A Sneak Peak at J. Stephen Brantley's Eighty three Down

Playwright J. Stephen Brantley's gave Theaterspeak the first look at some new pics of his sizzling new play Eightythree Down (directed by Daniel Talbott) now playing at Under St. Marks.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1983 and Martin’s plan for a quiet night in his parents’ basement is thrown into chaos when his old friend Dina and her hooligan roommates arrive with a gun, a bag of stolen books, and a dangerous idea.

STUART

You can see we need you. I need you. It’s nearly midnight and I’ve no one to kiss. Be a shame to waste the moment, a couple of blokes like us.

MARTIN

What are you doing?

STUART

I’m not doing anything, am I.

TONY

You don’t work, fuckers like you. The whole world works around you. Building your tennis courts. Cleaning your toilets. Repairing your stereos and installing your cable and stuffing your Care Bears and you don’t even notice. You contribute nothing. You have no craft. I hate people who have no craft.

___________________________________________________________

DINA

We’re all insane, really. It’s just a matter of perspective. If you were to suggest I spend the rest of my life in somebody’s basement reading books about birds, I’d say that’s totally raving crazy. Most people would.

MARTIN

I’m not spending the rest of my life-

DINA

How do you know?

MARTIN

What?

DINA

Well, how do you know you won’t be dead tomorrow, scooby-doo? What if tonight is the rest of your life?

Eightythree Down runs until September 17th and stars Melody Bates, Ian Holcomb, Bryan Kaplan, and Brian Miskell. Under St. Marks is located at 94 St. Marks Place between Avenue A and 1st. Tickets can be purchased through Smart Tix. Photographs by Hunter Canning.