NORTHANGER ABBEY to Make American Premiere at Shaker Bridge Theatre

Shaker Bridge Theatre has announced the American Premiere of Northanger Abbey by Zoe Cooper. September 8 - 25. This playful and surprising reimagining of Northanger Abbey is infused with the spirit of Jane Austen's original novel and fizzes with imagination and humor. Catherine Morland knows little of the world, but who needs real-life experience when you have novels to guide you? Seizing her chance to escape her claustrophobic family and join the smart set in Bath, she meets worldly, sophisticated Isabella Thorpe - Iz, to her friends - and so Cath's very own adventure begins.

The cast of Northanger Abbey brings new faces to Shaker Bridge. Molly Kate Babos (Cath) is an actress and writer based out of Brooklyn, with BFA in Dramatic Arts from The New School For Drama and a certificate from The British American Drama Academy. Molly made her Off- Broadway debut as 'Dolly' in Erica Schmidt's Orpheus Descending at Theatre For A New Audience. She voiced 'Louise' in the It Happened Here 2024 podcast, starring Tony Shalhoub and Edie Falco. She has also performed in self-written works at multiple venues in New York City, including a reading of The Edit at The Irish Arts Center, You're Invited to: Jessica's 10th Birthday Bash! at The Tank, The Morning After at Under St. Marks, and more. As a playwright, Molly has been a semi-finalist at the Eugene O'Neil National Playwrights Conference, semi-finalist for Premiere Stages at Kean, Long Listed for Seattle Public Theatre's Distillery New Works Festival, a participant in the 24-Hour Plays Nationals Los Angeles, and won 'Best Script' at the SHENYC Festival Off-Broadway. Insta: @molly.babos Carolyn Carter (Iz) Tour: Fiddler On The Roof (dir. Bartlett Sher), Regional: Fiddler On The Roof, White Christmas, Beauty and the Beast (Sierra Repertory). While not acting, you can hear her sing with the Satin Dollz in NYC. You may also hear her voice if you're an avid audiobook listener. Michael John Improta (Hen) is a New York-based Puerto Rican actor, writer, and producer. On stage, Michael's select credits include El Coquí Espectacular (Long Wharf Theatre), Artaud Artaud (The Signature Theatre), Our Town (Connecticut Repertory Theatre), and The Infinite Wrench as a long-time ensemble member of the award-winning New York Neo-Futurists. On screen, he has appeared in feature films including Speed Demon, Caravan, Rockweed, and Last Train Home. Michael holds a BFA in Acting from UCONN.

Zoe Cooper is a British playwright whose work has been produced by major UK theatre companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre, and Leeds Playhouse. In 2024, she was appointed Writer-in-Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Cooper was born in 1984 in Stockport, England. She is the daughter of television producer Robert Cooper and the actress Jenny Howe, known for her role as Mrs. Keele in Grange Hill. She grew up in Twickenham, London, and has described her upbringing as shaping her interest in writing about ordinary lives and relationships. She studied English literature at the University of Cambridge before completing an Masters of Philosophy in playwriting at the University of Birmingham and a PhD in creative writing at Newcastle University. Cooper's early work as a playwright included plays such as Nativities and Petrification, which explored contemporary relationships and everyday experiences. Her breakthrough came with Jess and Joe Forever, a play examining friendship and intimacy, which received the 2016 Offie for Most Promising Playwright and brought her wider recognition. In 2017 she was the winner of the Most Promising Playwright Award at the Off West End Awards. She subsequently developed Out of Water in 2019, in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, which was shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, further establishing her reputation as a playwright of contemporary drama. Alongside her writing, Cooper has worked in dramaturgy and literary management and has taught playwriting at Newcastle University. Her work often focuses on personal relationships, identity and the complexities of modern life, drawing on her own experiences and observations. In 2024, she was appointed Writer-in-Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company, a role supporting the development of new writing for the stage. In the same year, Cooper's version of Northanger Abbey, inspired by the Austen novel, opened at the Orange Tree Theatre and toured to the Bolton Octagon, Theatre By The Lake and St. Josephs Theatre. Zoe Cooper lives in Newcastle upon Tyne.

SBT founder and artistic director Bill Coons will direct this production, one of many in his 19 seasons since opening Shaker Bridge Theatre.