Previews of 'Mercy and the Firefly' begin Thursday at Luna Stage

Luna Stage tackles difficult contemporary issues, including drug addiction and violence and their emotional fall out with its world premiere presentation of "Mercy and the Firefly," a darkly humorous drama by celebrated playwright Amy Hartman. Previews begin Thursday. Opening night is Friday, Feb. 18, and there will be a related photography exhibit by photojournalist Mark Manley in the Luna Stage lobby through the run of the play.

Luna Stage is committed to bringing important, often new dramas to its state of the art West Orange theater complex as well as exhibits and public programs which create a multifaceted discussion among the artistic and greater community.

A graduate of the photojournalism program at the prestigious International Center of Photography in New York City, Manley's show  documents the work of area community groups looking for solutions to problems raised in the play.

Among these organizations is Family Connections of Orange which will participate in a special panel discussion and talk back after the Sunday performance.   

Luna Stage Artistic Director Jane Mandel issued a general statement about the play, the exhibit and the involved organizations. "Theater has the capacity to be a vehicle for engaging audiences in meaningful dialogue about some very difficult issues. In 'Mercy and the Firefly' one of the characters is a teenager who is impacted by gang violence," Mandel said. "As hard as that topic is, it is very much a part of the lives of many kids, even in this community."

The play, which will next be performed in March at The REP in Pittsburgh, is being directed by Luna Stage's director of play development Cheryl Katz. Katz has been involved with 40 new works since joining Luna Stage in 2003.  Many area theater lovers are most familiar with Katz' work through the "New Moon Reading Series," a first Monday of the month script in hand reading of new plays. The series allows for audience feedback and interaction with the playwright, director and professional actors — it has been attracting capacity attendance in the theater complex's smaller Studio Luna.

In an interview earlier this fall, Katz explained how some of the New Moon plays go on to be produced on the main stage, as with "And Then I Wrote A Song About It," the second main stage production this season. Katz, who has worked on many new plays in New York City including at La MaMA Theater Company, has been shepherding the development of "Mercy and the Firefly" since an early workshop and staged reading of Hartman's work.

"Mercy and the Firefly" explores the interplay among Lucy Rafferty, a teaching nun in an East Los Angeles rent by gangs, Mercy, her student and a teen runaway, Lucy's mother, Viv Rafferty, who lives in a Pennsylvania town, feeling hard times and the Rafferty's neighbor Oliver, a janitor at the convent.

Katz was drawn to the work by its refusal to allow viewers a simple picture of right and wrong. "I love Amy's work because she addresses tough issues, but always with such fullness of humor," said Katz. "Her plays – including 'Mercy and the Firefly' — are darkly funny and engaging, but they also force audiences to think about some very painful realities of modern life."

The cast is led by Marcie Henderson as Lucy and features Christopher Daftsios as Oliver, Andrea Gallo as Viv and Alicia Rivas as Mercy, an East Los Angeles student of Lucy. Henderson has performed at the Metropolitan Playhouse and LaMama; Daftsios has been seen often on NBC's "Law and Order." Gallo has acted with New Jersey Rep and Hudson Stage; Rivas is majoring in theater at Fairleigh Dickinson University and recently was on NBC's Mun2: El Show-Looks Segments.

Luna Stage is at 555 Valley Road in West Orange. Previews start Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and the show opens on Friday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. through March 13. Admission is $20-$30 and can be bought online at www.lunastage.org or call (973) 395-5551.