DON JUAN to Return to Prospect Park; Lynn Nottage, Tony Gerber & Amanda Hambrick to Be Honored

Molière in the Park will return to Prospect Park this September with DON JUAN, directed by Lucie Tiberghien and starring Keshav Moodliar and Kaliswa Brewster. As the company prepares for its fifth production in Prospect Park, it has also announced its 2026 season honorees, including Amanda Hambrick, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and filmmaker Tony Gerber.

DON JUAN will run September 5-27 at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance. Ahead of the run, audiences can see a free public pop-up preview at Domino Square in Williamsburg on August 14, with a rain date of August 15.

Hambrick, a cultural organizer and public theologian, will be recognized as Molière in the Park's 2026 Opening Night Honoree during the company's Opening Night Benefit Performance on September 10.

Later this fall, Nottage and Gerber will receive Molière in the Park's Shoulder to Shoulder Award at the annual OneLove OneTheater Gala on November 9. The award recognizes artists and cultural leaders whose work reflects the company's belief in storytelling as a means of fostering empathy, bridging communities and encouraging social dialogue.

"Amanda, Lynn, and Tony have each demonstrated the extraordinary power of storytelling to build empathy, strengthen communities, and inspire meaningful dialogue," said Molière in the Park Founding Executive Director Lucie Tiberghien. "We're honored to celebrate them this season as we continue our mission of making ambitious, thought-provoking theater accessible to everyone."

DON JUAN

Celebrating its fifth production in Prospect Park, Molière in the Park will present Molière's DON JUAN in a translation by Stephen Wadsworth and staging by Drama Desk Award nominee Lucie Tiberghien.

The dark comedy follows Don Juan after he abandons Elvira, whom he seduced into breaking her vows and marrying him. Over the course of a single day, Don Juan and his companion Sganarelle encounter many of the people he has betrayed. As Don Juan continues to seduce women, defy social conventions, mock religion and embrace provocation, he is increasingly confronted by the consequences of his actions.

In Tiberghien's staging, three actors transform into more than ten different characters while Don Juan and Sganarelle remain the constants in a world gradually slipping from their grasp.

"Our decision to present Don Juan reflects Molière in the Park's commitment to creating ambitious, thought-provoking theater that is accessible to everyone," said Tiberghien. "The play feels especially urgent today. Molière never tells us what to think—instead, he holds up a mirror and asks us to examine ourselves."

The production stars Keshav Moodliar as Don Juan and Kaliswa Brewster as Sganarelle, alongside Naomi Lorrain, Michelle Veintimilla and Daniel Pearce.

Original music and live cello performance will be provided by Johnathan Moore, whose score for The Imaginary Invalid earned a Drama Desk Award nomination. The creative team also includes New Wilderness on set design, Marie Yokoyama on lighting, Ari Fulton on costumes and Chad Raines on sound.

Opening Night Benefit

Molière in the Park's Opening Night Benefit Performance will take place Thursday, September 10. Cocktails will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m. and a reception with the cast and creative team.

The evening will honor Rev. Amanda Hambrick, a cultural organizer, public theologian and Consulting Minister for Justice & Community Organizing at Middle Church.

Hambrick is the founder of Raising Imagination, and her work encompasses social justice, civic engagement, reproductive justice, anti-racist parenting and community organizing.

"Molière in the Park represents everything I believe theater should be—bold, welcoming, accessible, and deeply connected to community," said Hambrick. "I'm deeply honored to celebrate an organization whose work removes barriers to the arts while creating unforgettable experiences that bring people together."

OneLove OneTheater Gala

On Monday, November 9, Molière in the Park will hold its annual OneLove OneTheater Gala at Roulette in Downtown Brooklyn.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and Emmy and PGA Award-winning filmmaker Tony Gerber will receive the company's Shoulder to Shoulder Award.

The award honors artists whose work embodies Molière in the Park's belief that theater and storytelling can create spaces where people from different socioeconomic, cultural and racial backgrounds can come together.

Nottage's theatrical work includes Sweat, Ruined, Clyde's, Intimate Apparel and By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. She also wrote the book for Broadway's MJ and The Secret Life of Bees. She is the first woman to have won two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama.

Gerber is a writer, producer and filmmaker whose credits include War Game, Kingdom of the White Wolf, Jane, Explorer: Battle for Virunga and We Will Rise. In 2005, Gerber and Nottage co-founded the New York-based production company Market Road Films.

Performance Schedule

Evening Performances – 7 p.m.

September 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 27

Opening Night Benefit Performance

September 10
6:30 p.m. – Reception
7:30 p.m. – Performance

Sunday Matinees – 3 p.m.

September 6, 13, 20 and 27

Student Matinees – 11 a.m.

September 15 and 24

Tickets

Regular performances of DON JUAN from September 5-27 are free.

Tickets and information for the free performances and the September 10 Opening Night Benefit are available through Molière in the Park.

The production will be presented at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park.

DON JUAN explores mature themes including sexuality, manipulation, abuse of power, violence, death and moral corruption. The production is suitable for most teen and adult audiences, with parental discretion advised for younger children.

About Molière in the Park

Molière in the Park is a Brooklyn-based theater company dedicated to fostering empathy, dialogue and community through free theater. The company presents professional performances across Brooklyn, including an annual run at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance.

Its programming centers on Molière's works in contemporary translations and productions designed to connect the plays with modern audiences. Previous productions have included Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The Miser, The Imaginary Invalid and The School for Wives.

All Molière in the Park performances are offered free to the public.

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