senior Citizens and students, and every performance has ten Pay-What-You-Can rush tickets ($1 minimum) for purchase at the door. Free parking is available in University of Washington’s lot W12, located at just south of the Ethnic Cultural Theater on Brooklyn Ave NE. For more information, visit http://www.mirrorstage.org/ground or call the Mirror Stage box office at 206-686-1280.