"If I had
no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide." -
Gandhi

~
No Traveler ~
~ A Comedy About Suicide ~
written
and performed by
Penny Pollak ~ directed
by Samantha Jones
Thu
2/25 10:30pm
~
Sat 2/27 10:00pm
~Sun 2/28 7:00pm
~ Wed 3/03 10:30pm
Sat 3/06 5:30pm
In
a narcissistic attempt to win her family's attention, Abigail decides
to perform the greatest stunt of all- attempted suicide When her childish
venture turns into unexpected reality she finds herself still awake,
still aware and stuck. In a purgatory that is a warped version of her
apartment with two exits. Heaven or Hell. She is unwillingly sent back
to life for only moments at a time where she is confronted with a person
about to commit suicide. What she does in those moments will decide
her fate and time is running out. A comedy about suicide that asks the
very serious question. Can anybody actually save anybody else?
In a long awaited collaboration, Penny Pollak and Samantha Jones have
joined forces to create the twisted telling of No Traveler. This time
as director, award winning solo performer Samantha Jones ( Dora Mae
Productions, Butterfly Suicide, Solo Nova, Wonder Women Festival) takes
her ingrained ability to transform dark and lonely into this universal
and deeply hilarious. When Pollak began to gather her "Grimm Fairytale-like"
creations into a solo show, she brought Jones in to create a perfectly
edgy creative duo. With the added artistic mastery of luckydave, the
lighting becomes a third character in this provocative piece. The audience
is lifted out of it's seats with musical genius, Mike Milazzo, and resonate
vocals of Lee Goffin-Bonenfant.
Penny Pollak
is an actor, writer and producer based in NYC. She recently starred
in ‘Broken Dog Legs’ a one-woman play by Emily Conbere.
She both starred in and wrote one third of the three-woman show Amusing
Lies and Lullabies at the Kraine Theater. For alost three years now
she has hosted and produced Penny’s Open Mic, a weekly show located
at Under St. Mark’s Theater. A founding member of (a)muse collective
and residents of Horse Trade Theater Company she has produced a multitude
of shows in NYC since she moved here a little over three years ago,
she is a staple feature performer at the monthly variety show God Tastes
Like chicken. She has performed in several theater productions in the
London Fringe Theater including The Yabbok, Mozart and Don Juan and
Mysticism Through Dance. She graduated with a degree in Theater and
a minor in Sociology. After graduation she studied at the London theater
intensive program at Rose Bruford College, UK. She has won awards for
her writing as well as been featured in a number of readings in NYC.
Samantha Jones (Director/Co-Creator) is an award
winning actress, comedian avant-garde solo performer and director. Her
4th solo show, Butterfly Suicide, was one of 12 shows selected for the
Solo Nova Arts Festival at P.S. 122. Her previous solo shows include:
I'm in Charge of the Coats (Here Arts Center), I Wanna Be Like Her (Theatre
Row), and Lady W (Manhattan Theatre Source). Past credits include: Comix
Comedy Club with Jim Gaffigan, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Stand Up New
York, and Caroline's. She was the host of Matchmaker for HGTV and featurd
on MTV's Run's House as herself. She both directed and acted in several
comedic shorts for Jack Black's Acceptable TV and recently directed
Horror Play by Jeannine Jones for Sticky at the Bowery Poetry Club.
Jones co-starred in Debbie Jones' feature film, The Last Christmas Party.
She originated the role of Blue Cahill in the New York showcase production
of the award-winning play The Breezeway. She won critical praise for
her title role in the short film Firefly as well as best actress from
the New Filmmakers Festival. She is a produced sketch comedy writer
at Living Room Live, 10:17, The Gershwin Hotel, Rose's Turn, Caroline's,
and Indigo. She's co-founder and writes and performs with Rebecca Lally
in the award winning comedy rock duo The Sister's Rock! Her sketch comedy
show Personality Inventory was reviewed as "cutting edge"
by The New York Blade. She has worked as an independent producer on
Artists for the Cure at Carnegie Hall, and Wigstock. She was director
of improv comedy troupes - Wild Improv!, The Mug Shots, The Outrageous
Instincts, The Baker's Dozen, and Please Stand By. Currently she is
a founding cast member of the improv comedy group Headshop Guerillas
in NYC. She served on the board of the NY Coalition of Professional
Women in Arts and Media representing Screen Actors Guild. Jones is a
founding member of Dora Mae Productions (www.doramae.com).