Turn To Flesh Productions Returns With New Performances and A New Focus

In their upcoming season, Turn to Flesh Productions (TTF) will focus its attention and resources on two plays featuring contemporary verse by writers of color from varied backgrounds. In September, TTF will produce Back to You by queer Mexican playwright Chris Rivera at the Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center in collaboration with the Hispanic Federation and FUERZAfest. This October will bring J, Turtle, Loverboy, and the Asshole Father, or (Noble Pursuits vs the Id) by Haitian playwright Kendra Augustin at El Barrio Artspace.

Both plays are modern tales that take a gritty, realistic, but ultimately very hopeful look at love. Rivera's play examines the tempestuous romance between two queer Mexican-American characters spanning adolescence to adulthood. Augustin's play weaves the tale of a complex and shifting family dynamic, focusing especially on an estranged mother and teenage daughter.

"Although TTF is purposefully producing work by writers of color, the racial identity of the playwrights are not the primary focus of either of these works," says Turn to Flesh Literary Manager Joe Montoya. "The background of each writer informs their piece and perspective in a unique way audiences might or might not notice. Race, culture, and ethnicity at times may be a part of a character's background, or the world building of these plays, but not necessarily the central conflict."

Like many BIPoC writers, Kendra Augustin has often felt pressure to write on certain subjects in order to get producers' attention. "A big fear of mine as a playwright of color writing work that isn't specifically about being PoC is having theaters decide it isn't 'important' enough to produce," she says. Oftentimes theaters will host entire festivals of plays only interested in the work of PoC writers if race and ethnicity are the cause or the defining variable in a character's turmoil or trauma. While there are of course important pieces of art by writers of color that focus on these themes, TTF is interested in giving space to hear other PoC stories where cultural background exists as facets of someone's life, but not the central cause of their pain.

TTF's mission statement is to develop new plays in heightened text with vibrant roles for those historically excluded in western classical art. In seasons past, TTF has produced living playwrights' new works in verse similar to the style of Shakespeare and Moliere with better roles for women, people of color, and LGBT characters. Lovingly called "theater for theater nerds," the company is trying to make sure all the nerds can join the party.

Like many theater companies in New York City, TTF's live performances pivoted to a mostly online presence over the course of the pandemic. With Back to You and J, Turtle, Loverboy, and the Asshole Father, or (Noble Pursuits vs the Id), the company plans to return to their tradition of bringing live, in-person performances of new plays.

"In years past, TTF has hosted an annual Summer Reading Series of three plays," says Outreach Associate Evan Sachs. "These very staged readings have always been so much more active and colorful than just actors sitting at music stands wearing all black. A TTF reading is always lively, colorful, and fully staged, and this year we plan to push the boundaries of what TTF has done before. We plan to give audiences more of a workshop experience with this duo of new works."

"Continuing to ensure there are seats at the table for playwrights of color and making room for contemporary verse will remain important core values of TTF, well beyond the current season," says Associate Managing Director Emily Elliot. "TTF will still strive to foster the entire community of playwrights the company has built and will produce great work that speaks to the mission statement no matter the background of the playwright. The company strives to become a place everyone interested in developing plays in heightened language knows, respects, and can come to grow. The TTF community of artists understands, appreciates, and are innovators of new verse."

The past few years have seen theater companies large and small producing plays in new classically styled verse, which has allowed TTF to widen the breadth of work the company produces. Some of those companies now producing new verse plays are inspired by TTF directly. Emily Gallager of Barefoot Shakespeare says that "Turn to Flesh has been instrumental in Barefoot Shakespeare discovering our place in bringing new works to the stage. TTF's mission and influence inspired us to expand our scope and find a way to lift up new work."

Turn to Flesh Productions hopes the direction of the company continues to inspire change in the theater community at large, and expects that this season will only continue to foster that growth.

Back to You

Performs 7:30 pm September 2, 3, and 4

Julia de Burgos Theater

1680 Lexington Ave

New York, NY 10029

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J, Turtle, Loverboy, and the Asshole Father

Performs 7:00 pm October 21, 22, and 23

El Barrio Artspace

215 E. 99th St

New York, NY 10029

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For more information go to www.turntoflesh.org