HI BROW PRODUCTIONS Proudly Presents the World Premiere of BELLY at 59E59 and Edinburgh

"Reilly's work is tapping into our deepest, most ancient connective tissue" - Lexy McAvinchey, Geffen Playhouse Los Angeles

"In the age of Ozempic, and the undoing of so much of the Body Positivity movement, this play is IMMENSELY important" - Sam Valentine, One Broke Actress

Written by and Starring REILLY O’SHAUGHNESSY

Directed by JULIET KAPANJIE

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

JULY 22 - 25 IN NEW YORK CITY, AT 59E59

AUGUST 6 - 29 IN EDINBURGH

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

HI BROW PRODUCTIONS is pleased to announce the world premiere production of Reilly O’Shaughnessy’s BELLY, directed by Juliet Kapanjie. BELLY will play a three-performance run at 59E59 (59 East 59th Street, NYC) July 22, 24 & 25 before heading to the Sprout Theater (Greenside @ George Street), Edinburgh in August. Tickets for 59E59 are $20 and available at https://www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/e2e-belly/.

BELLY is a one-person play about womanhood across three generations of, eating, grief, and control. Told through an interwoven stories of three women across one family: Ellie, a high-school swimmer groomed into an eating disorder by a well-meaning, yet incredibly harmful coach; Katie, her pregnant aunt, who is trying to “do everything right” for her baby inside of wellness culture and medical fatphobia; and Susan, Katie’s mother, newly widowed and learning how to live with grief and appetite in an empty house. Performed by a single actor, the show's writer, Reilly O’Shaughnessy, the piece moves between sharp, funny, conversational monologues and scenes and more heightened, poetic sequences.

“I wrote Belly because I wanted to tell the truth about what it means to grow up in a body under constant surveillance — by yourself, by other people, by the world around you,” comments O’Shaughnessy. “Having experienced an eating disorder myself, I know how isolating those thoughts can feel, but also how frighteningly common they are. I wanted to create something that feels both deeply personal and painfully communal; a show that captures the quiet negotiations, shame, and humor tied up in our relationships with our bodies, and asks why so many of us learn to measure our worth through them.”

The production stars Reilly O’Shaughnessy (BFA Drama NYU Tisch, MA Int. Theater Rose Bruford, MFA Acting DePaul) as Ellie, Katie, and Susan.

The production features lighting design by Claire Chrzan. Eric Backus is the sound designer, and Jeremy Harris is the “tech magician” and stage manager. Publicity by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR.

Running Time: 55 minutes

Website: https://www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/e2e-belly/

Media Kit with Photos

BIOGRAPHIES

REILLY O’SHAUGHNESSY (Playwright) is an actor, writer, and coach with fourteen years of experience in the performing arts. She has earned a BFA in Drama and Religious Studies from NYU Tisch, an MA in International Theater Practice and Performance from Rose Bruford, and most of an MFA in Acting from DePaul. Along the way, Reilly has had the pleasure of teaching theater and creative self-nurturing at Montessori Preschools in NYC, on Riker’s Island, and for Northwestern University’s Cherubs Program. Through it all, she has learned the power of creativity to heal and connect. Her own journeys of healing from Giant Cell Tumor of the Bone and a long-standing Eating Disorder have shaped the way she approaches everything she does—with body sovereignty, radical compassion, and shame-free creative flow.

JULIET KAPANJIE (Director) is a Los Angeles-based gal, making her directorial debut. . She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she studied Drama at the Strasberg Institute, Classical Studio and many more fun places. She most recently appeared in an episode of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, playing herself as the multi-hyphenate member of the Mozza Restaurant Group that she is in real life (she can often be found leading pasta-making classes, just like in the show!) She is grateful that you’re here, supporting this very special piece, created by a very special person.

CHARLIE RUBINOVITZ (Producer) is a West Hollywood-based pescatarian with an embarrassingly long NYT crossword streak. Originally from the suburbs of DC, he currently works in Casting and Talent Development at Sony Pictures Television, where he is a champion of authentic storytelling in front of and behind the camera. Charlie is excited to help bring the beautiful message and story of Belly to life. If you spot him in the wild, say hi (but not too loudly - he spooks real easy)

HI BROW PRODUCTIONS will be making their production debut with Belly.

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