the week of march 14-20, 2025

maine folk heroines, spelling bees, dvd m*met

Lauren Halvorsen

Mar 14, 2025

The Friday weekly round-up is always free, but if you’d like to sustain this project (and get access to occasional bonus content), you can upgrade to a paid tier. (You can also support via Venmo @halvorsen or Paypal.)

To learn more about this newsletter, read the About & FAQ.

To submit a press release or production information, read the submission guidelines.

To say hi, you can email me or follow Nothing for the Group on Instagram.

Graphic Design: Elizabeth Morton | Editorial Support: Ryan Adelsheim

world premieres

Katie Hae Leo’s When You Trap A Tiger runs March 14 - 30 in a co-production between Minneapolis’ Theater Mu and Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins, MN. Emma Y. Lai directs the adaptation of Tae Keller’s Newbery Medal-winning novel “following a girl trying to save her grandmother's life by negotiating with a folkloric tiger.”
The NYTW production of Emil Weinstein’s Becoming Eve starts performances March 19th at Abron Arts Center. Tyne Rafaeli directs the drama about “the child of  a dynastic Hasidic rabbinical family’s revelation of her trans identity  [and its] explosive clash with the strictly gendered world in which she was raised.” (You may recall that Becoming Eve was forced to switch venues after The Connelly Theater’s landlord — The Catholic Archdiocese of New York — objected to the play’s content and themes.)
Joshua William Gelb’s [Untitled Miniature] runs March 18 - 25 in a co-presentation by Theatre in Quarantine and HERE Arts Center in NYC. The hybrid, digital confrontation will chronicle Gelb “trapped naked in a tiny box for 24 non-consecutive hours, pushing the boundaries of, and proximity to, a concept of self-exposure that’s becoming the default extension of our ever more codependent relationship with technology and life online.” (The durational solo performance will also be livestreamed on URHERE.)
Michael Pemberton, Andrea Pemberton, and Jesse Rasmussen’s Professor Woland's Black Magic Rock Show starts performances March 20th at Spooky Action Theater in Washington, DC. The new rock musical about “a band of dissident rock musicians (or perhaps the demonic retinue of Satan himself) visiting 1930s Moscow to expose social climbers, bureaucrats, and profiteers” is directed by Elizabeth Dinkova.

productions

The Almeida Theatre production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is now running through April 6th at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Paul Mescal and Patsy Ferran star in director Rebecca Frecknall’s “empathetic and powerful vision of one of the greatest American plays ever written.”
Neil Blackadder’s translation of Rebekka Kricheldorf’s Testosterone starts performances March 15th at Expats Theatre in Washington, DC. Karin Rosnizeck directs the “sharp social satire exposing the absurdities of toxic masculinity and the pitfalls of privileged do-gooding.”
Rajiv Joseph’s King James starts performances March 18th at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ. Ryan George directs the drama about an unlikely friendship between two basketball superfans.
Randy Baker, Kylos Brannon, Jenny McConnell Frederick, and Jonelle Walker’s Vox Populi: A Psychogeographies Project is now running through August from Rorschach Theatre in Washington, DC. The season-long immersive experience “sends audiences on monthly excursions to lesser-traveled Washington-area sites, unveiling a new chapter in the unfolding narrative.”
Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa starts performances March 19th at Asolo Rep in Sarasota, FL. Joe Dowling directs the “lyrical, effervescent portrait of five fierce sisters holding onto each other through the joys and sorrows in 1930s rural Ireland.”
Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis’s Mrs. Krishnan’s Party runs March 19 - 30 at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, CA. The “immersive adventure where audiences join the preparations for a lively South Indian harvest festival” is presented by New Zealand’s Indian Ink Theatre Company.
Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood starts performances March 19th at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. The “riotous romp through the enchanted forest, where Robin and his lively band of outlaws plot to outwit a greedy prince” is directed by Kate Bergstrom.
Karen Zacarías’ Legacy of Light runs March 19 - April 6 at The McCarter in Princeton, NJ. Sarah Rasmussen directs the “bright and funny new play about life, the universe, and parenthood.”
Kareem Fahmy’s American Fast starts performances March 20th at Theater Alliance in Washington, DC. The “high-stakes, high-speed exploration of faith, family, and the cost of success for a college basketball phenom as March Madness and Ramadan collide” is directed by Reginald L. Douglas.
Cheryl L. West’s Akeelah and the Bee runs March 20 - April 19 at Baltimore Center Stage. Jerrica D. White directs the stage adaptation of the 2006 film about “a passionate young girl navigating the challenges of her Chicago neighborhood while preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.”
debbie tucker green’s hang is now running through March 30th at 1st Stage in Tysons, VA. The “haunting journey through the complexities of justice and human nature” is directed by Deidra LaWan Starnes.
Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog starts performances March 20th at Actor’s Express in Atlanta. Eric J. Little directs the Pulitzer-winning drama about “Lincoln and Booth, two brothers cast in a life of poverty and violence, the legacy of their namesakes on their backs, as they battle more than mere sibling rivalry.”
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is now running through April 5th at Rec Room Arts in Houston. The “searing portrait of a man caught between reality and illusion” is directed by Matt Hune.
Jenny Connell Davis' MATINICUS starts performances March 20th at Penobscot Theater in Bangor, ME. Inspired by the true story of Maine folk heroine Abigail Burgess, Julie Arnold Lisnet directs the drama exploring “community, isolation and resilience in the face of forces far greater than ourselves.”
Gracie Gardner’s Pussy Sludge is now running through April 5th at Facility Theatre in Chicago. The “darkly comic and erotic queer fantasia about a woman leaking crude oil” is directed by Ava Calabrese Grob.

workshops, readings & performance series

Alex Lin’s Let's Ride will have a reading on March 17th as part of Manhattan Theatre Club’s Ted Snowdon Reading Series. Laura Dupper directs the “freewheeling cross-country quest” following “an unjustly fired rideshare driver and a gang of unlikely allies uniting against a powerful tech company.”
Ashwaty Chennat’s little fears runs March 14 - 15 as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut series. The exploration of “our relationships with everyday objects and in turn, the things we can glean about ourselves through them” draws from South Asian music, dance traditions, pantomime, and puppetry.
Courtney Taylor’s revelations from the first and last ever rehearsal of THEY SAY I DID SOMETHING BAD: an unauthorized taylor swift parody musical about the life of the unabomber ted kaczynski presented by the bridgebrook college drama club will have a workshop production March 15 & 16 at The Tank in NYC. Abby Davis directs the “unhinged dramedy about college theatremakers, true crime, and rape culture, also ft. queer romance, musical performances, Ecoterrorist Taylor, and the end of the world.”

digital & streaming

Irish Repertory Theatre’s Beckett Briefs will be available to stream March 16 - 30 from The League of Live Stream Theater. Ciarán O'Reilly directs “three short plays that run the gamut of existence, from birth to the afterlife”: Not I, Play, and Krapp’s Last Tape.

2025-26 season updates

Steppenwolf announced its 2025-26 season. The Chicago ensemble theatre’s line-up includes Rajiv Joseph’s Mr. Wolf (directed by K. Todd Freeman), Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus (directed by Anna D. Shapiro), Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog (directed by Kenny Leon), Mia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can (directed by Amy Morton), and the world premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Windfall (directed by Awoye Timpo).
The Guthrie announced its 2025-26 season. The Minneapolis theatre will produce the world premiere of George Abud’s The Ruins (directed by Osh Ashruf), Amy Herzog's adaptation of A Doll's House (directed by Tracy Brigden), Lavina Jadhwani’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol (directed by Addie Gorlin-Han), Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lauren M. Gunderson's adaptation of Little Women (directed by Jackson Gay), Noël Coward's Private Lives, Eboni Booth’s Primary Trust (directed by Marshall Jones III), Matthew López's Somewhere (directed by Joseph Haj), Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth (directed by Kimberly Senior), and Irene Sankoff and David Hein's musical Come From Away (directed by Kent Gash).
Williamstown Theatre Festival announced three more productions in its 2025 summer season. The newest additions are Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri’s dance piece Many Happy Returns, Ahamefule J. Oluo’s solo musical The Things Around Us, and Late at the Annex, a series of late-night performances by musicians, comedians, and theatre artists.

award season

a.k. payne’s Furlough’s Paradise is the winner of the 2025 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. The $25,000 award is “the largest and oldest award recognizing women+ who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre.” Two special commendations of $10,000 each were also awarded to finalists Haruna Lee’s 49 Days and Else Went’s An Oxford Man.
Furlough’s Paradise premiered at The Alliance in 2024 and starts performances at Geffen Playhouse next month. (Both productions are directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden.)

solidarity report

IATSE and The Atlantic reached a tentative deal after a two-month strike. According to a joint statement, the proposed agreement includes “significant compensation increases including comprehensive benefits that both parties believe reflect the essential contributions of the production crew to Atlantic Theater Company’s success.” If the agreement is ratified by the workers, the Atlantic will become first nonprofit theatre company producing solely Off-Broadway to have a union agreement covering all production classifications.

theatre v. the NEA

The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against the NEA challenging the new anti-trans grant guidelines. The case was filed on behalf of Rhode Island Latino Arts, National Queer Theater, The Theater Offensive, and Theatre Communications Group (TCG).

The lawsuit centers on the new certification requirement forcing artists to attest that they will not “promote gender ideology” in order to apply for funding. The ACLU argues that this is unconstitutional under the First and Fifth Amendments.

One day after the filing, the NEA agreed to remove the certification requirement — but did not agree to remove the new eligibility criteria, under which any projects that appear to “promote gender ideology” will not receive an award. The case is pending.

a-b-c, always be comically embarrassing

Victory Gardens’ Biograph Theater in Chicago will reopen next month…with David Mamet’s Henry Johnson. The newly formed Relentless Theatre Group is staging the drama about “manipulation and ethical ambiguity”, which has not been produced since its 2023 world premiere in Los Angeles. Dennis Zacek, the former artistic director of Victory Gardens who retired in 2010 after 34 years, is an executive producer.

The production is advertised as “a special celebration of [the theatre’s] 50th anniversary.” (Note that Victory Gardens does not currently have an artistic director, permanent staff, or any further producing plans.) But nothing says ‘Victory Gardens’ like platforming a vocal critic of labor strikes!

The Chicago theatre has been dormant since its 2022 implosion, after the board of trustees’ abysmal stewardship and union-busting destroyed the organization. As I wrote in my year-end review:

The dramatic saga of Victory Gardens was a microcosm of every major issue plaguing the American theatre: racism, staff shortages and exhaustion, out-of-control board buffoonery, chaos and lies, local press bias, and the singular challenges faced by Black leaders. The VG staff's unionization efforts were ultimately quashed by the power-drunk board, who seem determined to strip the storied new work theatre for parts like private equity vultures destroying a local newspaper. But the staff's bravery was a beacon and a warning shot to the rest of the field: if theatres won't protect and empower their employees, those workers will organize. Everyone in this industry deserves safety, healthcare, respect, and a living wage.

(Given how this resonates with other stories in this week’s newsletter — I’m not an oracle, I’m just smart enough to always side with workers over management.)

Victory Gardens’ skeletal website still lists diversity as a company value, along with a mission to produce “work that inspires dialogue towards meaningful civic change and creates an inclusive theater experience.”

Obviously, in practice this translates to producing a writer who has compared DEI initiatives to “fascist totalitarianism”, claimed (without evidence) that “teachers are inclined — particularly men, because men are predators — to pedophilia”, and has been spewing transphobic talking points and right-wing conspiracy theories for years.

Victory Gardens is no longer a theatre company. It’s an art installation about institutional failure. All that remains is a hollow stage where "dialogue" means amplifying voices that dehumanize communities the theatre used to uplift. The only meaningful civic change happening here is the transformation of a once-progressive institution into a monument to cultural regression.

Nothing for the Group