MOVIN’ ON UP, the absurdist comedy written by Los Angeles playwright Jeremy Kehoe, will make its World Premiere at The 20th Annual New York Fringe Festival in August. Kehoe’s previous work includes the critically acclaimed productions of Killing Russell Crow at Group Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles and AMMO at the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival. In New York, Jeremy’s work has been produced by Emerging Artists Theatre, Roots & Wings Theatrical, and UP Theatre Company. The production is directed by Christian Amato, who has served as a producer on such notable productions as Rocky and The Color Purple. As director, Christian staged the World Premiere productions of Bitch and Barbicide at the Historic Players Theatre. 
It’s funny-or-die in the graveyard. This absurdist comedy pits a Watchman with a worthless watch against a chatterboxing, handcuffed man and a know-it-all woman in bandaged hands to see who earns the right to move on up.
Why would the Watchman who wears a watch that won’t work sit silent sentry in a graveyard and wordlessly wait, and wait, and wait? And what about Lewis, who shatters the serenity after stumbling from a slumber at the soles of the Watchman’s feet? Where does he think he’s heading? Nowhere fast, if the Watchman has his way. And then there’s Anne with the bandaged hands. What drew her to this dark corner of the universe? And, why does she keep insisting she knows everybody? It’s so annoying. Why won’t any of them move on? What in the world are they all waiting for?
Tickets are $18.00 and go on sale July 15th at www.fringenyc.org – cast, venue and dates to be announced in early July. Running time: 70 minutes. More info is available at www.movinonuptheplay.com.
BIOGRAPHIES
Jeremy Kehoe (Playwright) hears voices. These voices call him to create characters and place them on a quest. These characters heckle and haunt him – bantering and bickering and thrusting and parrying – until their voices muffle from roars to murmurs at the words “End Play”. Audiences have listened to Jeremy’s voices in the U.S. and Canada at such shows as “Let’s Dance for a Little While” (Emerging Artists Theatre/New York); “Existential Magic Eight Ball” (Roots & Wings Theatrical, UPTheatre/New York); “God Help Us” (Fierce Backbone/Los Angeles); “Urban Wash” (Emerging Artists Theatre/New York); “Pitch Me” (Emerging Artists Theatre/New York) “AMMO” (2104 Hollywood Fringe Festival); “Car Play: She & Him” (Lounge Theatre/Los Angeles); “Killing Russell Crowe” (Group Repertory Theatre/Los Angeles); “A Few Good PB&Js” (Fierce Backbone/Hollywood Fringe Festival, Longwood University/Virginia); and “Banana Intervention” (Fierce Backbone/Hollywood Fringe Festival). He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights and a former newspaper editor and reporter, where he earned awards from the NAACP and the New England Press Association. As a freelance writer he has published articles in newspapers including the Houston Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Sacramento News & Review. Jeremy also strangled himself with a necktie as a PR executive for 10 years until the oxygen drained from his brain.
Christian Amato (Director) is a director, producer and theatrical strategist who has produced over 45 off-broadway productions. Represented on Broadway, he has served as a producer on notable productions, including “Rocky” and “The Color Purple”. He has developed multiple successful campaigns on Broadway for productions such as “Kinky Boots”, “Matilda”, “Mothers and Sons” and “It’s Only A Play”. Christian has also developed brand campaigns for clients such as Hudson Yards, Budweiser, O Magazine, Discovery Networks, and Clinique. Directing credits include the World Premier productions of “Bitch” and “Barbicide” at the Players Theatre. He is founder and producing artistic director of The Theatre Project and Shakespeare Off-Broadway, described as “A company to watch” by Downtown Magazine. He is also Director of Digital Product at Samuel French, the leading house of plays, where he has been at the forefront of the company’s digital innovation, creating Abbott, the world’s first ePlay app.