Atlantic Theater Company Announces New Season, Including New Musical by Lynn Nottage, Duncan Sheik, and Susan Birkenhead

By: May. 17, 2018
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Atlantic Theater Company Announces New Season, Including New Musical by Lynn Nottage, Duncan Sheik, and Susan Birkenhead Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director, Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) has announced its 2018-2019 season productions, including a new musical by Lynn Nottage and Duncan Sheik.

Atlantic's 2018-2019 season will include the world premiere of Donja R. Love's play Fireflies, directed by Saheem Ali; the world premiere of Abby Rosebrock's play Blue Ridge, directed by Taibi Magar; the world premiere of Amy Staats' play Eddie and Dave, directed by Margot Bordelon; the US premiere of Olivier and Tony Award nominee Florian Zeller's play The Mother, directed by Trip Cullman; the world premiere musical The Secret Life of Bees, with book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Tony Award nominee Lynn Nottage, music by Tony and Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk winner Susan Birkenhead, directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold; and the New York premiere of Carla Ching's Nomad Motel.


World Premiere Play
FIREFLIES
By Donja R. Love, Directed by Saheem Ali

September 26 - November 11, 2018
Opening: Monday, October 15, 2018

Linda Gross Theater

Somewhere in the Jim Crow South, the sky is on fire. A pregnant Olivia's fierce speech writing is the sole force behind her charismatic husband Charles and his successful Movement to galvanize people to march towards freedom. When four little girls are bombed in a church, Olivia and Charles' marriage is threatened - as this tragedy and years of civil unrest leave Olivia believing that "this world ain't no place to raise a colored child."

Fireflies is a startling world premiere by Donja R. Love, and the second part of a trilogy beginning with Sugar in Our Wounds (upcoming at MTC's Studio at Stage II). Saheem Ali (Sugar in Our Wounds) directs.


World Premiere Play
BLUE RIDGE
By Abby Rosebrock, Directed by Taibi Magar, Featuring Tony Award Nominee Marin Ireland

December 12 - January 27, 2019
Opening: Monday, January 7, 2019

Linda Gross Theater

A progressive high-school teacher with a rage problem retaliates against her unscrupulous boss and is sentenced to six months at a church-sponsored halfway house, where she attends to everyone's recovery but her own. Set in Southern Appalachia, Blue Ridge is a pitch-dark comedy about heartbreak, hell-raising and healing by Abby Rosebrock (Dido of Idaho, Atlantic Launch commissionee), featuring Tony Award nominee Marin Ireland (reasons to be pretty).

Blue Ridge was Developed at Williamstown Theatre Festival as part of the Boris Sagal Directing Fellowship/Drama League Residency.


World Premiere Play
EDDIE AND DAVE
Written by and Featuring Amy Staats, Directed by Margot Bordelon

January 10 - February 10, 2019
Opening: Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Atlantic Stage 2

A raucous retelling of the rise and fall of Pasadena's most groundbreaking 80s rockers told through the foggy lens of a lonely, out of work MTV-VJ. Eddie and Dave is a gender-bending new play by Amy Staats (Miles for Mary, Atlantic's Tow Playwright-in-Residence) about hubris, friendship, family, fame, musical genius and what happens when the person you need is the one you find most irritating.

Eddie and Dave is supported by the Venturous Theater Fund of Tides Foundation.


US Premiere Play
THE MOTHER
By Florian Zeller, Translated by Christopher Hampton, Directed by Trip Cullman, Featuring Academy Award Nominee Isabelle Huppert

February 20 - April 7, 2019
Opening: Monday, March 11, 2019

Linda Gross Theater

Can one love one's son too much? Anne has given everything to the family she's built. Now the years have gone by, and her children have grown up and have lives and loves of their own, leaving her alone in a world that is crumbling around her.

Starring Academy Award nominee Isabelle Huppert (Elle), The Mother is a captivating and disquieting new play about a woman grasping for stability by acclaimed French writer Florian Zeller (The Father), translated by Christopher Hampton (Atonement) that will leave you questioning the very nature of reality.


World Premiere Musical
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
Book by Lynn Nottage, Music by Duncan Sheik, Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, Based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd, Directed by Sam Gold

May 10 - June 23, 2019
Opening date to be announced

Linda Gross Theater

South Carolina, 1964. Lily Owens, a restless white teenager, struggles with her merciless father and the haunting memory of her mother's death. When Rosaleen, her black caregiver, is beaten and jailed for asserting her right to vote, Lily's rebellious spirit is ignited. She and Rosaleen escape on an adventure where they are taken in by a trio of black beekeeping sisters. While Lily tries to unlock the secrets of her past, she and Rosaleen find solace in the mesmerizing world of bees and spirituality in this extraordinary tale of awakening, fellowship and healing.

The Secret Life of Bees is a world premiere musical written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat), with music by Tony and Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), lyrics by two-time Tony nominee and Drama Desk winner Susan Birkenhead (Jelly's Last Jam), and directed by Tony winner Sam Gold (Fun Home); based on the best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.

The Secret Life of Bees is supported in part by the National Fund for New Musicals, a program of National Alliance for Musical Theatre, with funding from The Hollywood Pantages, a Nederlander Organization - www.namt.org.


New York Premiere Play
NOMAD MOTEL
By Carla Ching

May 22 - June 23, 2019
Opening: Monday, June 3, 2019

Atlantic Stage 2

In the not-so-sunny side of California, Alix bounces between motel rooms, taking care of her brothers for her mostly MIA mother. Her classmate Mason is a budding songwriter trying to keep off the radar of his absent father in Hong Kong. Together, they must learn to scrape by without giving up their dreams. This New York Premiere by Carla Ching (Atlantic/Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation commissionee) is a surprising tale of kids raising themselves and making something out of nothing in the land of plenty.

Nomad Motel was presented as part of Atlantic's 2017 Asian American MixFest.


Atlantic members receive exclusive access and up to 42% savings on tickets via Atlantic's Passport program. Passports begin at $60 and benefits include a 4-week priority booking period, no additional fees, unlimited exchanges, discounted guest tickets and more! Season Passports are now on sale at a discounted Early Bird rate until May 22. For more information or to purchase an Atlantic Passport, visit atlantictheater.org/passport or call OvationTix at 866-811-4111.



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