the week of may 9-13, 2022
"a strange loop: confirmed top"
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call for submissions: bills, bills, bills
Thank you so much for the positive response to last week’s announcement of the upcoming monthly feature Bills, Bills, Bills. Jenna and I were floored by the number of submissions. We’re still accepting applicants through May 20th:
I’m so grateful for every applicant’s generosity and transparency — and I’m completely infuriated by so many of these salaries. We received submissions of barely livable wages across a wide swath of theatrical disciplines, geographic regions, and economic circumstances. I know most organizations are grappling with impossible finances, but I hope this feature humanizes this issue for leaders. The theatre industry will be languishing in perma-aspirational mode unless companies figure out fair and sustainable compensation models.
in-person theatre
The world premiere of Paola Lázaro’s There’s Always the Hudson is now playing at Woolly Mammoth through June 5th. Jess McLeod directs the “unflinching look at confronting trauma, and how the bonds with our chosen family can carry us through.”
Alison Leiby's Oh God, A Show About Abortion is now playing at the Cherry Lane through June 4th. The comedic solo show — in which Leiby tells the story of “two root canals, a very scary trip to the ‘Fertility’ section of a Missouri CVS, and a dozen meltdowns about what you wear to your abortion” — is directed by Lila Neugebauer and presented by Ilana Glazer.
Charly Evon Simpson’s I'm Back Now and Jessica Dickey’s Ghost Tour will have staged readings on May 14th as part of Cleveland Play House’s New Ground Festival. Stori Ayers directs Simpson’s “poignant family drama that transcends time and space, weaving together three generations of one Black family in a deeply felt meditation on the histories we carry.” (The play will have its world premiere at CPH in February 2023.) Dickey’s “humorous and intimate solo show that delves deep into what haunts us — things both spectral, and devastatingly human” is directing by outgoing artistic director Laura Kepley.
City Theatre’s Momentum Festival of New Plays returns May 16-21. The Pittsburgh theatre’s line-up includes readings of Ty Greenwood’s Dependency (directed by Monteze Freeland), Lia Romeo’s Yoga with Jillian (directed by Andrew W. Smith), and Clare Drobot’s Keyword:Wander (directed by Rebecca Wahls).
Mara Vélez Meléndez’s Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board Members starts previews May 17th at Soho Rep in partnership with The Sol Project. The drag show about decolonizing places and people is directed by David Mendizábal.
The US premiere of Édouard Louis' Who Killed My Father (Qui a tué mon père) runs May 18 - June 5 at St. Ann’s Warehouse. Written and performed by Louis, the autobiographical play examines “the surprising bridge formed between a queer son and his working-class father” and is directed by Thomas Ostermeier.
Mara Nelson-Greenberg’s Do You Feel Anger? starts performances May 18th at DC’s Theater Alliance. The “outrageous comedy about the absurdity—and the danger—of a world where some people’s feelings matter more than others” is directed by Kelly Colburn.
Brian Watkins’ Epiphany starts performances May 19th at Lincoln Center. Tyne Rafaeli directs the new play about “old friends trying to resuscitate a forgotten tradition, only to find themselves craving answers when the guest of honor is unusually late”, which originally premiered at Ireland’s Druid Theatre in 2019.
Trish Harnetiaux’s California runs May 20 - 31 as a part of Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks. Will Davis directs the dark comedy about a family road trip that takes an unexpected, reality-splitting turn.
The NNPN rolling world premiere of Stephen Kaplan’s Tracy Jones starts performances at Michigan’s Williamston Theatre on May 21st. The comic farce about the titular character “throwing a party to which she's invited every woman in the world who is also named Tracy Jones” is directed by Tony Caselli.
digital theatre
Jen Silverman’s new narrative podcast The Miranda Obsession is now available from Audible. The “thrilling tale of intimacy and self-invention inspired by one of Hollywood’s most alluring stories of the 1980s” has an A+ cast: Rachel Brosnahan, Josh Groban, John Benjamin Hickey, Harry Lloyd, Morgan Spector, and Milo Ventimiglia.
TheaterWorks Hartford’s New Work Festival takes place in-person and online May 16–22. Readings available to stream on demand include James Anthony Tyler’s The Drop Off (directed by Shariffa Ali), Melissa Crespo & Sarah Saltwick’s Egress (directed by Caitlin Sullivan), and Terry Guest’s Andy Warhol Presents: the Cocaine Play (directed by Mikael Burke). Michael Barakiva will direct an in-person-only reading of Brooke Berman’s Dearly Beloved on May 21st.
2022-23 season updates
New York Stage and Film announced its 2022 season. The summer line-up includes:
Three new play workshops: Don Nguyen's The World Is Not Silent (directed by Marya Mazor), Eric Lockley’s Sweet Chariot (directed by Shariffa Chelimo Ali), and Julia Doolittle's Tell Them I'm Still Young (directed by May Adrales)
Three new musical workshops: Keenan Scott II and Scott and Tre Matthew’s The Return of Young Boy (directed by Steve H. Broadnax III), César Alvarez's The Potluck (directed by Sarah Benson), and Deborah Cowell and Katie Madison’s Sun Songs
Six new play readings: Diana Burbano's NUESTRO PLANETA: A Colombia Project (devised and to be directed by Elisa Bocanegra), Lily Houghton's My Brother Is Better at Love Than Me (directed by Leigh Silverman), a new play by Josh Radnor (directed by Sheryl Kaller), Keelay Gipson's demons (directed by Steph Paul), Preston Max Allen’s Modern Gentleman, and Anna Deavere Smith's Love All (directed by Marc Bruni).
Artists Repertory Theatre announced its 2022-23 season. The Portland theatre’s line-up includes Tony Meneses’ The Hombres; Christina Anderson’s the ripple, the wave that carried me home (co-pro with Portland Center Stage); E.M. Lewis’ True Story; and the rolling world premiere of Kareem Fahmy’s American Fast.
award season
James Ijames’ Fat Ham won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Fat Ham premiered digitally last year at the Wilma Theater, where Ijames is currently lead artistic director. (One of the best parts about Ijames’ win is seeing the Philly theatre community absolutely combust with pride.) In a fortuitous feat of scheduling, Fat Ham also started previews last night at the Public in a co-pro with the National Black Theatre. The other two Pulitzer finalists were Sylvia Khoury’s Selling Kabul and Kristina Wong’s Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord.
The Tony Award nominations were announced. A Strange Loop received 11 nominations and I hope it sweeps the whole damn ceremony. I also hope the person running the production’s social media receives a raise for this:
Paradise Square and MJ: The Musical followed with 10 nominations each; on the play side, The Lehman Trilogy received eight. My only other informed takes — besides feeling a lot of joy seeing people I’ve worked with recognized for their genius — are 1) there needs to be categories for Best Ensemble already and 2) Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over was stunning when I saw it at LCT3 and it’s a real shame that the production was completely shut out.
the regional theatre game of thrones
Jonathan Berry is the new artistic director of Penobscot Theatre Company. The Chicago-based director was previously the artistic producer at Steppenwolf and will succeed Bari Newport, who led the Bangor, ME company for nine years before joining GableStage in Miami last spring.
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 and the most recently available 990 data. (You can read more about the methodology here.)
Marketing Associate, Atlantic Theater Company: $40,000
Living Wage for New York, NY: $56,718
Total Expenses (2020): $11.7 million / Revenue Less Expenses: $-1.44 million
Executive Compensation: $233,640 (Managing Director) / $214,169 (Artistic Director)
i’m an influencer now
I’m not seeing John Proctor is the Villain until next week because I’m waiting to go with a friend of mine. (The last time I was at Studio was two years ago when I was cleaning out my desk post-layoff. I’m a textbook Cancer — perpetually in my feelings; staring at full moons; keeping a mental card catalog of every injustice, large and small — and I’ll probably have E•MO•TIONS being back in that building so I’m not doing it alone!) Dramaturgs do not get into this business for the glory of recognition, but it’s so rewarding to hear from friends and strangers about how much they love this play and production. (You know who else loved it? The Washington Post. You should probably just program it for your 2023-24 season now.)
the cancer to dramaturg pipeline is a real thing