William Wharton’s BIRDY

ANTIGONE PROJECT

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

INKY

Parity Plays Reading Series

WP partners with Colt Coeur on their extraordinary annual four-play reading series, Parity Plays, celebrating the work of female and trans writers and directors. Created by WP Lab alum Adrienne Campbell-Holt and Colt Coeur, and now co-curated with WP, the Parity Plays series will appear on the WP Theater stage for the very first time.

Hatef*** 

by Rehana Lew Mirza
Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh
Featuring Jolly Abraham and Sanjit De Silva
Monday, November 13th, 4pm
A local Michigan literary professor, Layla, seeks out a famous Muslim-American novelist, Imran, to find out if he’s an Islamophobe or just a really good lay.

God Said This

by Leah Nanako Winkler
Directed by Morgan Gould
Featuring Jeff Biehl, Satomi Blair, Ako Dachs, Emily Kunkel, Emma Kikue Munson, and Jay Patterson
Thursday, November 16th, 3pm
James seeks redemption when his wife is diagnosed with uterine cancer. John searches for a legacy for his only son.  NYC transplant Hiro struggles to let go of her inherited demons, and Sophie confronts her faith as she comes to terms with death, her own shortcomings and broken dreams. GOD SAID THIS is about five Godless and God-loving people in Lexington, Kentucky who face mortality in very different ways

Perry Street

by Lucy Thurber
Featuring Jennifer Carpenter, Glenn Davis, Amanda Seyfried, Trudie Styler, and Michael Warner
Sunday, November 19th 7pm
Phil and Maggie live a blessed life–they’ve been happily married for years, they have a daughter, Becca, they adore, a traveling companion they enjoy, and more money than they could ever spend. That is until Becca’s new girlfriend, Annabelle, comes to visit and tears their well-curated world apart. PERRY STREET is a dark comic exploration of money, class and art.

Le Jeté

by Catherine Yu
Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt
Featuring Molly Carden, Izzy Castaldi, Lauren Currie Lewis, Lynne Lipton, Eden Marryshow, Kate Cullen Roberts, Brian Wiles, and Tyler Weaks
Monday, November 20th , 7pm
Cate Yu’s unique new play with Baroque opera, Le Jeté, centers around a museum associate who longs to rediscover her love of art while trying to center herself in the chaos that is thrown at her. Through opera, performance art, and Rome she finds her way back to art and the world at large. 

Monica Bill Barnes & Company’s “One Night Only (running as long as we can)”

“A look at the body’s ephemerality through the lens of sports. It should make your head spin in the best of ways!” –The New York Times

What We’re Up Against

“A juicy black comedy!” – Variety

“A swift and merrily vicious kick in the pants!” – Washington Post

“Theresa Rebeck totally and completely nails it in her latest play! A biting, brilliant comedy!” – Houston Chronicle

“Why is it still like this?” Janice sighs to Eliza. It’s 1992, and Eliza is the brainy new recruit at a small-shop architecture firm. But she’s struggling to get a foothold on even the lowest rung of the company ladder, and starts making moves to blow the lid off their pandora’s box of office politics and social maneuvering, in this sharply hilarious black comedy. Rebeck brings her trademark blistering wit to the workplace in this darkly funny and all-too-relevant comedy of gender politics.

WP Theater proudly presents, by special arrangement with Segal NYC Productions, the Off-Broadway premiere of What We’re Up Against from award winning playwright Theresa Rebeck (Mauritus, Seminar, NBC’s “Smash”), directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Dry Land, Empathitrax), starring Skylar Astin (Spring Awakening, “Pitch Perfect”), Marg Helgenberger (The Little Foxes, “CSI”), Jim Parrack (Of Mice and Men, “True Blood”), Krysta Rodriguez (First Date, NBC’s “Smash”), & Damian Young (All My Sons, “House of Cards”).

[PORTO]

“A stealthily ferocious, comfortingly hopeful, very funny new play. An exhortation to get out of your head and live, in thoughtful pursuit of joy.” –The New York Times

“Laugh-out-loud hilarious.” –New York Magazine

“Hugely worth seeing.” Four Stars! A Critics Pick! –Time Out New York

“Magical, mischievous, and just plan hilarious.” –Theatermania

A woman walks into a bar. Her name is Porto. She’s a regular. She likes this bar: serious food, serious wine, serious bartender–a staple in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood (perhaps Bushwick?). Her friends, her wine, and her artisanal snacks are there; her doubts about being a Modern Woman are put on snooze. A handsome stranger walks in and orders something special. Disruption ensues: an upside-down romantic comedy unfolds inside and outside her head. Desires of all kinds are awakened with a ferocious thump. A nice smile is a nice smile, but can we enjoy the sausage once we know how it’s made?

WP Theater teams up with The Bushwick Starr in association with New Georges to present the Off-Broadway debut of the sold-out hit [PORTO] by Kate Benson and directed by WP Theater Lab Alum Lee Sunday Evans, whose last collaboration, the Obie Award-winning A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes, was a smash success at WP in 2015.

[PORTO] was initially produced by WP Theater Lab Alum Rachel Karpf, John Del Gaudio and The Bushwick Starr, where it received its world premiere in their 2016-17 Season.

The 2018 Pipeline Festival

Want to catch the best new work by the most exciting new artists in town? Wondering where to meet the next generation of incredible women and trans theatermakers? Don’t miss WP’s Pipeline Festival, a unique opportunity to see 5 new plays, created by 5 collaborative teams from WP Theater’s celebrated two-year Lab residency.

Don’t miss your chance to say you saw it here first.

WEEK 1: March 29 – 31, 2018

GALATEA or WHATEVER YOU BE

By MJ Kaufman
Directed by Mo Zhou
Produced by Yuvika Tolani

Set Design: Carolyn Mraz
Costume Design: Andrea Hood
Lighting Design: Masha Tsimring
Sound Design: Joanna Lynne Staub

With Hennessy, Esco Jouléy, Eve Lindley, Pooya Mohseni, Bailey Roper, Futaba Shioda, & Morgan Sullivan

A trans love story set against the backdrop of a climate crisis. Loosely based on John Lyly’s 1585 play, Galatea tells the story of two young women from a village threatened with flooding who escape to the nearby woods disguised as boys and fall in love. #GalateaPlay

WEEK 2: April 5 – 7, 2018

THE REVIEW or HOW TO EAT YOUR OPPOSITION

By Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Directed by Melissa Crespo
Produced by Roxanna Barrios

Set Design: Kimie Nishikawa
Costume Design: Lux Haac
Lighting Design: Masha Tsimring
Sound Design: Emily Auciello

With Chaelon Costello, Tia James, Chalia La Tour, & January LaVoy

In the fall of 2001, there’s a marked change in the air of New York City. When a naive yet self-righteous art critic questions an iconic visual artist’s integrity, the stage is set for a sexy, emotional, and intellectual game of football between critic and artist. #TheReviewPlay

WEEK 3: April 12 – 14, 2018

AFLOAT

Music and Lyrics by Zoe Sarnak
Book by Emily Kaczmarek
Directed by Ellie Heyman
Produced by Nidia Medina

Set Design: Kimie Nishikawa
Costume Design: Haydee Zelideth
Lighting Design: Lucrecia Briceno
Sound Design: Joanna Lynne Staub

With Jordon Bolden, Zeniba Britt, AnnEliza Canning-Skinner, Ben Mayne, Max Sheldon, Angela Travino, & Michelle Veintimilla

In a near-future America ravaged by climate change, teenagers Blue, Nico, and Casey steal a boat and set sail. A kinetic musical odyssey about friendship, survival…and the future of civilization. #AfloatMusical

WEEK 4: April 19 – 21, 2018

POWER STRIP

By Sylvia Khoury
Directed by Tyne Rafaeli 
Produced by Laura Ramadei 

Set Design: Kimie Nishikawa
Lighting Design: Masha Tsimring
Sound Design: Joanna Lynne Staub

With May Calamawy, Nikki Massoud, Laith Nakli, Babak Tafti, & Kara Arena

A young woman is tethered to the only power source in a Syrian refugee camp. Caught in a war-torn world, dictated by the needs and expectations of men, she battles for power of her own. #PowerStripPlay

WEEK 5: April 26-28

TWO MILE HOLLOW

By Leah Nanako Winkler
Directed by Morgan Gould
Produced by Sally Cade Holmes

Set Design: Carolyn Mraz
Costume Design: Haydee Antunano
Lighting Design: Lucrecia Briceno
Sound Design: Emily Auciello

With Bjorn DuPaty, Katie Lee Hill, Keren Lugo, Sathya Sridhara, & Jade Wu

When the Donnellys gather to divide their belongings after the sale of their oceanfront mansion, both an internal and literal storm brew. A satirical takedown coupled with moments of disorienting sincerity, Two Mile Hollow explores the age old theater genre of affluent white families retreating to their big houses for a weekend of secrets and fights with brutality, awe and compassion…. only this time, none of the white characters are played by white actors. #TwoMileHollowPlay

@WPTheater #PipelineFestival / #WPLab

The Pipeline Festival

Want to catch the best new work by the most exciting new artists in town? Wondering where to meet the next generation of incredible women and trans theatermakers? Don’t miss WP’s Pipeline Festival, a unique opportunity to see 5 new plays, created by 5 collaborative teams created from WP Theater’s celebrated two-year Lab residency.

Don’t miss your chance to say you saw it here first.

Sundown, Yellow Moon

Critics’ Pick!
“Sundown, Yellow Moon is a quietly perceptive portrait of a family in simmering crisis in a beautifully acted production, featuring piquant, yearning music that is an ideal match for a play that knows the redemptive joy of singing your sorrows and finding the rhymes in a world without reason.”
-Ben Brantley, The New York Times, read the full review here!

“Sundown, Yellow Moon lives in tensions between the dreamy and the ordinary, rendered with aching understatement by an excellent cast”
-Time Out NY

WP Theater joins forces with the acclaimed and adventurous theater company Ars Nova to present the world premiere of award-winning playwright Rachel Bonds’ latest offering, SUNDOWN, YELLOW MOON, featuring music and lyric  from Brooklyn indie-rock duo The Bengsons (Hundred Days) and additional lyrics by Rachel Bonds (Swimmers), and directed by two-time OBIE Award winner Anne Kauffman (The Nether).

While navigating the unsettling waters of young adulthood, twin sisters Ray and Joey return home to find their father in a moment of crisis. Under the cover of late-night, small-town shadows, sleep is elusive, connections are frayed, and the southern summer heat presses in. Sundown, Yellow Moon is an ethereal, honest, funny and sad play about seeing old faces with new eyes, and the liminal space between loss and letting go.

WP Domestic Partner Program

WP Theater’s Domestic Partner Program is focused on providing support to fellow organizations that are developing work by female-identified artists.  Each year, WP Theater will welcome companies into residency at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre, providing them with rehearsal and theater space at a reduced rate, as well as artistic, marketing, ticketing and other institutional support, and present their work to WP audiences.

The program launches in the 2016-2017 season with two unique and innovative companies– contemporary dance company Monica Bill Barnes & Company and PopUp Theatrics.  WP’s partnership with MBB & Co. is the next step in the partnership begun with MBB & CO’s Happy Hour at Gibney Dance last season.  Called “Buster Keaton in Vegas…unapologetically human and refreshingly relatable,” by The New York Times, Monica Bill Barnes & Company brings their physical humor and rigorous live performances to a special series of pilot performances at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre. PopUp Theatrics, who the Huffington Post has said takes “technology to a new level in theater performance” creates site-specific, site-impacting theatrical events in dynamic collaborations with theater artists worldwide.

2016-17 DOMESTIC PARTNERS!

Monica Bill Barnes & Company

The company that made Happy Hour returns, bringing their physical humor and rigorous live performances to WP Theater.  Audiences are invited to a special series of pilot performances where Monica Bill Barnes & Company will test drive new material in a run of fully staged shows that will change with every performance.  There will be movement, there will be a megaphone, and there will be nothing like this anywhere else.

Monica Bill Barnes & Company is a contemporary American dance company that brings dance where it does not belong. They create and produce each work entirely from its own rulebook – dancing to radio interviews on the biggest stages in the world, hosting a weekly show in a crowded office party, or leading a choreographed exercise routine in an art museum. Within each of these new contexts and borrowed environments, they constantly find humor in our awkward, everyday triumphs and failures.

The company consists of a team of collaborators: Artistic Director/Choreographer, Monica Bill Barnes; Associate Artistic Director/Performer, Anna Bass; designers Kelly Hanson (Set/Costume) and Jane Cox (Lighting); and Robbie Saenz de Viteri (Creative Producing Director). Together, this team creates the most unlikely experiences for every kind of audience. MonicaBillBarnes.com @MBBandCo

PopUp Theatric

PopUp Theatrics is a partnership between theatre artists Tamilla Woodard, Ana Margineanu and Peca Stefan.  PopUp Theatrics’ mission is to create site-specific, site-impacting theatrical events in dynamic collaborations with theatre artists worldwide. Since its beginnings in 2011, PopUp Theatrics has produced critically acclaimed, award-winning, globally inclusive, immersive theatre in collaboration with 100+ artists from countries on six continents. Upcoming: Broken City: Wall St, the third and final installment of the Broken City Trilogy, will perform July 2016 in lower Manhattan in collaboration with the UK’s Sign Dance Collective. Later in 2016, New York City will welcome INSIDE. PopUpTheatrics.com @PopUpTheatrics

Dates and more info on all Domestic Partners to come.

Stay tuned for ticket sale and special offer announcements by joining the WP mailing list here.

Stuffed

“STUFFED offers LAUGHS, GENUINE PAIN, and even a bit of INSIGHT… Lampanelli’s comedian-mode storytelling is her STRONGEST, FUNNIEST and MOST AFFECTING WORK.” 
“VERY FUNNY and AFFECTING!”-Hollywood Reporter
“Now that Joan Rivers is gone, no one in comedy is stomping on sensitivities as consistently as Lisa Lampanelli… She built the armor for a stage persona that became famous on comedy roasts, but now she dispenses with the protection, exploring a more vulnerable side in her first foray into the theater, “Stuffed,” a multi-character play that has the feel of a bull session among women with wildly different perspectives.”  —Jason Zinoman,  

A bulimic, a compulsive eater, a confident overweight gal, and a chronically thin chick walk into a play and… what happens next could only be told by comic mastermind Lisa Lampanelli. With signature wit and razor-sharp insight, Lampanelli’s famously irreverent voice comes to the New York stage with Stuffed, bringing together four women’s disparate stories to paint an acerbically witty and ultimately poignant portrait of the insanity of a world that forces women to address hard-hitting issues like: Is eating an ice cream sandwich in the shower an emotionally fulfilling activity? When it comes to blue jeans, should one opt for a camel toe or a muffin top? And the ultimate question: can food and body-image issues ever truly be conquered or are we all just destined to be Stuffed? #StuffedPlay

‘Comedy’s Lovable Queen of Mean,’ Lisa Lampanelli began her career as a journalist for Rolling Stone and other publications. She quickly switched from news to comedy but maintained her keen observational skills. A comic’s comic, of Lampanelli, Jim Carrey has said, “by boldly poking fun at everyone, Lisa releases us from a prison of cultural guilt. She’s more than a standup. She’s a standout.” Howard Stern called her “a true original and a brilliant comedy mind who’ll steal the show every time.” Known for saying things that most people are afraid to think, Lisa Lampanelli’s raunchy, gut-busting performances are wildly popular at theaters across the U.S. and Canada. This equal opportunity offender has had several HBO & Comedy Central Specials, was a cast member on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” is a regular on late night television, and a frequent guest and guest host on Sirius XM satellite radio shows. Having earned two Grammy Award nominations for “Best Comedy Album,” Stuffed is Lampanelli’s first play.

What are people saying about Lisa Lampanelli? The New York Times “Queen of Mean. An equal-opportunity offender.” Read more here.

Get up close and personal with Lisa here in The New York Times and learn more about the inspiration for writing her first play STUFFED.

Dear Elizabeth

“HAUNTING and TARTLY FUNNY… DEAR ELIZABETH is a RARE GIFT!” – The New York Times

“Deeply touching. RADIANT. Heartbreaking. SUPERB PERFORMANCES!” & “Elizabeth Bishop & Robert Lowell have come back to affecting life!” – The Hollywood Reporter

“CAPTIVATING! RAVISHING!” – WNYC

 “1 of 14 REASONS to Go Off-Broadway this Fall!” – Backstage.com

“Dear Elizabeth,” by Sarah Ruhl, proved to be one of THE MOST MOVING and FASCINATING theater pieces I’ve experienced in a very long time.” – The Epoch Times

DEAR ELIZABETH “…should be widely produced and…a staple in theaters around the nation.” – WQXR Operavore

A Play in Letters from Elizabeth Bishop to Robert Lowell and Back Again

Sarah Ruhl, one of the theater’s most celebrated playwrights, teams up with WP Theater to present this New York premiere production. Drawn from the famed correspondence between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell – two of the twentieth century’s most brilliant poets – Dear Elizabeth tells a tale of unconventional friendship and intimacy that spanned thirty years and more than 400 letters, with postmarks from Maine to Key West, from London to South America.

Performed with a rotating cast of the theater community’s most brilliant and beloved performers, don’t miss this insightful and impassioned examination of Bishop and Lowell’s lives, their work, and the true nature of friendship. #DearElizabethPlay

STARRING A BRILLIANT NEW CAST EVERY WEEK

EVERY WEEK IS A NEW EXPERIENCE. COME SEE THEM ALL!

OCTOBER 26 – 31
KATHLEEN CHALFANT, HARRIS YULIN & POLLY NOONAN

NOVEMBER 2 – 7
J. SMITH-CAMERON, JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON & POLLY NOONAN

NOVEMBER 9 – 14
BECKY ANN BAKER, PETER SCOLARI & POLLY NOONAN

NOVEMBER 16 – 21
CHERRY JONES, DAVID AARON BAKER & POLLY NOONAN

NOVEMBER 23 – 28
ELLEN MCLAUGHLIN, RINDE ECKERT & POLLY NOONAN

NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 5
MIA KATIGBAK, POLLY NOONAN & HARRIS YULIN (returning as Robert Lowell)

Download the exciting casts announcements for DEAR ELIZABETH Rotating Cast of Luminaries, Additional Casting Announced and Harris Yulin Returns and joins Mia Katigbak

DEAR ELIZABETH NEWS + MORE

Review: ‘Dear Elizabeth’: A Deep Friendship, Told in Letters, WNYC

Review: Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell: Poetry in Need of Music, WQXR’s OPERAVORE

Go Behind the Scenes: Poet Meets Poet: An Interview With the Artistic Team Behind ‘Dear Elizabeth’, The Huffington Post

BWW Review: Sarah Ruhl’s Touching DEAR ELIZABETH; Friendship Through the Mail, Broadway World

Theater Review: ‘Dear Elizabeth’, The Epoch Times

“I Remember Dreaming About Them,” Says Sarah Ruhl Of the Supposed Soul Mates Who Inspired Her Newest Play,” Playbill

To Do: November 4–November 18, 2015: Twenty-five things to see, hear, watch, and read. – ‘Dear Elizabeth’, New York Magazine

FREE EVENT SERIES: Paul Muldoon and More Set for WP Theater’s ‘DEAR MISS BISHOP’ Poetry Series Alongside DEAR ELIZABETH, Broadway World

‘Dear Elizabeth’ Theater Review, The Hollywood Reporter

Review: In ‘Dear Elizabeth,’ Two Solitary Poets Commune, New York Times

Read more news here!

Ironbound

2016 NOMINATIONS! PLUS archived by The New York Public Library!

CRITICS’ PICK! Martyna Majok’s IRONBOUND IS “VIVID, PERCEPTIVE AND QUIETLY GRIPPING! Directed with economy and delicacy by Daniella Topol.” – New York Times

“Marin Ireland POSITIVELY VIBRATES with the force of will in a STAR PERFORMANCE of beautiful complexity! LIVE-WIRE MAGNETISM by Morgan Spector! VIBRANTLY FUNNY Shiloh Fernandez! The WONDERFULLY TENDER Josiah Bania!” – New York Times

TIME OUT NEW YORK CRITICS’ PICK! 
★★★★ “Tough, Moving and Insightful!“- Time Out New York

“INTRIGUING, STIRRING and INTENSE. The play, like life, isn’t about easy answers.” – New York Daily News

“Marin Ireland demonstrates once again that she’s become one of Theater’s MOST INVALUABLE STAGE PERFORMERS.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Morgan Spector, Josiah Bania, and Shiloh Fernandez make VIVID IMPRESSIONS in their roles.” – The Hollywood Reporter

Starring Josiah Bania (Ironbound at Round House Theatre, Sarah Ruhl’s Three Sisters at Yale Rep), Shiloh Fernandez (“Queen of Carthage,” “Red Riding Hood”), Marin Ireland (Kill Floor, Reasons to Be Pretty) and Drama Desk nominee Morgan Spector (A View From The Bridge, “Boardwalk Empire”)

About IRONBOUND

IRONBOUND wins 2016 Helen Hayes Award!
Winner, National New Play Network Smith Prize
Winner, David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize
Winner, The Global Age Project Prize

“We are not having nice conversation.” – Darja

At a bus stop in a run-down New Jersey town, Darja, a Polish immigrant cleaning lady, is done talking about feelings; it’s time to talk money. Over the course of 20 years, three relationships, and three presidents, Darja negotiates for her future with men who can offer her love or security, but never both. Award-winning playwright Martyna Majok’s Ironbound is a darkly funny, heartbreaking portrait of a woman for whom love is a luxury–and a liability–as she fights to survive in America. #IronboundPlay

GREAT NEWS!

MARTYNA MAJOK has been nominated for the 2016 OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE JOHN GASSNER AWARD for IRONBOUND.

MARIN IRELAND received two nominations for her performance in IRONBOUND:
2016 DRAMA DESK AWARD: OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
2016 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD: DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE AWARD

IRONBOUND was selected by THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY to be recorded LIVE and added to their Theatre on Film and Tape Archive.

Next Step! IRONBOUND will close the 2016-17 Season at City Theatre, Pittsburgh. Read more here at Broadway World.

The 2016 Pipeline Festival

The Pipeline Festival showcases the work of the celebrated WP Lab, a two-year artistic residency for exceptional playwrights, directors, and producers. In its inaugural year, the 2016 Pipeline Festival provides a unique opportunity for audiences and industry to access five new plays at various stages of development, ranging from staged readings to full-length workshop productions. The Festival, true to its name, will serve as a pipeline to funnel talented female artists and their work to the forefront of American theater.

WEEK 1: March 24 – 26

CYGNUS

An inexplicable and life-altering event sends Cydney on a search for a divine solution to her earthly problems.

By Susan Soon He Stanton
Directed by Danya Taymor
Produced by Liz Olson

Starring Damon Daunno, Teresa Avia Lim, Kate Rigg

Cydney believes an angel rescued her from an ineffable trauma, and the truth may prove stranger than she imagines. In this mythic, hilarious, and poetic new play, Susan Soon He Stanton spins a dark fairy tale where a burnt feather may illuminate the possibility of a divine intervention. #CygnusPlay

WEEK 2: March 31 – April 2

VEIL’D 

Not every fairy tale has sunshine.

By Monet Hurst-Mendoza
Directed by Sarah Krohn
Produced by Kristen Luciani

Starring Dahlia Azama, Purva Bedi, Tommy Crawford, Dariush Kashani, Matthew Van Oss

16-year old Dima has a rare skin allergy that compels her to hide behind her mother’s old burqa. Her parents worry she’s lonely and wish they could give her the perfect American upbringing they imagined when they left Afghanistan. But they don’t know about Dima’s secret friends: Elliot, a self-described beatnik who spends his days hawking poems on the street corner below her window, and a talking nurse shark named Speedo. With a little encouragement from her fairy god-shark, Dima and Elliot’s relationship begins to blossom–but can Dima really expect a happy ending? #VeildPlay

WEEK 3: April 7 – April 9

KINGS

By Sarah Burgess
Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt
Produced by Pearl Hodiwala

Starring Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Jessica Love, Larry Pine, Charles Socarides

A first term congresswoman worries for the state of our republic when she experiences Washington’s political fundraising apparatus up close. When she doesn’t play along with lobbyists, her numbers suffer, and her party tries to push her aside. Tries. #KingsPlay

WEEK 4: April 14 – April 16

THE RUG DEALER

“I’m mad to be a woman running this rug business…but sometimes the right person comes along for the right rug and the match is magic.”

By Riti Sachdeva
Directed by Lee Sunday Evans
Produced by Rachel Sussman

Starring Farah Bala, Soraya Broukhim, Edward Hajj, Rita Wolf

When Raba Zacharai suddenly passes away, his daughter Shiraz inherits the prominent Persian rug shop he built in New Haven after leaving Iran in 1979. After diving into a love affair with a dangerously beautiful customer and discovering her mother’s secret longing to return to her homeland after years in exile, Shiraz must negotiate the costly business of carpets, family, duty, and desire. #RugDealerPlay

WEEK 5: April 21 – April 23

QUEENS

The award-winning playwright Martyna Majok unveils her latest work for Pipeline Festival audiences.

By Martyna Majok
Directed by Tamilla Woodard
Produced by Rachel Karpf Reidy

Starring Sofiya Akilova, Paola Lázaro, Marjan Neshat, Amanda Quaid, Ana Reeder, Andrea Syglowski

Martyna Majok, author of WP’s recent hit IRONBOUND, continues her exploration of the people on the fringes of society through a fierce and funny new play about immigrant women seeking more than the American Dream. Don’t miss this chance to see this award-winning playwright’s newest work in its earliest stages! #QueensPlay

FREE EVENTS: THE PIPELINE TO THE PIPELINE SERIES

SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 4-6PM
The Bechdel Project Happy Hour

Bechdel Project invites you to celebrate our friends at Women’s Project Theater and their first-ever Pipeline Festival with a Bechdel Project Happy Hour on Saturday, April 9th from 4-6 PM! Join us for drinks, pies, Bechdel test trivia games and lively discussion. First 30 people in the door get a free slice of pie! This Pipeline Festival event is sponsored by Dirty Socks Winery, Greenpoint Beer and Ale and New York Distilling Company. Pies provided by Pie, Pint & Play and Pie Birds started by actress / NY Times recommended baker Jessica Giannone.

@WomensProject #PipelineFestival / #WPLab

Photographs by Eric T. Michelson Photography
Video by Eric Pearson & Bajan Brownstone | Music for video by herMajestyNYC

ARCHER ROOSE | Official Wine Sponsor

Monica Bill Barnes & Company: Happy Hour

“Like all good happy hours, this one has plentiful munchies and libations. And like the best ones, it offers abundant laughter.” – The New York Times

“Happy Hour breaks all the rules of theater… it offers not merely terrific entertainment, but more than a measure of poignancy, a sense of loss even amid the fun-and-games.” – DC Metro

Returning to Gibney Dance Center this spring after a sold-out run in 2015. Every Wednesday. After Work. Starting April 20th.

Host Robbie Saenz de Viteri turns a downtown dance studio into an after-work office party complete with wall-to-wall carpeting, karaoke and dollar store decorations. Dressed in a pair of everyday men’s suits, performers Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass crash the party playing two totally familiar guys who go to great lengths to win over the crowd. Every desperate attempt reveals how hilariously unsuited they are for these roles that they insist on playing. Come for the free drink, stay for the hope of a life-changing experience.

Photography by Mallory Lynn

Happy Hour is made possible through the generous support of The Mertz Gilmore Foundation. Happy Hour is supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, by the NY State Council on the Arts with the support of Governer Andrew Cuomo and the NY State Legislature, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Undeniable Sound of Right Now

“FLAWLESS”, “Engaging”, “Superbly Acted”, “Sexy” & “Moving”

“A ‘CHERRY ORCHARD‘ for the indie-rock crowd.” – The New Yorker

“Being legendary? Good. Being relevant? PRICELESS.” – The Daily News

“BRILLIANT“, “Evocative”, “Adroit”, “Funny”, “Pitch Perfect”, “Poignant”, & “Wrenching” – NY Theater Guide

“…LONG LIVE HANK’S BAR and all of the other places of historic value taken from us before their time.“  – Theatermania

It’s 1992. Chicago. Hank is struggling to keep his legendary rock club going amid changing times and changing tastes. But when his beloved daughter, Lena, starts dating a rising star DJ, Hank must contend with the destructive power of the Next Big Thing.

Fresh from last year’s Off-Broadway hit Sex with Strangers, playwright and screenwriter Laura Eason (House of Cards) teams up with acclaimed director Kirsten Kelly (Slipping) for her return to the New York stage. Like a blast of feedback from a Fender amp, THE UNDENIABLE SOUND OF RIGHT NOW brings to hilarious and heartbreaking life the moment when Kurt and Courtney ruled, but Moby was just around the corner…

Join the conversation on Twitter @WomensProject #USORN #TheUndeniableSound

Bright Half Life

CRITICS’ PICK
“Romantic! Virtuosic! For sheer loveliness, you won’t surpass Tanya Barfield’s
exquisite BRIGHT HALF LIFE.” – Time Out New York

“BRIGHT HALF LIFE is profound – a well-written, engaging portrayal of smart women finding themselves, and each other.” – The New Yorker

“Under Leigh Silverman’s expert direction, Ms. Barfield’s variegated BRIGHT HALF LIFE shows the volatility in a long-term partnership, the joy and desolation, the hurt and help – all intermingled, all at once.” – The New York Times

“BRIGHT HALF LIFE is the rare play you actually wish went on longer…the actresses’ easy rapport seems comfortable and real – like the best love stories.” – New York Post

Erica meets Vicky.  Vicky marries Erica. Lives collide.  Rewind.  Pause.  Fast forward.

BRIGHT HALF LIFE is a new play by Pulitzer Prize nominee Tanya Barfield and directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman. Starring Rebecca Henderson (Appropriate Behavior) and Rachael Holmes (Ruined), the play is a moving love story that spans decades in an instance from marriage, children, skydiving and the infinite moments that make a life together.

Learn more about BRIGHT HALF LIFE
Tanya Barfield’s Bright Half Life Brings Stellar Romance Off-Broadway, Starting Tonight, Playbill.com
Tanya Barfield: On the Space-Time Continuum, The Brooklyn Rail
The Cast and Creative Team of Bright Half Life Discuss Tanya Barfield’s New Play, Theatermania
Photo Flash: In Rehearsal with Bright Half Life at Women’s Project Theater, BroadwayWorld.com
Tanya Barfield’s Bright Half Life, starring Rebecca Henderson and Rachael Holmes will premiere Off-Broadway, Broadway.com

BRIGHT HALF LIFE marks the fifth collaboration between Barfield and Silverman, whose work on last season’s Violet earned Tony Award nominations for Best Direction and Best Musical Revival. The duo recently partnered on the critically acclaimed plays The Call and Blue Door, earning Barfield a nomination for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize. BRIGHT HALF LIFE was developed during a residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference in 2014 (Preston Whiteway – Executive Director; Wendy C. Goldberg – Artistic Director).

Join the conversation on Twitter @WomensProject #BrightHalfLife

A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes

2x OBIE AWARD WINNER!

CRITICS’ PICK – Time Out New York

“HIGHBROW & BRILLIANT” – New York Magazine

For those of you just tuning in, Thanksgiving is already in progress here at Wembly kitchen. The stands are nice and full; it’s quite a crowd that’s gathered. They’re in for a real treat.

“Ms. Benson, the playwright, is fearless and remarkably assured in this dizzyingly entertaining work. The direction of Ms. Evans unfurls with wit and verve, conjuring the story — the preparation and serving of a gigantic family dinner — without so much as a salad plate in sight.”  – The New York Times

Join the conversation on Twitter @WomensProject #GreatLakes

When January Feels Like Summer

“An ENGAGING, buoyantly acted romantic COMEDY! Under the superbly judged direction of Daniella Topol, the actors embody them with both liveliness and sensitivity.”
– The New York Times Critics’ Pick (Read the full review)

“The entire cast of this ultimately very FUNNY and MOVING play, directed by Daniella Topol, is topnotch!” – The New Yorker

“A grown-up NYC-set fairy tale laden with symbolism that rarely goes where you expect – which keeps it ENGAGING!” – Time Out New York

“A cast that makes the dialogue sing!” – New York Post

Presided over by the Hindu god Ganesh, a pair of teenagers become unexpected avengers, an immigrant accountant finds his inner Indira, and two stifled romantics begin to stumble toward each other during one strangely warm winter in Central Harlem where change (climate and otherwise) hangs in the air.

Join the conversation on Twitter @WomensProject @corithyme

Girls Just Wanna Have Fund$

This world premiere, site-specific production on the theme of women and wealth (or the lack thereof) was commissioned by arts>World Financial Center, created by members of WP’s Labs, and presented for 13 free performances at the World Financial Center from May 16-19, 2007. The production included the following shorts:

Keep the Change by Joy Tomasko and Christina Gorman, directed by May Adrales, produced by Maria Goyanes & Karen Grenke
I Want What You Have by Saviana Stanescu, directed by Gia Forakis, produced by Leigh Goldenberg
Dime Show By Molly Rice, directed by May Adrales, produced by Karen Grenke
Remembrance by Katori Hall, directed by Jyana Gregory, produced by Linda Powell
A Peddler’s Tale: Buttons, Guts, and Bluetooth by Andrea Lepcio, directed by Kim Weild, produced by Patricia McNamara & Amy Kaissar
Song by Addie Brownlee, produced by Maria Goyanes

Global Cooling: The Women Chill

Global warming–do you find it chilling? Let the artists of the Women’s Project Lab lead you on a journey through the World Financial Center.  GLOBAL COOLING: THE WOMEN CHILL explores environmental awareness through six short theater pieces (described below) that use spoken word, song, dance, yoga, and re-purposed garbage. In Green We Trust!

MUDDY THE WATERS
by Charity Henson-Ballard, directed by Heidi Carlsen, produced by Aimee Davis
Three little girls on their corner stoop school us through this fun and rhythmic dialogue about the socio-environmental politics of NYC, exploring how we are all connected through our garbage, water and sewer systems.

THE CHORUS OF LOST PLACES
by Lynn Rosen, directed by Susanna Gellert, produced by Marissa Rosenblum
A chorus sings well-known songs celebrating America with a slight change of lyrics.

MOTHER EARTH
by Bekah Brunstetter, directed by Meiyin Wang, produced by Megan E. Carter
Mother Earth–assisted by the Sun, a Cloud, and a Volcano–has set up a Help Desk to answer all of your questions.

PLACE REIMAGINED
by Alexis Clements, choreographed by Elizabeth Montgomery, produced by Diane Alianiello
Just outside the window, just beyond your cube, the river flows, trees sway, gardens grow on trash heaps. Tiny escapes, flashes of a secret garden, of new possibilities, lie just beyond your walls.

MOMENT OF ZEN
by Crystal Skillman, directed by Linsay Firman, produced by Amanda Feldman
When a woman questions where her coffee cup really goes when she throws it out, her fears mount into a comic rant that threatens our collective ability to find serenity.

BEAR MARKET
by Kara Manning, directed by Wendy McClellan & Donya K. Washington, produced by Diane Alianiello
As recession anxiety prevails and greenhouse gas emissions create climatic chaos, a couple of misplaced friends ponder their precarious future as the stock market slides and the ice melts.

THE FINALE
directed by Wendy McClellan & Donya K. Washington, produced by Diane Alianiello
World Financial Center’s Busby Berkeley moment.

— Plus —

GLOBAL COOLING: THE WOMEN CHILL MEDIA INSTALLATION
May 22 through June 6
by Andrea Thome, produced by Amanda Feldman
Featuring interviews about environmental conditions with artists around the world, including Catherine Leger (Montreal, Canada), Mihaela Michailov (Bucharest, Romania), Swati Gupta (Delhi, India), Veru Narula (Punjab, India),
Viviana Stuardo (Santiago, Chile), Aroosha Rana (Jakarta, Indonesia), Paola Izquierdo (Mexico City, Mexico), and Veronica Bujeiro (Mexico City, Mexico). Video edited by Ancil McKain.

GLOBAL COOLING: THE WOMEN CHILL VISUAL ART INSTALLATION
May 22 through June 6
by Annie Boyden Varnot, produced by Allegra Schorr
Featuring sculptures and biomorphic forms created of everyday objects.

Corporate Carnival

Frrreaks, wonders and curiosities! Ladies and Gentlemen, step right up to the greatest sideshow on earth in the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center. Be amazed by our incredible feats of balance and strength as we juggle hedge funds, jump through hoops, and climb the corporate ladder. Don’t’ miss this wonderfully wacky, theatrical mix of P.T. Barunum, Sarbanes-Oxley and Dow Jones! 

WP’s second annual, site-specific world premiere, produced in collaboration with arts>World Financial Center

Crooked

Fourteen-year-old Laney is an inspiring writer with an imagination as off-kilter as her awkward adolescence. When she befriends the earnest, but hapless born-again Maribel, Laney’s penchant for storytelling spirals out of control. The girls and Laney’s mother grapple with matters of faith, fantasy, and the flesh, and discover that divine and earthly love may not be so far apart.

“Funny, Smart and Engrossing. CROOKED is the work of a big accomplished writer’s voice. This terrifically acted production makes it a gem of a discovery.”–Caryn James, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Smart and Sensitive. CROOKED is impeccably cast.”- Marilyn Stasio, VARIETY

“Catherine Trieschmann’s deft writing, Liz Diamond’s skillful direction and the nuanced performances of all three actresses give impassioned life to CROOKED.” – Jennifer Farrar, ASSOCIATED PRESS

“Run, don’t walk, to CROOKED.” – Russell M. Kaplan, NYTheatre.com