Theatre Alliance's 12th Season to Include World Premieres, Readings, and More

Theater Alliance announces its 12th Season with a lineup of three world premieres by award-winning playwrights, the return of the holiday classic Black Nativity, and the third annual Hothouse reading series that will develop four new pieces from DC based playwrights.

The mission of Theater Alliance is to develop, produce, and present socially-conscious thought-provoking work that fully engages with our community in active dialogue. Season 12 passionately pursues the accomplishment of that mission. The season launches in September with the World Premiere of Spark by Obie award-winning playwright Caridad Svich. In the holiday season, the company will present a revival of Langston Hughes' Black Nativity, returning after a two year hiatus and for the first time produced at the Anacostia Playhouse. In the spring, the season continues with Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea by Lorraine Hansberry award-winning playwright Nathan Davis, part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The main stage season concludes with the World Premiere of Occupied Territories, a modern adaptation of Seneca's Trojan Women, developed by director Molye Maxner and written by award winning poet and playwright Matthew Buckley Smith. Throughout the season, Theater Alliance will work with playwrights Kathleen Ackerley, Katherine Clair, Terrence Chisolm, and Bob Bartlett in the Third Annual Hothouse, a program that engages DC Metro area playwrights to develop new works.

"This season promises to be one of our most artistically exciting," says Producing Artistic Director Colin Hovde. "The amount of work that we had committed to this year is truly a bold step forward for the company. With World Premieres, Commissions, new work in development and re-imagining pieces that we have produced before. Every production and event in Season 12 will be an exciting journey."

The announcement of Season 12 comes with the equally exciting announcement that Theater Alliance will offer Subscription Flex-Passes. The subscription for Season 12 provides the maximum flexibility to audience members to participate in the season at their convenience and at a substantial discount to the price for individual tickets. Subscriptions and individual tickets can be purchased at www.theateralliance.com

Theater Alliance has moved into new offices in the Anacostia Playhouse and will be producing all four main stage productions in Season 12 at the new facility East of the River. The Playhouse's location, with its public transportation access, ample free parking, nearby restaurants and short drive from Capitol Hill make it an excellent venue easily reached by theater-goers from all parts of the DC Metro area.

SPARK

By Caridad Svich

Directed by Colin Hovde

WORLD PRIEMERE

September 4 - September 28

Anacostia Playhouse

SPARK is a gritty, powerful drama that tells the story of a veteran returning from war, her family, and their ongoing battle to overcome economic challenges, emotional conflict, and the spectre of war that haunts them. Spark also opens a deeper dialogue about a society's responsibility to address our veteran's physical, emotional, and mental needs and break the cycle of abandonment in families.

"We have seen Chekov explore three strong women. But in Caridad's piece we have three strong sisters that are fiercely fighting to find a way to keep their family together." Says Colin Hovde. "When I first read Spark I was taken aback by the raw honesty of all the characters and the beautiful poetry that is woven in with their natural speech patterns. Spark is about so much that is going on in America right now; poverty, unemployment, the health of our returning soldiers, and a cycle of abandonment that can break a family. At its core it is about how we love each other and what we must go through to find our way to salvation."

BLACK NATIVITY
by Langston Hughes

Director Eric Ruffin

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

December 8, 2014 - January 4, 2015

Anacostia Playhouse

Langston Hughes' retelling of the Christmas story from an Afro-centric perspective, infused with rich gospel, blues, funk, jazz music and dance with griot style story telling from an ensemble cast. Puts a different look on a traditional story that highlights issues of political oppression, economic disparity, and the hope for the future that comes with perseverance and positivity.

"Black Nativity was the first show I produced at Theater Alliance in 2011," Hovde says, "and I remember the awe as we opened the show. The sheer beauty and power of the gospel music was overwhelming and I was taken by the production. I am thrilled that we are able to bring this piece back to Theater Alliance audiences and especially thrilled that Eric Ruffin has signed on to direct this fresh production for Season 12."

DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA

By Nathan Davis

Directed by Timothy Douglas

NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK ROLLING WORLD PRIEMERE

May 6 - May 31

Anacostia Playhouse

This is Dontrell. Young, smart, and talented. He has his whole life ahead of him, but there's one small catch. Dontrell is on a quest to swim out into the Atlantic to discover his family's past before he can move forward and begin the next phase of his life. With the help of Erika, a young lifeguard, Dontrell will begin his quest.

Directed by Timothy Douglas, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea blends rhythm, harmony, and movement into one young man's journey to everything he's ever sought.

"Nathan Davis is a special voice in the American theater," says Artistic Director Colin Hovde, "His work on Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea is nothing short of masterly. Such a young playwright having a strong and vital voice is inspiring as to what he can offer for the American theater. I saw a reading of Dontrell at the National New Play Network showcase in San Diego and immediately fell in the love with the piece and the way that Nathan weaves poetry and imagery. We at Theater Alliance are thrilled to be a part of the Continued Life Rolling World Premiere with Cleveland Public Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, and Skylight Theatre."

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

From Seneca's TROJAN WOMEN

Adapted by Matthew Buckley Smith

Conceived and Directed by Mollye Maxner

Choreographed by Kelly Maxner

WORLD PRIEMERE

June 10 - July 5

Anacostia Playhouse

This is the story of soldiers living before us - the story of Seneca's Trojan Women - and facing the breaks and cracks within themselves by the actions that war forces them to perpetrate. It exposes the world where God betrays Man, Man betrays Man...the breaking of belief. Occupied Territories blurs the lines between Man and Woman, victim and aggressor, and unleashes the heart of soldiers facing head on their actions.

"Mollye's concept for Occupied Territories is a dynamic and powerful approach to a piece that we all know. Seneca's Trojan Women was itself an adaptation, and Occupied Territories will be a modern take on that adaptation with a whole new twist that explores understanding and compassion and digs deep into what soldiers go through and how we create a better sense of understanding." Says Colin Hovde

HOTHOUSE READING SERIES

February 2, 9, 16, 23

Kathleen Akerley
Bob Bartlett
Tearrance Chisholm
Katherine Clair

Over the course of Season 12 these three strong DC based voices will be working with Theater Alliance on new materials, and you will get an inside look at the vibrant work coming from these playwrights

"These dynamic DC based playwrights are taking bold risks with their work and we look forward to challenging them further and helping them develop their newest works."

Subscriptions
All subscriptions for Theater Alliance are Flexible Passes. Flex-Pass allows patrons to choose how they wish to use their tickets in the way that best fits their interest and schedule, for example: 1 ticket for each of the four main - stage productions or 4 tickets to one production.

Subscriptions are available and may be purchased online at www.theateralliance.com, through the Office at 202-241-2539, or email us at info@theateralliance.com. Single tickets will go on sale on July 1, 2014.

Theater Alliance develops, produces, and presents socially conscious, thought-provoking work that fully engages our community in active dialogue. Theater Alliance was founded with the distinct goal of producing work that would illuminate the experiences, philosophies and interests of DC's diverse populations. Each season, we produce three to four plays including world, American and Washington DC premieres. Theater Alliance has been recognized for its artistry with 23 Helen Hayes nominations. Theater Alliance is a member of the League of Washington Theaters, The Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, CHAMPS, Cultural Tourism DC, and is an Associate Member of The National New Play Network.

Visit www.theateralliance.com for more information.