News: Darkly Comic Horror Play "Ivories" Makes NY Premiere in November

After a critically acclaimed Off-West run, Ivories, written by Riley Elton McCarthy, will make its New York premiere November 6 - 22 at East Village Basement (321 East 9th St.), with the official opening on Monday, November 9. Starring John Yi, the darkly comic horror play follows a young couple who suddenly inherit a dying relative’s home and discover what may be lurking below. Evan Michael Woods directs the production, which follows a successful Texas regional premiere. www.ivoriesplay.com

In Ivories, prodigal playwright Sloane is summoned back to her childhood home to care for her grandmother, whose severe dementia has left the family estate in their hands. Accompanied by her botanist husband Gwyn, Sloane attempts to settle into a new routine and begin the painful work of sorting through her grandmother’s belongings. When Gwyn’s childhood best friend Beckham arrives to help settle the estate, the reunion initially offers Sloane a welcome connection to the life they left behind. But as the three uncover secrets hidden throughout the house, long-buried memories and childhood trauma begin to resurface. Beneath the floorboards and within Sloane’s own fractured memories, something is waiting.

The cast of Ivories features Christine Carmela as Sloane, Noah Pyzik (Our Town) as Gwyn, John Yi (The Rocky Horror Show, KPOP) as Beckham, and Aster Drewe (Hamilton, Freestyle Love Supreme and Pass Over) as The Neighbor; Hope Johansen understudies The Neighbor and Sloane, and Edson Montenegro understudies Gwyn and Beckham.

The creative team includes Leah Mazur (set design), Verity Johnson (costume design), Brandon Kizoloz (sound design), Jociel Tambone (lighting design), Emmarose Campbell (props and associate set), Hope Johansen (associate director) and Madie Winningham(stage management). Ivories is produced by Method In Madness Co, Spencer Sher, and Carolina Hurtado.

“The greatest gift to horror on stage is an intimate venue,” says director Evan Michael Woods. “There's a reason we've told scary stories around a campfire for hundreds of years; all you need is a gripping narrative, a dark venue, and a captive audience to create something truly bone-chilling. Riley's play is about the horrors of what goes unsaid and the horrors that compel you toward those frightening, brutal truths.”

Ivories is hosting an “Industry Night” on Monday, November 16 at 7:30 PM where all tickets will be $25. “We’re extremely excited to be able to have members of the theatre industry attend our show for such an affordable price. An unfortunate thing about being in a show is that it’s hard to see theater affordably, and we can’t wait to welcome our theatrical friends to the basement,” says producer Spencer Sher. Tickets to this performance will be released at a later date.

Performances of Ivories are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7:30 PM; Saturdays at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM; and Sundays at 4:00 PM. There is no 4:00 PM performance on Saturday, November 14. There are 16 performances in total, including Opening Night (November 9) and Industry Night (November 16).

Tickets range from $40-$55 ($35 tickets are available during previews) and are available at https://ivoriesplay.com.