Live & In Color To Develop New Musical THE GOLDEN THRESHOLD And New Play NARROW DAYLIGHT For 2019 Season In Salem, CT

Artistic Director Devanand Janki continues to gather a diverse group of New York theatre professionals at the Bingham Camp in Salem, Connecticut to develop new works with his theatre company, Live & In Color. Now entering their 5th annual artistic residency, Live & In Color is an innovative theatrical program during which artists spend time in a rural setting creating work that gives voice to underrepresented communities onstage.

Janki and Live & In Color were recently honored by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society's "Top Ten Standout Moments" for diversity and inclusion in theatre. The company was lauded for its development of new theatrical work written and performed by actors of color which have garnered artistic praise and tangible commercial interest for future projects.

"This season, Live & In Color will produce two shows of similar themes," Janki says. "They both follow people that come from completely different worlds who are able to come together and connect to each other in ways they never imagined." He continues saying, "On a personal note, being of East Indian and Persian descent myself, I am especially proud to present two works that are created by and about people of South Asian & Middle Eastern descent. These are stories that deserve to be told but are very seldom seen on stage."

The musical selected to be developed at this year's retreat is "The Golden Threshold," with book & music by Cheeyang Ng and book & lyrics by Eric Sorrels. Set in 1930 British India, "The Golden Threshold" follows two young women named Maya and Harini as they join Mahatma Gandhi's revolutionary protest known as the Salt March; one woman to avoid an arranged marriage, the other to free her nation. The score features a fusion of contemporary musical theatre with traditional Indian music elements. This new musical will be directed by Arpita Mukherjee, artistic director of Hypokrit Theatre Company and the festival chair for New York's Tamasha: A Festival for South Asian Performing Arts.

Cheeyang Ng and Eric Sorrels are both recent graduates of NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. "The Golden Threshold," their latest collaboration, was chosen from a nationwide submission process. The musical was selected for the rich opportunities it presents for diverse voices to be heard on stage. Providing a platform for such work is key to Live & In Color's mission. "The Golden Threshold" performs September 21st at 3pm and September 22nd at 2pm at the Bingham Camp.

This year marks the first year Live & In Color will be expanding from a two-week to a three-week artistic retreat. The extra time will be used to produce a staged reading of a new play in development each year, beginning with "Narrow Daylight" by Sevan K. Greene. Directed by Janki, this play follows Susan Davis, a woman reeling from the death of her husband and the recent loss of her soldier son as she is confronted with a surprise visitor at her doorstep - a young Iraqi girl named Lena who is more connected to her son than she could ever imagine. "Narrow Daylight" performs at the Bingham Camp September 10th and 11th at 7pm.

As Live & In Color continues to grow, the company is also adding a benefit concert this season called "Life is a Cabaret!" It will be hosted by local jazz club, The Side Door at the Old Lyme Inn in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The event includes a live auction and raffle. Join the Sidedoor and Live & In Color for a festive evening of Broadway show tunes, jazz standards and pop hits on September 15th for cocktails at 6:30pm and concert at 7:00pm.

Live & In Color is led by Artistic Director Devanand Janki whose career spans all facets of the performing arts - theatre, opera, ballet and corporate entertainment. Janki began as a performer, appearing in numerous productions including Broadway's "Miss Saigon," "Cats," "The King and I," and "Side Show." For the past 15 years, he has been a freelance director, working regionally and in New York on over 50 shows including "Aladdin," "Junie B. Jones," "Man of La Mancha," "Rent," "The Full Monty" and Off-Broadway's "Zanna Don't" for which he won the Lucille Lortel Award. His passion has always been creating new work for the stage.

For tickets to Live & In Color's 2019 productions, visit https://www.theatreincolor.org/tickets.

"Narrow Daylight" performs September 10th & 11th at 7pm at the Bingham Camp in Salem, Connecticut.

"Life is a Cabaret!" performs September 15th with cocktails at 6:30pm and concert at 7:00pm at the Old Lyme Inn in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

"The Golden Threshold" performs September 21st at 3pm and September 22nd at 2pm at the Bingham Camp in Salem, Connecticut.

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