US Premiere of 'Blindness' Begins Off-Bway March 1

59E59 Theaters will welcome the return of Godlight Theatre Company and their new production, Jose Saramago's Blindness, adapted for the stage and directed by Joe Tantalo. Blindness begins previews on Thursday, March 1 for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 8.

"A city is hit by an epidemic of white blindness. The government quarantines the blind in a vacant mental hospital secured by armed guards, who are on order to "shoot to kill" anyone who tries to escape. Living in squalor and abject fear, social conventions crumble and the criminal element holds the rest captive: food rations are stolen, women are raped, people are murdered. The one eyewitness to this nightmare—the only one who retains her sight—guides a band of blind charges out of the hospital and into a devastated city, where this impromptu family attempts to re-build their lives out of the chaos," according to press notes.

"A harrowing parable of the 21st Century, Blindness is a story of humanity under siege." Novelist Jose Saramago received the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature for this striking apocalyptic work. 

The cast of Blindness includes Dan Ball, David Bartlett, Katherine Boynton, Alisa Burket, Enid Cortes, Darren Curley, Timothy Fannon, Kristen Harlow, Laurence Jansen, Gregory Konow, Deanna McGovern, Nick Paglino, Mike Roche, Cyrus Roxas, Michael Shimkin and Michael Tranzilli. The creative team include: Lighting and Set Design by Maruti Evans, Original Music and Sound Design by Andrew Recinos, Stage Combat by Josh Renfree and Choreography by HaChi Yu.

Joe Tantalo (director) has been the Artistic Director of Godlight Theatre Company since 1994. Directing highlights include: Waiting on the Z Train (NY Premiere by UK Playwright Sean Tyler), The Manchurian Candidate, Poor Superman (NY Premiere and 2001 NYCFringe Award Winner), among others. Off-Broadway: Fahrenheit 451 (NY Premiere 59E59 Theaters), A Clockwork Orange (59E59 Theaters).

Blindness begins previews on Thursday, March 1 for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 8. Opening Night is Tuesday, March 6 at 8:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Saturday at 8:30 PM and Sunday at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Single tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 members) and are available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com. For more information visit www.59E59.org.