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The Metropolitan Playhouse and Joe Trentacosta are proud to present the World Premiere of Edison’s Elephant, a new play by Chris Van Strander & David Koteles, directed by David Elliott as part of the Metropolitan Playhouse Gilded Age Festival (running January 16- 25) The Metropolitan Playhouse is located at 220 East 4th Street. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased by visiting www.metropolitanplayhouse.org (see exact performance times). Running time is 75 minutes.

In 1903, on Brooklyn’s Coney Island, Thomas Edison electrocuted an elephant. Moreover, he filmed it, for all to witness. Based on historic accounts, Edison’s Elephant explores the life and death of Topsy, the circus elephant who, after much abuse, retaliated against those who harmed her, and who was ultimately executed for her actions—then made the subject of Edison’s film Electrocuting the Elephant.

Edison’s Elephant cast includes: Lynn Berg (How I Learned to DriveBatz. Film: A Day’s Messing and The Clean Up), Kevin Orton (Sir Peter Hall’s Amadeus, Uncle Vanya),Wendy Merritt (My First LadyGame Changers), Alyssa Simon (Film: They Will Outlive Us All, Off-B’way: Purchase, My First Lady), CJ Trentacosta (BergenPAC’s 42nd Street. Film: Life in a Box  John Thomas Waite (Broadway: Dracula, Amadeus. Off Broadway: The Fantasticks), Rik Walter (K Comma Joseph, “30 Rock,” “Law and Order”) with Sean Gough on piano.