La MaMa Umbria Will Host UNDER THE UMBRIAN SUN New Play Showcase
The free Off-Off-Broadway reading series will run April 30 to May 2, 2026.
The Playwrights of the 2025 La MaMa Umbria International Master Playwrights Retreat have announced "Under the Umbrian Sun," an exclusive three-day Off-Off-Broadway reading series. This showcase features world-premiere excerpts from eleven international dramatists, developed under the high-level mentorship of Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Dael Orlandersmith.
The series will take place at La MaMa's Great Jones Studios from April 30 to May 2, 2026.
The Spoleto Residency: From Concept to Stage
Last summer, this diverse cohort of writers engaged in a prestigious playwriting residency at the historic villa of La MaMa founder Ellen Stewart in Spoleto, Italy. Working within a regenerative, cross-cultural environment, the playwrights workshopped new scripts centered on themes of radical hope, personal revelation, and the "danger in creation."
This new play development series marks the first public New York City presentation of these works, spanning genres from gritty realism to experimental narrative.
THE SCHEDULE & LOCATION
Venue: La MaMa Rehearsal Studios, 47 Great Jones Street, New York, NY 10012 (Located in NoHo/East Village, directly across from the fire station between Lafayette and Bowery)
ADMISSION: FREE and Open to the Public No tickets required. Seating is limited; early arrival is strongly encouraged. Doors open 20 minutes prior to each session.
Thursday, April 30
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2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Featured Playwrights: L.B. Browne, Tom Cavanaugh, Georgia McGill, Charlie Herndon, Marylou DiPietro.
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6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Featured Playwrights: Alice Eve Cohen, Amanda Samuelson, Diana Van Fossen, L.B. Browne.
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Q&A and Artist Reception with light refreshments to follow both sessions.
Friday, May 1
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2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Featured Playwrights: Amanda Samuelson, Charlie Herndon, Diana Van Fossen, Steven Sarao.
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6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Featured Playwrights: Susan Jeremy, Steven Sarao, Marylou DiPietro, Tom Cavanaugh, Georgia McGill.
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Q&A and Artist Reception following all sessions.
Saturday, May 2
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1:00 PM: An afternoon of informal, full-length play readings and "In-Conversation" sessions with playwrights Alice Eve Cohen, Charlie Herndon, and Desi Shelton.
ABOUT THE DRAMATISTS
The presenting playwrights include: L.B. Browne, Tom Cavanaugh, Alice Eve Cohen, Marylou DiPietro, Charlie Herndon, Susan Jeremy, Georgia McGill, Amanda Samuelson, Steven Sarao, Desi Shelton, and Diana Van Fossen.
ABOUT LA MAMA UMBRIA INTERNATIONAL
Founded in 1990 by theatre pioneer Ellen Stewart, La MaMa Umbria is a non-profit cultural center and international artist residence housed in a former monastery outside Spoleto, Italy. It serves as a global hub for experimental theatre, cross-cultural collaboration, and the global development of new performance works.
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