PHILADELPHIA – Azuka Theatre finishes its 10th Anniversary season with the Philadelphia Premiere of Adam Szymkowicz’s biting date comedy, Nerve. The show begins April 8, opens April 14 and closes May 2. Nerve will run at the Latvian Society, 531 N. 7th Street. Tickets cost $15-$25 and are available online at http://www.azukatheatre.org/ or by calling (215) 733-0255.

In this dark comedy, Szymkowicz takes a mirror to the world of online dating. Elliot has never had an online date show up while Susan has had far too many and would prefer not to discuss it. In Nerve, the pair navigates a premature declaration of love and far too much information about past relationships. With bits of modern dance, and a twisted Jiminy Cricket-like puppet, Nerve takes a wickedly comic look at the idea of falling into a relationship on the first date and a desperation that may or may not be love.

The New York Times called the play, “sweet, sexy, neurotic friendly.” Gothamist declared, “…frequently laugh-out-loud funny, and in the end a neat little demonstration, if you needed one, of how much better live theatre can be than TV or movies when it comes to convincingly recreating human relationships in all their delicious complexity."

“I felt like these two people were a tad on the fringe; they have LOTS of quirks and aren’t your run of the mill characters. As off center as they are, they’re still trying to make a connection with someone else, they're still looking to find ‘the one’,” said Azuka Producing Artistic Director Kevin Glaccum. “It was something I felt audiences would feel connected to. As different as they are, the audience can still get them.”

Glaccum directs this Philadelphia Premiere. Charlie DelMarcelle is appearing as Elliot. DelMarcelle appeared in Azuka’s The Long Christmas Ride Home. As a director, he has worked regionally for the Fulton Opera House, PA Youth Theatre, Vagabond Acting Troupe, Triangle Theatre, Theatre of the Seventh Sister, PRC Theatre, University of Pennsylvania, Moravian College and Millersville University. Three of his productions have been honored with two Barrymore nominations for Outstanding Ensemble (A Christmas Carol and The Art of War) and a City Paper critic’s pick for Bravest Production (Desinence: An Evening of Work by Samuel Beckett). Leah Walton is playing Susan. She has performed with Walnut Street Theatre, InterAct Theatre Company, Pig Iron Theatre Company, EgoPo Productions, Montgomery Theatre Company, Mum Puppettheatre among many others. She has also created original theatrical pieces in collaboration with other local artists, seen during Philadelphia Fringe Festivals. Leah trained in acting and movement at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Centers National Theater Institute, the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia, Ithaca College and with the Michael Chekhov Association.

Adam Szymkowicz’s plays have been produced throughout the U.S., and in Canada, England, The Netherlands and Lithuania. His work has been presented or developed at such places as MCC Theater, Ars Nova, South Coast Rep, Playwrights Horizons, LAByrinth Theater Company, The Lark, Kitchen Dog, HotINK, Theatre of Note and Studio Dante among others. Works include: Deflowering Waldo, Open Minds, Anne, The Art Machine, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Hearts Like Fists, Herbie, Incendiary, Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, Bee Eater, Temporary Everything, Susan Gets Some Play, Fat Cat Killers, and Elsewhere.. He received a Playwright’s Diploma from The Juilliard School's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University where he was the Dean’s Fellow. Szymkowicz is a two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner, a member of the Dramatists Guild; the MCC Playwright’s Coalition and was a founding member of the Ars Nova Play Group. He has been commissioned by South Coast Rep.

Dirk Durossette is designing the set for this black comedy. Alisa Sickora Kleckner is creating the costumes. Matt Ricchini is designing the sound and Andrew Nelson is composing original music. Joshua Schulman is designing the lights.