the week of february 16 - 22, 2024

white whales and scarlet letters

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Graphic Design: Elizabeth Haley Morton | Editorial Support: Ryan Adelsheim

world premieres

• Kia Corthron’s Tempestuous Elements starts performances February 16th at Arena Stage in DC. Psalmayene 24 directs the dramatization of “M Street School principal Anna Julia Cooper’s fight for her students’ rights to an advanced curriculum.”

• P. Carl’s Becoming A Man runs February 16 - March 10 at A.R.T. in Cambridge, MA. The new work based on Carl’s acclaimed memoir about the “decision to affirm his gender, and how his transition puts everything—family, career, friendships—at stake” is co-directed by Carl and Diane Paulus.

• Anna K. Jacobs and Michael R. Jackson’s Teeth starts previews February 21st at Playwrights Horizons. The coming-of-rage musical comedy “conjuring the legend of one girl whose sexual curse is also her salvation” is directed by Sarah Benson and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly.

• Brendan Pelsue’s adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities starts performances February 21st at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Leora Morris directs the “radical reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic tale of the French Revolution.”

productions

• David Catlin’s adaptation of Moby Dick is now playing at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Originally produced by Lookingglass and Actors Gymnasium in Chicago, “madness, obsession and bloodlust take harrowing flight in a thrilling revision of Melville’s masterpiece.”

• Paula Vogel’s Indecent runs February 16 - March 3 at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, AK. Hannah Wolf directs the “true story of Sholem Asch's controversial play, God of Vengeance, and its journey through censorship and fierce opposition due to its lesbian protagonists.”

• Nathan Alan Davis’ Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea starts performances February 16th at the Peale Museum in Baltimore from Sisters Freehold. The “present-day hero’s quest exploring the lengths and depths we must go to redeem history’s wrongs” is directed by Makeima Elise Freeland.

• David Farr’s adaptation of The Hunt starts performances February 16th at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. Rupert Goold directs the Almeida Theatre production of the “modern-day parable about a quiet teacher facing a devastating accusation against the backdrop of a rural hunting community.”

• Alexis Scheer’s Laughs in Spanish runs February 16 - March 17 at Stages Houston. The Miami-set “fast-paced, cafecito-infused comedy about art and success—and mothers and daughters” is directed by Rebecca Rivas.

• Bill Irwin’s On Beckett starts performances February 17th at The Guthrie in Minneapolis. Irwin conceived and performs the “nonstop display of jovial verbal and physical comedy engaging with Beckett’s undeniably rich language.”

• R. Eric Thomas’ The Folks at Home runs February 20 - March 16 at Indiana Rep in Indianapolis. Reggie D. White directs the “contemporary riff on the beloved family sitcoms of the 70s.” (I also recently finished Thomas’ essay collection Congratulations, The Best is Over! and it’s a delight.)

• Alice Childress’ Wine in the Wilderness starts performances February 20th at Penumbra Theatre in Minneapolis. The “frank portrait of Black women’s identity taking on class, patriarchy, and the artist’s role within the community” is directed by Lou Bellamy.

• Ben Power’s adaptation of Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy runs February 22 - March 24 at Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. Arin Arbus directs the “captivating feat of storytelling examining the double-edged sword of capitalism and personal choices that created the largest financial crisis in U.S. history so far.”

workshops & readings

• The 2024 Roundabout Underground Reading Series runs February 12-16. This year’s line-up includes Dylan Guerra'a The Grief Eater Near North Bender (directed by Dustin Wills), Matthew Libby's Data (co-directed by Adam Coy and Tyne Rafaeli), Alex Lin's Chinese Republicans, Ankita Raturi's No One Plays Badminton in America (directed by Rebecca Wear), and Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke's The Present (directed by Devin E. Haqq).

digital & streaming

• Two River Theater's world premiere of Kate Hamill's The Scarlet Letter will livestream four performances February 16-18. The re-imagining of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel “showcasing the strength of a woman who will not let the rules of an unjust society define her” is directed by Shelley Butler.

• Mint Theater Company's world premiere production of Betty Smith’s Becomes a Woman will stream on demand for free February 19 - March 17. Britt Berke directs the unproduced, unpublished work from the acclaimed author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

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2024-25 season updates

• Milwaukee Rep announced its 2024-25 season. The line-up includes Keith Bunin’s The Coast Starlight (directed by Mark Clements), George Brant’s Marie and Rosetta (directed by E. Faye Butler), Fred Alley and James Kaplan’s Lumberjacks in Love (directed & choreographed by Jeffrey Herbst), Colin Escott & Floyd Mutrux’s Million Dollar Quartet (directed by Laura Braza), Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of The Woman in Black (directed by Robin Herford), Romeo and Juliet (directed by Laura Braza), Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, Christine Quintana’s Espejos: Clean and three world premieres: the musical revue Women of Rock (created by Mark Clements); Sean Hartley, Craig Lucas, & Daniel Messé’s Prelude to a Kiss: The Musical (directed by David Ivers); and Mark Clements and Deanie Vallone’s The Craic (directed by Clements).

• The Fisher Center at Bard announced the 2024 SummerScape line-up. The eight-week festival includes Meyerbeer's Le prophète (directed by Christian Räth) and two world premieres: Elevator Repair Service's Ulysses and Urban Bush Women’s SCAT!