Led by Artistic Director Mark Lonergan since its initial informal launch in 1997 with the
production of WHITE/NOISE/JUMP (“Best in the Fringe Festival — Excellence in Theatre,” New
York International Fringe Festival), Parallel Exit engages in extensive artistic programming, artist
capacity building, and youth education initiatives, throughout New York City’s five boroughs,
across the United States, and in countries around the world. Inspired in equal parts by the grace
of Bill Irwin and the physical narrative of Matthew Bourne, Parallel Exit creates compelling
stories that are family-friendly, cultivating art that speaks to a culturally boundless audience of
any age. Productions have received both local and international praise for their inventiveness,
energy, and originality, with presentations at such esteemed venues as Lincoln Center, BAM,
The New Victory Theater, 59E59 Theaters, and Symphony Space in New York; the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival in the UK (winning a Spirit of the Fringe Award); and festivals in Poland, Spain,
Austria, and Japan. Following an extended 2014—2015 German tour in partnership with GOP
Variety Arts Theatre Circuit, Parallel Exit served as the powerhouse behind Big Apple Circus’
critically-acclaimed The Grand Tour (2015) and 40th Anniversary (2017) — marking the
beginning of a new chapter that radiates with excitement.
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