Under the direction of Sarah Coleman, the new Hygienic Theaterwerks production company, established by James Stidfole, will present Heartbreaker, by acclaimed regional playwright Michael R. McGuire, at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's Rose Barn, April 1, 2 and 3. Ms. Coleman has cast and will direct this premiere production.

Heartbreaker is an incredibly challenging piece that explores the complexities of racially motivated politics. Daring to be staged in a strip club with topless nudity, it forces the audience to take a hard look at our relationship to sexuality, women and race.

Heartbreaker is supported by an outstanding cast: George Katt, Sharina Martin, Leonard Dozier, and Sarah Gold.

Hygienic Art, Inc. is at the heart of the art scene in New London, CT, which was dubbed by The New York Times last November as the "New SoHo". Originally a gallery, they have launched into a whole new arena - producing, on a regular basis, regional playwrights. Unlike any other American theater development process in America, Hygienic seeks to produce quality, and sometimes very edgy, new works for the purpose of getting regionally-written work into royalty-generating catalogs.

"Most new work development efforts, nationally, are seeking the 'big bang' of heading to Broadway or a national tour for new work," said Hygienic producer James Stidfole. "Hygienic, on the other hand, is taking a longer view. Most playwrights will never see a major tour or a Broadway production. Good writers, however, can make a good part of their living from being included in catalogs that are part of the libraries of community theaters and schools/universities. If Hygienic can foster that path, we've done our job well."

Hygienic Art, Inc. has a long history of producing staged readings of new work both in the Galleries and the Art Park -most notably the work of Michael Bradford (a New London playwright whose recent successes in Seattle and Chicago have made him a national name, including the tag of "America's next August Wilson").

Michael R. McGuire is a 2005 CT Artist Fellowship recipient for his play The New Girl. Among his plays, Persephone Rules! and The Misjudgment Of Oenone are published by Brooklyn Publishers, Heartbreaker was a National Playwrights Conference semifinalist, The Caretakers is part of Theater for the New City's 2009/2010 New Blood Reading Series, Sometimes I Feel Like I Missed The Train was a part of The Lark's 2004 Playwrights Week, and What You Wish For was produced by Valley Rep's 15-Minute New Play Contest.

James Stidfole has been doing theater since before many of us were born. Actor, director, producer and everything in-between, if it happens in theater, James has done it at least once. And don't ask him about it unless you have a free hour. A former educator, founding Uncle at Hygienic Art Inc, and talented artist, he now spends his days in service to the community in countless ways.

Sarah Coleman is the newly appointed Artistic Director of the Hygienic Theaterwerks wing of a non-profit whose mission is to "support the development of emerging artists". Ms. Coleman has studied and worked extensively in theater and film in Los Angeles and the north east, both on and off the stage and in front of and behind the camera. Credits include Warner Bros., Revolutions Studios, and Tyranny, a current web-TV series for which she is credited as a writer, producer and lead actress. Notably she performed with the Los Angeles Shakespeare Company and did stand-up at the famous Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd. Mentored for many years by Academy Award nominated actress Lindsay Crouse, she gathered training in both acting and directing.

George Katt is the winner of the "Best Breakthrough Actor Award" at the NY International Independent Film Festival for his starring role in the independent feature film Valley of Angels opposite Danny Trejo. George began his career on the NYC stages and has been working consistently ever since in theatre, television and film. He has guest-starred and recurred on numerous television shows for networks such as CBS, WB, ABC, Comedy Central, A&E, & Showtime. His versatility has brought him much success in the independent film world. His most recent starring film credits include Waiting for the Blackout (Winner of the 2010 Warner Bros. Film Award), In Montauk, Momma Would Be Proud and he has several forthcoming starring role attachments in features.

Sharina Martin graduated Northwestern University, the School at Steppenwolf and LAByrinth Theater Co's Master Class and is a regular in the Chicago theater scene. She will be appearing in multiple productions at the regional classical repertory company, American Players Theater. Credits include Fedra at Lookingglass, The Voysey Inheritance at Remy Bumppo and Macbeth with Greasy Joan and co (Lady M) and productions at Indiana Repertory, Congo Square Theatre Co, Chicago Dramatists and Wildbard Theater Company in NYC. Film credits: Happily After, Requited and Nowheresville.

Leonard Dozier is an actor, singer, songwriter, writer, producer, and director. He founded Cineplay Productions. He had a leading role in the world-premiere musical Battlecry, directed by Tony-nominee Gabe Barre with music composed by Tony and Emmy award winning Paul Bogaev. He starred in the off-Broadway world-premiere of Make It So, the touring production of Halfway There, and Cineplay’s tour of A Raisin in the Sun. Among his current projects are Quiet Storm: Memoirs of a Ladykiller and a stage musical about the life of the legendary Luther Vandross, in which he will play Luther. In 2004 he co-wrote and produced When I Say with Grammy-nominee George Mesterhazy.

Sarah Gold is an incredibly gifted and natural actress and performer that Sarah Coleman discovered. This will be Ms. Gold's debut performance.

Don't miss this performance of Heartbreaker on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 1 through 3, at the Rose Barn, Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, 305 Great Neck Rd, Waterford, CT. Call 860-443.8001 for further information.