Punk Rock, directed by Isabella Uzcátegui, is coming soon to The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Directing a cast of NYU Tisch at Strasberg students, Isabella is presenting a new, American version of Simon Stephens’ acclaimed British play. The production opens December 9th in The Marilyn Monroe Theatre.
Punk Rock follows seven high school seniors as they prepare for exams, navigate new relationships, and deal with bullying and mental illness. According to The New York Times, “something is seriously wrong with the characters in ‘Punk Rock,’ Simon Stephens’ tender, ferocious and frightening play”. Stephens’ dark and confronting text provides juicy material for the cast to sink their teeth into.
Working with Method Actors
“The beauty of working with Strasberg-trained actors is that the stakes of the play are already presented with such force,” Isabella shares of experience working with Method Actors. “From the very first rehearsal I was excited to work with all of them to tackle difficult subjects and content of the show. In the very title it is written: the show is really punk”.
Isabella herself is trained in Lee Strasberg’s Method. Cast member Meagan Sisler comments on the experience of collaborating with a Method-trained director:
“It is such a gift to have a director who speaks your language. Isa was able to take her incredible vision of this play, not to mention her deep understanding of its psychology, and translate it. She employed a shared vocabulary and connected with the cast on a unique level – one that any other director would have been simply unable to reach. It’s a rare and beautiful thing, really.”
About the Director
Isabella was born in Venezuela and raised in Mexico and Panama. She looks for opportunities to bring her cultural background to the discussion of her work in New York. It was her background in psychology, however, that led her to this particular play. Isabella has a passion for telling stories that challenge the audience, engage the psyche, and question social structures. With these convictions driving Isabella’s direction and staging, all of the performers remain on stage for the duration of the show, bearing witness to the terrible acts that take place.
Dylan Tashjian, founder of The Hickory Playground and producer of Punk Rock, remarks on Isabella’s instincts as a director: ““Working with Isa is a lesson in dedication. She leads by example by being the most attentive and hardest working person in the room. It was an honor working with her, and I’m so excited to see where her unique approach to theater leads her.”
Punk Rock
By Simon Stephens
Directed by Isabella Uzcátegui
Assistant Director: Patrick Yeboah
Stage Manager: Rose Tibbets
Producer: Dylan Tashjian
Lighting Designer: Jessica Marie Fisher
FEATURING:
Jack Brinsmaid
Jacob Benjamin Cohen
Jean-Paul Gutierrez
Alex Mainolfi
Lucas Mollod
Kiara Saxena
Meagan Sisler
Veronica Velez