UCD grad’s one-man show comes to Sacramento

UC Davis graduate Ben Moroski’s award-winning, one-man show on self-injury, “This Vicious Minute,” is being brought to Sacramento by KOLT Run Creations — an acclaimed fringe theater company — which continues its mission of telling untold stories. Ten to 30 percent of the population engage in self-injury — cutting, burning or hitting oneself — which can start at ages as young as 5 years old and can go untreated for decades.

“This Vicious Minute” will run a two-week engagement Wednesday, Feb. 27, through Saturday, March 9, at the Ooley Theater, 2007 28th St. in midtown Sacramento. All performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. In honor of Self-Injury Awareness Day, there will be two shows, 7 and 9 p.m., Friday, March 1. Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for students and seniors.

This jarringly personal journey through the psyche of the unlikeliest of “cutters” — an all-American male — breaks down commonly held misconceptions and speaks with honesty about a perplexing subject that few understand. “This Vicious Minute” had its world premiere last year at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, where it had an extended run as part of the “Best of Fringe,” was nominated for Best One Person Show and won the inaugural “I Am Fringe” Award. The Sacramento run will coincide with Self-Injury Awareness Day on March 1.

A native Northern Californian, Moroski has written five full-length plays, including “This Vicious Minute,” as well as various shorter works. He received a Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Award for Outstanding Contribution in the Area of Playwriting while earning his bachelor’s degree in English from UCD. Moroski was a member of the acting apprentice company at the 2009 Williamstown Theatre Festival, and performed in KOLT’s “Antigone” and “Escape From Happiness.”

“It’s definitely scary, bringing something this personal home,” Moroski stated in a release. “But what we’re talking about is the opportunity to spread awareness — and light — about an issue that is currently so deep in the closet that it’s not even on our cultural radar. And as a theater artist, that’s about as exciting as it gets.”

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.KOLTRunCreations.com.