the week of february 21-25, 2022

extremely online and incredibly unhinged

Feb 25, 2022

You’re reading Nothing for the Group, a newsletter where one dramaturg rounds up one week in theatre news, reviews, and takes. If you like this sort of thing:

The Friday weekly round-up is always free — no gods, no masters, no paywalls — but if you’d like to sustain this project (and get access to occasional bonus content), you can upgrade to a paid tier.

If you want to say hi (or send me a press release), you can email me, tweet @halvorsen, or just reply to this email.

Identity Design: Elizabeth Haley Morton || Editorial Support: Rebecca Adelsheim

in-person theatre

The world premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s King James starts performances March 3rd at Steppenwolf. The “intimate exploration of the place that sports occupy in our lives and relationships” is directed by Kenny Leon.
Lindsay Joelle’s TRAYF runs March 1 - April 10 at the Geffen Playhouse. Maggie Burrows directs the 1990s-set road-trip bromance about “the turbulence of youth, the universal suspicion that we don't quite fit in, and the faith and friends that see us through.”
The world premiere of Winter Miller’s When Monica Met Hillary starts performances March 3rd at Miami New Drama. The drama imagines the titular meeting, three decades after the scandal, and is directed by Margot Bordelon.
Emily Mann’s adaptation of Antigone runs March 5 - 27 at Cleveland Play House. The reimagined epic tragedy, directed by Lauren Keating, was originally scheduled as part of the theatre’s 2020 season.

digital theatre

Alexa Derman’s Big Fanfic Piece is now live on Tumblr. The digital theatre piece — “an ode to our weirdo pre-teen selves, the internet, and the thrill of mortification, transformation, and obsession” — features artists performing one-minute dramatic interpretations of Derman’s pre-teen Twilight fanfic author profile and encourages participants to submit their own stories of middle school freakiness in a lo-fi guestbook.
Gabriel Ruiz’s six-part serial audio drama The Fifth World is now streaming at Teatro Vista. Co-directed by Ruiz and Lorena Diaz, the pandemic-set drama about a producer arriving in a small Arizona desert town to investigate a true crime story about a missing child is rooted in Aztec mythology.

2022 season updates

South Coast Rep announced the 2022 Pacific Playwrights Festival line-up. The readings are Spenser Davis’ A Million Tiny Pieces (directed by David Ivers), Naomi Lorrain’s How to Roll a Blunt, Katie Do’s Love You Long Time (Already) (directed by Mei Ann Teo), John J. Caswell Jr.’s Scene Partners, and Michael Shayan’s Avaaz (directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel), along with a full production of Christine Quintana’s Clean/Espejos (directed by Lisa Portes).
Round House Theatre announced the schedule for the inaugural National Capital New Play Festival. The month-long event in April will be headlined by a pair of world premieres, presented in rotating repertory: Charly Evon Simpson’s it’s not a trip it’s a journey (directed by Nicole A. Watson) and Tim J. Lord’s “We declare you a terrorist…” (co-directed by Ryan Rilette and Jared Mezzocchi). The developmental readings include Morgan Gould’s Jennifer, Who is Leaving; Mary Kathryn Nagle’s On the Far End (directed by Laurie Woolery); Mfoniso Udofia’s Adia and Clora Snatch Joy (with music by Nehemiah Luckett); and Marvin González De León’s Madre de Dios (directed by Nadia Guevara).
Manhattan Theatre Club announced the 2022 Ted Snowdon Reading Series line-up. The plays are Jonathan Spector’s This Much I Know (directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel), Sharyn Rothstein’s Declaration of Conscience (directed by Jo Bonney), Vivian J. O. Barnes' Let It Use You and Ife Olujobi's Color Girls (both directed by Taylor Reynolds).
The UK’s National Theatre announced its summer season. The line-up includes Richard Bean and Oliver Chris' Jack Absolute Flies Again (directed by Emily Burns), Much Ado About Nothing (directed by Simon Godwin), and Francesca Martinez's All of Us (directed by Ian Rickson).
The US premiere of Édouard Louis' Who Killed My Father (Qui a tué mon père) debuts at St. Ann’s Warehouse in May. The adaptation of Louis’ book — which features him performing professionally for the first time — is directed by Thomas Ostermeier and produced by Schaubühne Berlin and Théâtre de la Ville Paris.
Berkeley Rep announces a series of changes to its 2022 season. The company will produce Lucas Hnath’s Dana H. and the world premiere of Jocelyn Bioh and Michael Thurber’s musical Goddess (conceived and directed by Saheem Ali). Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band is moving to the 2022-23 season.

making moves

The Long Wharf Theater is moving out of its industrial waterfront space and becoming itinerant. Citing the challenge of “artistic innovation and the desire for deeper community engagement with the ever-increasing costs of maintaining physical venues”, the company will “relocate to a variety of yet-to-be-determined spaces around New Haven as a way of rethinking how a regional theater makes its art.” (I’m thinking about what it means for that production staff.)

the regional theatre game of thrones

Mark Valdez is the next artistic director of Mixed Blood Theatre. The director/playwright/organizer/activist will be the second leader of the Minneapolis new work company, succeeding founder Jack Reuler.
Kyra Sims is the new (and first) co-artistic director of New York Neo-Futurists. Sims, a senior ensemble member, joins current co-artistic director Rob Neill.

that’s not a living wage

Here are this week’s featured underpaid job listings, paired with the living wage for a 40-hour work week for one adult with no children in that area. (You can read more about the methodology here.)

Assistant Company Manager, Paper Mill Playhouse (full-time exempt/”ability to work long hours/weekends”): $36,568
Living Wage for Essex County: $39,030
Expenses (2020): $17.5 million / Executive Compensation: $311,040 (Producing Artistic Director)

Nothing for the Group