| MCC Theater Announces Planned Programming Through 2021 | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 11:59 am EDT 10/29/20 | |
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| MCC THEATER ANNOUNCES PLANNED PROGRAMMING THROUGH 2021 FEATURING WORK FROM SAHEEM ALI, CRISTINA ANGELES, NICK BLAEMIRE, JOCELYN BIOH, TRIP CULLMAN, OMAR VÉLEZ MELÉNDEZ, HALLEY FEIFFER, DOMINIQUE FISHBACK, ELLIE HEYMAN, VAN HUGHES, TINA LANDAU, DONJA R. LOVE, SUSAN SOON HE STANTON, MFONISO UDOFIA, WHITNEY WHITE & MANY MORE WITH FIVE NEW LIVELABS: PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED ¡GÁRGOLA! BY OMAR VÉLEZ MELÉNDEZ DIRECTED BY CRISTINA ANGELES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 AT 5:30PM ET BETWEEN THE TWO HUMPS BY HALLEY FEIFFER DIRECTED BY TRIP CULLMAN THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 AT 5:30PM ET UNTITLED MEDITATIONS ON LOVE AND GRIEVING BY MFONISO UDOFIA THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021 AT 5:30PM ET A NEW PLAY BY SUSAN SOON HE STANTON DIRECTED BY ELLIE HEYMAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 AT 5:30PM ET ROME AND JA'NET BY DOMINIQUE FISHBACK 2021 A NEW PRODUCTION LIVE-STREAMED DIRECTLY FROM MCC THEATER: SPACE DOGS A NEW MUSICAL BY VAN HUGHES AND NICK BLAEMIRE DIRECTED BY TINA LANDAU SPRING 2021 AND PRODUCTIONS OF: NOLLYWOOD DREAMS A NEW PLAY BY JOCELYN BIOH DIRECTED BY SAHEEM ALI 2021 soft A NEW PLAY BY DONJA R. LOVE DIRECTED BY WHITNEY WHITE 2021 PLUS A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARSNIP SHIP PRESENTING A NEW FICTION PODCAST THIS IS WHERE WE GO A PLAY IN SIX PARTS PREMIERING DECEMBER 3, 2020 SUBSCRIPTIONS GO ON-SALE TODAY DOWNLOAD HEADSHOTS AND PHOTOS HERE (October 28, 2020 - New York, NY) MCC Theater (Bob LuPone, Bernie Telsey, Will Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) announced today its plans for upcoming programming and productions through 2021, with a slate of work meant to be performed both virtually and in-person, when it's possible to do so safely. The newly announced slate of programming kicks off with a series of five LiveLabs, MCC's virtual explorations into the ways theater can be realized. The series will include the previously announced ¡Gárgola!, by Omar Vélez Meléndez and directed by Cristina Angeles tomorrow, Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 5:30PM ET; Between The Two Humps, by Halley Feiffer and directed by Trip Cullman on Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 5:30PM ET; Untitled Meditations on Love and Grieving, by Mfoniso Udofia on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 5:30PM ET; A new play by Susan Soon He Stanton and directed by Ellie Heyman on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 5:30PM ET; and Rome and Ja'Net, by MCC Youth Company alum Dominique Fishback in 2021. In Spring 2021, MCC plans to live-stream the new musical Space Dogs, by Van Hughes and Nick Blaemire from their Susan & Ronald Frankel Theater - live from MCC's home to theatergoers' homes. MCC also plans to produce in-person productions of Nollywood Dreams, by Burnt Umber Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali (which was in rehearsals at the time of the shutdown) and the newly announced soft, by Donja R. Love and directed by Whitney White, when it is safe to do so. MCC remains committed to producing the previously announced production of Perry Street by Lucy Thurber and directed by Thomas Sadoski and will be looking to do so in a future season. In addition, MCC has commissioned a six-part podcast play from The Parsnip Ship's Radio Roots Writers Group, This Is Where We Go, which will premiere on Thursday, December 3, 2020. The play will be devised uniquely by drawing inspiration from an Octavia Butler quote about change. Each member of The Radio Roots Writers Group, which includes Amara Brady, Jessie Rivera DeBruin, Gina Femia, and Nina Ki, will develop a character, and will also co-write two of the acts. The series will be directed by Tamilla Woodard. "It's been a surprise and delight working with these incredible artists to explore new mediums for MCC audiences," said Will Cantler, Co-Artistic Director. "We are excited about the months ahead and the projects we are creating. Together, we are exploring what theater can be and will be, not just now, but always moving forward. More than just producing for this moment, we're looking at what we'll be able to bring with us once we're able to gather in a theater again." All digital productions and readings will be available on MCC On Demand, MCC's previously announced new one-stop streaming platform for on demand access to MCC's virtual content. MCC will closely monitor and adhere to all state, local, and union guidelines for all in-person activity, and will alter plans if it is deemed in the best interests of public health. Details for 2020/2021 Include: LIVELABS: MCC will continue its LiveLabs series, presenting five new one-act play readings, all under 30 minutes. The playwrights for this series include Omar Vélez Meléndez, MCC Youth Company alum Dominique Fishback, Halley Feiffer, Mfoniso Udofia, and Susan Soon He Stanton. Each reading will be followed by a talkback with the playwright, director, and cast. Previously Announced ¡Gárgola! By Omar Vélez Meléndez (We Built Our Homes Near Kingdoms of Animals and Magic) Directed by Cristina Angeles (Dream Hou$e) Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 5:30PM ET Talkback facilitated by Josué Hernández Deep in the dark corners of the Puerto Rican countryside, the townspeople of Barceloneta are witnessing something paranormal. Is it real? Of course it is...But...is it? The cast of ¡Gárgola! will include Vélez Meléndez along with Andrés López-Alicea (In The Eye of the Needle), Willie Denton (Yerba Buena), Maricelis Galanes ("The Baker and the Beauty"), Beatriz Miranda (The Tallest Man in the World), Sophia Ramos (Party People), and Cristina Soler (A Perfect Getaway). The creative team will include scenic design by Deilis Curiel and sound design by Germán Martínez. Between The Two Humps By Halley Feiffer (Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow) Directed by Trip Cullman (Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow) Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 5:30PM ET Joseph and Mary are at each other's throats. Giving birth to the Messiah is, like, important and stuff but is it worth this trek to Bethlehem through the desert on a camel? Are we there yet? Casting and creative for Between the Two Humps will be announced at a later date. Additional LiveLabs will include Untitled Meditations on Love and Grieving by Mfoniso Udofia on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 5:30PM ET, a new play by Susan Soon He Stanton (Today Is My Birthday) and directed by Ellie Heyman (amfAR's Angels in America) on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 5:30PM ET, and Rome and Ja'Netby Dominique Fishback (Subverted) in 2021. Additional details will be announced at a later date. LiveLabs are supported by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council. THIS IS WHERE WE GO MCC Theater, in association with The Parsnip Ship, will present This Is Where We Go, a six-part podcast play developed with The Parsnip Ship's Radio Roots Writers Group. MCC's first commission looks closer at the different ways that theater can be created and produced and was inspired by the Octavia Butler quote "All that you touch / You Change. / All that you Change / Changes you. / The only lasting truth / Is Change. / God is Change." The Radio Roots Writers Group includes Amara Brady, Jessie Rivera DeBruin, Gina Femia, and Nina Ki. The series will be directed by Tamilla Woodard. The cast of This Is Where We Go will include Amara Brady (Broadway Bounty Hunter ), Garcia ("Tales of the City"), Teresa Avia Lim (JUNK), Bunny Michael ("High Maintenance"), Lindsay Rico (Fefu and Her Friends) and Danny Wolohan (To Kill A Mockingbird). This Is Where We Go features sound design by Sadah Espii Proctor, Rachel Brees, and Emilie Weibel and dramaturgy by Gabriella Steinberg and Al ?Parker. The first two acts of This Is Where We Go will be released on Thursday, December 3, 2020, with the subsequent four acts released on the following Tuesdays and Thursdays through December 17. This Is Where We Go will be available to stream on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever you listen to your podcasts. SPACE DOGS A new musical by Van Hughes (Burn All Night) and Nick Blaemire (Glory Days) Directed by Tina Landau (Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical) Live-Streamed Directly from the Susan and Ronald Frankel Theater Spring 2021 Hughes and Blaemire will also star in Space Dogs. Additional casting and creative will be announced at a later date. Space Dogs is supported by The Gary Platt Initiative for New Musicals, the Burton A. and Sandra D. Zipser Foundation, and by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council. FUTURE PRODUCTIONS: Performance dates for these in-person productions will be announced once it is determined that it is safe to do so, in conjunction with state and local officials, and union guidelines. Casting and creative team will also be announced at a later date. NOLLYWOOD DREAMS Written by Burnt Umber Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) Directed by Saheem Ali (Fires in The Mirror) 2021 It's the 1990s and in Lagos, Nigeria, the NOLLYWOOD film industry is exploding and taking the world by storm. Ayamma dreams of stardom while working at her parents' travel agency alongside her lovable and celebrity-obsessed sister Dede. When Ayamma lands an audition for a new film by Gbenga Ezie, Nigeria's hottest director, she comes head-to-head with Gbenga's former leading lady, Fayola. Tensions flare just as sparks start flying between Ayamma, the aspiring ingénue, and Wale, Nollywood's biggest heartthrob, in this hilarious new play about dreaming big. Nollywood Dreams is supported by The Bonnie Cashin Costume Design Fund, The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, and by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council. Jocelyn Bioh is MCC Theater's Burnt Umber Playwright in Residence. soft Written by Donja R. Love (one in two) Directed by Whitney White (What to Send Up When it Goes Down) 2021 Flowers are magically in bloom-in Mr. Isaiah's classroom, in the halls of the correctional boarding school where he teaches, and in the depths of his students' imaginations. After one boy dies by suicide, Mr. Isaiah struggles to figure out how to save the Black and Brown boys he teaches from a world that tries to crush their softness. soft is supported by The R&S Shulman Fund at MCC Theater, and by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council. Subscriptions for MCC's 2021 season begin at $60 and include access to MCC On Demand, as well as a private Facebook group offering exclusive content. Single tickets will also be available. Subscriptions and single tickets are available for purchase beginning today at mcctheater.org. All subscriptions purchased through Sunday, November 15th will be matched with a free subscription for first responders and veterans can receive $10 off their subscription price. ABOUT THE PARSNIP SHIP The Parsnip Ship is a podcast play company that amplifies bold artists for audiences who crave accessible stories and storytellers. Our live events and audio podcasts are eclectic and transformative, creating communities in person and digitally. Through our work, we revolutionize the way you hear theater. The Parship Ship re-imagines the experience of the radio play by pairing underproduced playwrights and independent musicians for live episodes that are released as a free podcast. ABOUT MCC THEATER MCC Theater is one of New York's leading nonprofit Off-Broadway companies, driven by a mission to provoke conversations that have never happened and otherwise never would. Founded in 1986 as a collective of artists leading peer-based classes to support their own development as actors, writers and directors, the tenets of collaboration, education, and community are at the core of MCC Theater's programming. One of the only theaters in the country led continuously by its founders, Artistic Directors Bob LuPone, Bernie Telsey, and Will Cantler, MCC fulfills its mission through the production of world, American, and New York premiere plays and musicals that challenge artists and audiences to confront contemporary personal and social issues, and robust playwright development and education initiatives that foster the next generation of theater artists and students. MCC Theater's celebrated productions include Aziza Barnes' BLKS; Jocelyn Bioh's School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play; Penelope Skinner's The Village Bike; Robert Askins' Hand to God (Broadway transfer; five 2015 Tony Award® nominations including Best Play); John Pollono's Small Engine Repair; Paul Downs Colaizzo's Really Really; Sharr White's The Other Place (Broadway transfer); Jeff Talbott's The Submission (Laurents/Hatcher Award); Neil LaBute's reasons to be pretty (Broadway transfer, three 2009 Tony Award® nominations, including Best Play), Some Girl(s), Fat Pig, The Mercy Seat, and All The Ways To Say I Love You; Michael Weller's Fifty Words; Alexi Kaye Campbell's The Pride; Bryony Lavery's Frozen (Broadway transfer; four 2004 Tony Award® nominations including Best Play, Tony Award® for Best Featured Actor); Tim Blake Nelson's The Grey Zone; Rebecca Gilman's The Glory of Living (2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist); Margaret Edson's Wit (1999 Pulitzer Prize); and the musicals Coraline, Carrie, and Ride the Cyclone. Many plays developed and produced by MCC have gone on to productions throughout the country and around the world. Blake West joined the company in 2006 as Executive Director. MCC opened the doors to its new home in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space, on January 9, 2019, unifying the company's activities under one roof for the first time and expanding its producing, artist development, and education programming. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT MCCTheater.org # # # BIOS OMAR VÉLEZ MELÉNDEZ (Playwright, ¡Gárgola!)is a playwright born and raised in Puerto Rico. Their playwriting debut took place at the 2016 UPR Student Theatre Festival with The Natives Fight for Their Cave: Part 2. They are a member of Playgroup at Ars Nova and a 2020-2021 Playwrights Realm Writing Fellow. Their work has also been developed at The Lark, Teatro SEA, Pregones/PRTT, The Latinx Playwrights Circle and Fresh Ground Pepper. Other plays include We Built Our Homes Near Kingdoms of Animals and Magic (The Lark's Playwright's Week, 2019 Rita & Burton Goldberg Playwriting Prize), Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management and EconomicStability Board Members and Lajasarriba. Playwriting MFA: Hunter College CRISTINA ANGELES (Director, ¡Gárgola!) is an Afrolatina director, writer, and theater maker whose mission is to create empathy and conversation by directing new plays, musicals, and socially conscious adaptations of classics that place women of color at the forefront. Today, Cristina is the Founding Artistic Director of Checkmark Productions, an NYC based company dedicated to artists of color and the telling of their stories, an Associate Artist at Roundabout Theatre Company, and a Drama League Directing Fellow. Previously, she has participated in the Roundabout Directing Fellowship, the Williamstown Directing Corps, the SDCF Observership Program, and as an assistant director on and off Broadway. Select credits include Dream Hou$e by Eliana Pipes (2019 Leah Ryan Prize, 2019 O'Neill Finalist,) directed by Cristina at Ars Nova's ANT Fest, and Toni, a digital series inspired by the life of Marie Antoinette written and created by Cristina. More at www.cristinaangeles.com HALLEY FEIFFER (Playwright, Between the Two Humps) is a writer and actress. Plays include Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, I'm Gonna Pray for You So Hard, How to Make Friends and then Kill Them and The Pain of my Belligerence, in which she also starred. Her plays have premiered at MCC, Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theater Company, Williamstown Theater Festival and the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and have been nominated for Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle awards. Recent TV writing / producing credits include the next season of "American Crime Story" on FX, the upcoming Apple series "Roar" and the Amazon series "Rodeo Queens," and original pilots for FX, Hulu, TNT and Freeform. TRIP CULLMAN (Director, Between the Two Humps) Broadway: Rose Tattoo (Roundabout), Choir Boy (MTC), Lobby Hero (Second Stage), Six Degrees of Separation (Barrymore), Significant Other (Booth). Select Off Broadway: Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, YEN, Punk Rock (Obie award), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Gynecologic Oncology Unit At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Of New York City (MCC); Days Of Rage, The Layover, The Substance of Fire, Lonely I'm Not, Bachelorette, Some Men, Swimming In The Shallows (Second Stage); Unknown Soldier, The Pain Of My Belligerence, Assistance, A Small Fire (Drama Desk nomination), The Drunken City (Playwrights Horizons); Choir Boy (MTC); Murder Ballad (MTC and Union Square Theatre); The Mother, I'm Gonna Pray For You So Hard (Atlantic); Roulette (EST); The Hallway Trilogy: Nursing (Rattlestick); The Last Sunday In June (Rattlestick and Century Center ); Dog Sees God (Century Center); US Drag (stageFARM); and several productions with The Play Company. London: The Colby Sisters of Pittsburgh, PA (Tricycle). Select regional: Geffen, Alliance, Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Bay Street, Williamstown Theater Festival. MFONISO UDOFIA (Playwright, Untitled Meditations on Love and Grief)a first-generation Nigerian-American storyteller and educator, attended Wellesley College, obtained her MFA from the American Conservatory Theater [ACT] and, while at ACT, co- pioneered, The Nia Project, which provided artistic outlets for youth residing in Bayview/Huntspoint. Productions of her plays Sojourners, runboyrun, Her Portmanteau and In Old Age have been seen at New York Theatre Workshop, American Conservatory Theater, Playwrights Realm, Magic Theater, National Black Theatre, Strand Theater Company, and Boston Court. She's the recipient of the 2017 Helen Merrill Playwright Award, the 2017-18 McKnight National Residency and Commission at The Playwrights' Center, and is a member of New Dramatists. Mfoniso's currently commissioned by Hartford Stage, Denver Center, ACT, and South Coast Repertory. Her plays have been developed by Manhattan Theatre Club, ACT, McCarter Theatre, OSF, New Dramatists, PCS's JAW Festival, Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor, The OCC, Hedgebrook, Sundance Theatre Lab, Space on Ryder Farm, Page 73, New Black Fest, Rising Circle and more. She has worked as a television writer on: "13 Reasons Why," "Little America," "Pachinko" and "Away." SUSAN SOON HE STANTON (Playwright, LiveLab) is a writer for theatre, film, and television from 'Aiea, Hawai'i. Susan is a producer and writer on the BAFTA, Golden Globe and Emmy award winning HBO Succession, for which she has also won WGA and Peabody Awards. Upcoming television work includes Amazon's "Modern Love," BBC / Element Pictures' "Conversation with Friends" adapted from the novel by Sally Rooney. Plays include we, the invisibles (Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival), Today Is My Birthday (Page 73), Takarazuka!!! (Clubbed Thumb and East West Players), Solstice Party! (Live Source), Cygnus (Women's Project Pipeline), Moana Jr. (book) for Disney Theatrical Group, Navigator (Honolulu Theatre for Youth), and more. She is a Sundance Theater Lab Resident Playwright and was awarded Leah Ryan FEWW, the Venturous Playwrights Fellowship at the Lark, and is a member of New Dramatists and MaYi's Playwright's Lab, and was an alumni of Primary Stage's Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, the Public's Emerging Writer's Group, and SoHo Rep's Writer Director Lab. Commissions include Yale Repertory, American Conservatory Theater/Crowded Fire, South Coast Repertory, and Ensemble Studio Theatre, among others. In film, she received a Feature Film Development Grant from the Sloan Foundation. Her film Dress won the audience award at the Hawaii International Film Festival. BFA: NYU Tisch's Dramatic Writing, MFA from Yale School of Drama. www.susansoonhestanton.com ELLIE HEYMAN (Director, LiveLab) is a director of theater and film. Recent credits include: The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America (amfAR); Adrienne Truscott's (Still) Asking For It (Joe's Pub/The Public Subscriber Season 2019-2020); A$AP Rocky's Lab Rat, ThisTree (Here Arts, Protype), Jason Craig & Dave Malloy's Beardo (Drama Desk Nomination; Pipeline Theater), Erin Markey's Boner Killer (Under the Radar), Becca Blackwell's They, Themself and Schmerm (Under the Radar); THIS (Bessie Nomination for Outstanding Production; NYLA), Jupiter's Lifeless Moons (PS122/COIL); The Traveling Imaginary with Julian Koster (Neutral Milk Hotel) rated "Top 5 shows of the year" by NPR; The Orbiting Human Circus (Of the Air), rated #1 on Apple Podcasts and downloaded 5 million+ times; and "cult classic" Dreamboy (Night Vale Presents). She is a graduate of Northwestern University and Boston University, and a Drama League and WP Theater Time Warner Directing Fellow Alumni. ellieheyman.com Top of Form DOMINIQUE FISHBACK (Playwright, Rome and Ja'Net). Dominique will be starring as the female lead of Warner Brother's film Judas & The Black Messiah opposite Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield. She recently garnered acclaim for her leading role opposite Jamie Foxx & Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the Netflix feature Project Power. Additionally, she starred opposite Amandla Stenberg in Fox 2000's The Hate U Give. Dominique's sensational acting chops are highlighted in the HBO series "The Deuce" opposite James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal. In January of 2018, Dominique was named one of The Hollywood Reporter's Sundance Film Festival's breakout stars for her critically praised performance in Night Comes On for director Jordana Spiro, which won the festival's audience NEXT award. As a playwright and spoken word artist, Dominique was nominated for the New York Innovative Theatre Award's 'Outstanding Solo Performance' for her one woman show Subverted, where she plays 20 different characters and is the deconstruction of the Black Identity in America. VAN HUGHES (Writer & Performer, Space Dogs) is an actor, musician, and composer. Broadway: Deaf West's Spring Awakening, American Idiot, 9 to 5, and Hairspray. Off-Broadway: Whisper House (The Civilians), Son of a Gun (Beckett), Saved (Playwrights Horizons). Regional: Almost Famous (Old Globe), When We're Gone (Lyric Theatre), A Little More Alive (KC Rep, Barrington), Rocky Horror Picture Show (Bucks County). Film: Sex And The City: The Movie I & II, Rachel Getting Married. TV: "Royal Pains," "Law & Order: SVU," "One Life To Live." As a composer, Van scored the films Sequence Break and Space Clown and co-authored the musical Burn All Night (ART). B.A. in Theatre from Fordham University. NICK BLAEMIRE (Writer & Performer, Space Dogs) is a writer and actor based in Brooklyn. BROADWAY: Glory Days (music and lyrics), the Original Casts of Cry-Baby and the Godspell Revival. OFF-BROADWAY: Tick, Tick…Boom! at Keen Co. (Drama Desk nom), Found at Atlantic, Dogfight at 2ndStage. TOUR: Falsettos, Altar Boyz. REGIONAL: SpongeBob, The Last Goodbye, Bring It On. TV: "Fosse/Verdon", "The Big C," "Crossbones," "Zero Hour," "Law & Order," "Dash & Lily" (upcoming, Netflix). OTHER WRITING: A Little More Alive, Soon, Fallout (w/ Kyle Jarrow), Edge of the World (w/ Ethan Slater), Landlord (w/ Daniel Watts), The Descendants stage adaptation for Disney, a new Ant-Man story for Marvel, and an original romantic comedy for Mandeville/Universal (w/ Ana Nogueira, directed by Stephen Chbosky). Nick has released two EPs of his songs, and is in process on his third, produced by Van Hughes. He is repped by A&R and CAA. Bottom of Form Top of Form TINA LANDAU (Director, Space Dogs) is a writer and director whose NYC credits include SpongeBob SquarePants (also conceiver; Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle winner Best Direction and Best Musical, 12 Tony Award noms), Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts, and the revival of Bells Are Ringing (Tony noms) on Broadway, and Off-Broadway productions of Bill Irwin and David Shiner's Old Hats, Chuck Mee's Big Love and Iphigenia 2.0 (all Signature), Tarell McCraney's Head of Passes, In the Red and Brown Water (both at the Public) and Wig Out!(Vineyard), Paula Vogel's A Civil War Christmas (NYTW), and her original musical Floyd Collins (with Adam Guettel, Playwrights Horizons.) For her work, Tina has been recognized by the Drama Desks, Drama League, Outer Critics, Obies, and many more. Tina's an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, where her over 20 productions include Ms. Blakk for President (also writer, with Tarell McCraney), The Brother/Sister Plays, The Time of Your Life and Space (also writer.) She's the author, with Anne Bogart, of The Viewpoints Book. JOCELYN BIOH (Playwright, Nollywood Dreams)is a 1st generation Ghanaian-American writer/performer from New York City. She has her B.A. in English and Theatre from The Ohio State University and MFA in Theatre-Playwriting from Columbia University School of the Arts. Jocelyn is a commissioned playwright with Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage Theatre, Williamstown Theatre and the Atlantic Theater Company and was a former Resident Playwright at Lincoln Center. She is a former Tow Playwright Recipient and is the current Playwright in Residence at MCC. Her plays include: the multi-award winning School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play which had two celebrated runs at MCC Theater in New York City and will be produced at 11 regional theatres all over the country in 2019 and 2020. Nollywood Dreams (Upcoming: MCC Theater 2020, Kilroy's List 2015,) as well the new musical GODDESS which will have its World Premiere at Berkeley Rep in 2021. As a TV writer, Jocelyn has worked on "Russian Doll" (Netflix 2019) as well as being a staff writer on Season 2 of Spike Lee's acclaimed series "She's Gotta Have It" (May 2019.) She is also set to write the film adaptation of the musical "Once On This Island" for Disney+. As an actress, Jocelyn's stage credits include: In The Blood (Drama Desk Nomination,) Everybody (Signature Theatre, Lucille Lortel nomination) Men on Boats (Playwrights Horizons,) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Broadway; Tony Award Winner for Best Play, 2015), An Octoroon (Soho Rep, Obie Award Winner for Best Play, 2014), Booty Candy (Wilma Theater), Seed (Classical Theater of Harlem, Audelco Award Nominee), and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet (City Theatre). She also originated the role of "Topsy" in the world premiere of Neighbors (The Public Theater, Audelco Award Nominee). TV: Former Cover Girl spokesmodel, "Russian Doll" (Netflix) "Crashing" (HBO), "Blue Bloods" (CBS), "The Detour" (TBS), "The Characters" (Netflix), "Louie" (FX), and "One Life to Live" (ABC). Film: "Ben Is Back." Bottom of Form SAHEEM ALI (Director, Nollywood Dream)is a proud immigrant from Kenya. He is the Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director of the Public Theater. Recent productions include Richard II (The Public), Shipwreck (Woolly Mammoth), Fires in The Mirror (Signature Theater), The Rolling Stone (Lincoln Center Theater), The New Englanders (MTC), Passage (Soho Rep), Fireflies (Atlantic Theater Company), Dangerous House (Williamstown Theater Festival), Sugar in Our Wounds (MTC), Tartuffe (Playmakers Rep), Where Storms Are Born (WTF), Twelfth Night (The Public), Kill Move Paradise (National Black Theater), Nollywood Dreams (Cherry Lane) and Dot (Detroit Public Theater). He has workshopped new plays at Playwrights Horizons, Playwrights Realm, MCC, New York Stage & Film, Page 73 and The Lark. He is a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop, Sir John Gielgud SDCF Fellow and a Shubert Fellow. DONJA R. LOVE (Playwright, soft; he/him/his) is Black, Queer, HIV-Positive, and thriving. A Philly native, his work examines the forced absurdity of life for those who identify as Black, Queer, and HIV-positive - a diverse intersection filled with eloquent stories that challenge the white supremacist, heteronormative structures that exist in American culture. He's the recipient of the Antonyo's inaugural Langston Hughes Award, the Helen Merrill Award, the Laurents/Hatcher Award, and the Princess Grace Playwriting Award. Other honors include The Lark's Van Lier New Voices Fellowship, The Playwrights Realm's Writing Fellowship, and the Philadelphia Adult Grand Slam Poetry Champion. He's the co-founder of The Each-Other Project, an organization that helps build community and provide visibility, through art and advocacy, for LGBTQ+ People of Color. Plays include soft, one in two (The New Group), Fireflies (Atlantic Theater Company), Sugar in Our Wounds (Manhattan Theatre Club, Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Nominations), and The Trade. He's a graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at The Juilliard School. WHITNEY WHITE (Director, soft)is an Obie Award and Lily Award-winning director, writer, and musician originally from Chicago. She is a believer of alternative forms of performance, multi-disciplinary work, and collaborative processes. She is the current recipient of the Susan Stroman Directing Award, is part of the Rolex Protegé and Mentorship Arts Initiative, is an Associate Director at Shakespeare Theater Company and an Associate Artist at The Roundabout. Recent directing: The Amen Corner (Shakespeare Theatre Company), Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (WP Theatre and Second Stage, NYT Critic's Pick), Aleshea Harris'What to Send Up When it Goes Down (The Movement Theatre Company, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, American Repertory Theatre, The Public Theater, NYT Critic's Pick), An Iliad (Long Wharf), Canyon by Jonathan Caren (LA Times Critic's Choice and recipient of the CTG Block Party Grant, IAMA), Jump by Charly Evon Simpson (National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, PlayMakers Rep). Digital projects include: What's Left Burns by James Ijames (Steppenwolf), Finish the Fight by Ming Peiffer (The New York Times, 28K+ viewers), Animals by Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Williamstown Theatre and Audible), and Soft Light by Aleshea Harris (The Movement Theatre Company). Her original musical Definition will debut at the Bushwick Starr in 2021 and her five-part cycle deconstructing Shakespeare's women and female ambition is currently in development with American Repertory Theater (Boston, MA). Past residencies and fellowships: Sundance Theatre Lab, Colt Coeur, The Drama League, Roundabout Theatre Company, and the 2050 Fellowship at the New York Theatre Workshop. MFA Acting: Brown University/Trinity Rep, BA: Northwestern University. AMARA J. BRADY (Playwright, This Is Where We Go; She/Her/Hers) is a generative artist & cultural dramaturg from Chicago. At the crux of her artistry is uplifting Black women and connecting underserved communities to theatrical experiences. Acting: Bernarda's Daughters (The Lark), Annie Golden: Broadway Bounty Hunter (Barrington Stage Co.), NYTW, 54 Below, Joe's Pub & others. She's a member of Iconis & family. Playwriting: Last Ones First (Crux VR in association with Blair Russell Productions); When We Were gods (Blackboard collective + Kervigo Ensemble); Radio Roots Writers Group (The Parsnip Ship); inaugural member of the Showdogs playwriting collective, and a member of SHECreates NYC's Myths and Legends program. Her work has been staged at The Drama League, The Dramatists Guild, Joe's Pub, and The Wow Cafe Theatre. Producing: Theatre Communications Groups National Conference (2019). NYT's Critic Pick, Jillian Walker's SKiNFoLK (Associate Producer). YouTube Series, 'Skinny & White' Aren't Character Traits. In This Paper I'll Explain. Resist, check your privilege, & then give some space to Women of Color & Trans Folx. Ashé to the ancestors. All Power to all people. Website: https://linktr.ee/ajbrady Instagram: @bradynotthebunch JESSIE RIVERA DEBRUIN (Playwright, This Is Where We Go; they/them) is a queer, non-binary, native New Yorker, Latinx playwright, documentary impact producer, and audience engagement strategist. Their work explores themes of queerness, identity, gender, race, diaspora, and family. Their play Luciérnagas was a semi-finalist for the 2019 New Dramatists Princess Grace Award. It was selected to be recorded as part of The Parsnip Ship's fifth season of radio dramas and is currently in development with National Queer Theatre. They are also a member of The Parsnip Ship's inaugural Radio Roots Writers' Group, where their play Happy Birthday Angel Dearest will soon be available to stream. As an Impact Producer they have worked with acclaimed documentaries including Disclosure (Netflix), Trans In Trumpland (Amazon), Bedlam (PBS), and Roll Red Roll (Netflix). They hold a BA from Smith College. GINA FEMIA (Playwright, This Is Where We Go). Gina's work has been seen/developed at MCC Theater, Playwrights Horizons, EST, The Flea, Page 73, CTG, Theater of NOTE, Panndora Productions, among others. Plays include Allond(r)a (2019 Kilroys List, Winner: Leah Ryan Prize, Runner-up, Yale Drama Prize), This Happened Once At The Romance Depot Off The I-87 In Westchester (2019 Kilroys List Honorable Mention), We Are a Masterpiece (Winner: The Doric Wilson Award, Stage Rights publishing), The Mermaids' Parade (Finalist, American Blue Ink Award, Semifinalist, The Relentless Award, Finalist, Princess Grace Award), For The Love Of (Original Works Publishing), and The Violet Sisters (Great Plains Theatre Conference). Gina is the 2020 Otis Guernsey New Voices award winner, a 2019-2022 Core Writer with the Playwrights Center, the 2019 Parity Commission Winner and a 2019-2020 member of Ingram New Plays Lab & Parsnip Ship's Radio Roots writer's group. She is an Alum of EST Youngblood, Page73's Interstate 73, Pipeline Theatre's PlayLab, New Georges' Audrey Residency and Project Y's Writer's Group. Gina's a New Georges Affiliated Artist and has received residencies with Page73, Powerhouse, NTI at the O'Neill, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and Fresh Ground Pepper. MFA, Sarah Lawrence College (Lipkin Prize in Playwriting). NINA KI (Playwright, This Is Where We Go) is a Queerean (Queer + Korean) American playwright who was born and raised in Los Angeles, but currently lives in Brooklyn. She graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2008 with a BFA in Dramatic Writing, and her plays have been read and presented nationwide, including with Queens Theatre, Brave New World Repertory, The Classical Theater of Harlem, The Living Room Theater, the HBMG Foundation, InspiraTO, and Another Country Productions. Her play Taemong (Birth Dream) was a finalist for the Van Lier Fellowship, and recently her play Moon Bear was given special consideration for the Relentless Award. Her work has been published in LGBT Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny, the In Full Color anthology, and YouthPLAYS.To contact her or learn more about her work, please visit her website at www.nina-ki.com. TAMILLA WOODARD (Director, This Is Where We Go; she/her). Recently named one of 50 Women to Watch on Broadway, Tamilla is the co-Artistic Director of Working Theater in New York; the founder of the site specific international partnership, PopUP Theatrics; and the Associate Director of Tony Award-winning Hadestown on Broadway. Prior to joining Working Theater, Tamilla served as the BOLD Associate Artistic Director at WP Theater. Tamilla has directed at theaters nationally and internationally, including at WP Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Classical Theater of Harlem, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts with TheaterWorksUSA, and The Cleveland Public Theatre, among others. Recent highlights include the world premiere of Donetta Lavinia Grays' award-winning Where We Stand at WP Theatre, Caryl Churchill's Top Girls at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater, and the critically acclaimed immersive off-Broadway production of 3/Fifths, by James Scruggs. Currently, Tamilla is represented online with the visionary, interactive digital tour of American Dreams, which she directs and developed with Leila Buck. Her work has been recognized with an Off Broadway Alliance Award and Lucille Lortel Nomination. Tamilla is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, where she also teaches. www.Tamilla.com. |
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