Photo Flash: THE SAME LIFE OVER 9/25 - 10/11

No Strings Theatre Company presents "The Same Life Over" written and directed by Mark Medoff. The play opens Friday, September 25 and runs through Sunday, October 11 at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N Downtown Mall in Las Cruces.

A child disappears and the detective investigating the disappearance, childless herself, assumes the father of the child is guilty. The father, bereft at having looked away from his child for a moment, is at first willing to take the blame for the loss of his child, guilty or not. But then, forming a strange duo with the detective, other possibilities drive father and detective into ever more dangerous personal waters, where both chance drowning. From this simple plot, "The Same Life Over" spins a complex web of deceit and compassion.

Medoff is a playwright, screenwriter, and director. He received a Tony Award for "Children of a Lesser God" as well as London's Olivier Award for Best Play. He was nominated for an Academy Award and a Writers Guild of America Best Adapted Screenplay Award for the film script of "Children" and for a Cable ACE Award for his HBO Premiere movie, "Apology." He received an OBIE Award for "When You Coming Back Red Ryder.". Among his movies are "Clara's Heart", "Off Beat", and "City of Joy." He has written one novel, "Dreams of Long Lasting" In 2000, Medoff directed and co-produced the documentary film, "Who Fly on Angels Wings" about a mobile pediatric unit traveling through the underserved areas of southern New Mexico. In 2001, Mark directed the feature film, "Children on Their Birthdays," based on the story by Truman Capote. Among other awards, it received the Houston World Film Festival Award for Best Family Film. His latest play, "Prymate," ran briefly on Broadway in 2005. In 2006 he directed the short film "100 MPG," which was invited to a number of film festivals. In 2007, he directed BOOM, a training film for the military. Most recently, directed the new musical "Extinction: A Love Story" by Bob Diven, and "The Men of Mah Jongg" a new play by Richard Atkins, that ran at New York Citys Queens Theater in the Park in December 2008. This summer, he directed the feature film "Refuge."

He was Reynolds Eminent Scholar in the School of Theatre at Florida State University 2003-2006. He is now Distinguished Lecturer in Playwriting at the University of Houston and Artistic Director of the Creative Media Institute for Film & Digital Arts at New Mexico State University. He formerly taught at NMSU for 27 years and was Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the American Southwest Theatre Company and Head of the Department of Theatre Arts for 9 years. In 1974, he received NMSUs highest faculty honor, the Westafer Award. In 1980, he was honored with the Governors Award for Excellence in the Arts, New Mexico's most prestigious artistic honor. In 2005, he received The Kennedy Center Medallion for Excellence in Education and Artistic Achievement.
"The Same Life Over" cast includes Ben Adams, Marcelle Bowman, David Edwards, Jen Perry, and Austin Tremblay. The production features spectacular photo image backdrops which are the work of local and well-known photographer. Mike Groves. Lighting design is by NSTC's Resident Designer, Peter Herman and Costume Design is by Cortney Newtson. Rachel Howell is the Stage Manager.

Performances of "The Same Life Over" are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Sunday matinees on October 4 and 11 at 2:30 p.m. and a Thursday evening performance at 7:00 p.m. on October 8. Admission is $10.00 regular, $9.00 students and seniors over 65, and all seats on Thursday are $7.00. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling (575) 523-1223 or online at http://www.no-strings.org.

Ben Adams and Marcelle Bowman