Theatrical Outfit Announces Return to the Stage With 2021-2022 Season

After more than a year away from live theatre, Theatrical Outfit has announced a return to the stage. For the 2021-2022 Season, audiences will once again be welcomed back into the Balzer Theater in the heart of Downtown Atlanta to experience smart, authentic, vital in-person theatre. Starting in September, Theatrical Outfit will open its doors in a COVID-19 safe way that includes a brand new, state-of-the-art, air filtration system with bi-polar ionization and will embrace the latest safety guidelines for each production. With five gripping Mainstage productions and the continuations of Made In Atlanta, Graham Martin Unexpected Play Festival, and The Welcome Table, the 2021-2022 Season at Theatrical Outfit will bring powerful, relevant, and thrilling live theatre back to the heart of Downtown Atlanta.

"We want to offer Theatrical Outfit as a space to reconnect with one another, and to process the challenging
experiences we've lived through as a community during the pandemic," says Artistic Director Matt Torney. "As we considered plays for the season, we looked for stories that resonated with these complicated times, and also celebrated the extraordinary diversity of our city and the amazing artists who call Atlanta home. From timeless tales of war and resilience to contemporary stories that tackle pressing issues, these plays will explore important questions as we heal and rebuild. All five of the plays are filled with brilliant theatricality that reminds us of the unforgettable power of live theatre."

Five enthralling productions will take over the Balzer Theater when the 2021-2022 Mainstage Season launches this Fall. First, Torney will make his Theatrical Outfit live directing debut with An Iliad by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare, Based On Homer's The Iliad, Translated by Robert Fagles (September 15 - October 10, 2021). This stunningly theatrical adaptation of Homer's epic poem takes us back to Troy and explores the tragedy of war and the heroism & resilience of the human spirit. In time for the holidays, the previously announced Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig will make its Atlanta debut one year later than planned (November 17 - December 19, 2021). With 5 actors playing 40 roles, this hilarious whodunit is a madcap theatrical treat for those aged 5 to 95. The year 2022 will begin with the brilliantly emotional Bright Half Life by Tanya Barfield (February 2 - 27, 2022). This innovatively structured play tells the story of over 40 years in the relationship of a lesbian couple and explores the timeless and universal power of love. Next in line is The Wolf at the End of the Block by Ike Holter (March 30 - April 24, 2022). This hit play is equal parts thriller, dark comedy, and complex social commentary that will keep you talking for weeks after you experience it. Concluding the season is the return of one of Theatrical Outfit's biggest hits - Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill by Lanie Robertson (June 1 - 26, 2022). Broadway's Terry Burrell will once again become Billie Holiday as the Balzer Theater transforms into a 1950s Philadelphia jazz bar, creating a night worthy of the late icon who wove the tragic experiences of her life into stunningly beautiful music.

"September 15, 2021 will mark a full 18 months since we last performed a show for a live audience at our beautiful downtown home, the Balzer Theater," says Managing Director Gretchen E Butler. "This time of separation has reminded us all of the importance of the arts and the importance of being together in community. I am thrilled to reopen our doors with this compelling season of shows. We've been waiting a year and a half for this moment and are ready to burst back onto the stage with incredible storytelling that is guaranteed to start the conversations that matter."

In addition to a smart, authentic, vital Mainstage Season, Theatrical Outfit will continue its focus on new work and community engagement. On the new work front, Made In Atlanta - a new work development program with the goal to create a place in the heart of downtown for artists to tell Atlanta's stories - will announce two new commissions later this year. Additionally, the winter will see the return of the Graham Martin Unexpected Play Festival in partnership with Working Title Playwrights featuring readings of brand-new play by exciting Atlanta playwrights. Additionally, Theatrical Outfit will continue to expand community engagement by partnering once again with other Atlanta non-profits for the second annual The Welcome Table and building special community focused events and conversations around each of our Mainstage productions. More information on Made In Atlanta, Graham Martin Unexpected Play Festival, and The Welcome Table will be released soon.

"One of the many lessons that the pandemic has taught us is the importance of both nurturing established relationships and cultivating new ones," says Associate Artistic Director Addae Moon. "This year we'll continue our relationship with the local new play development organization, Working Title Playwrights, in presenting the Graham Martin Unexpected Play Festival. This ongoing partnership is central to our desire to build a home for playwrights right in the heart of Downtown Atlanta. In a further effort to cultivate new relationships with diverse and engaging narrative voices, we'll embark on the second year of our new work program "Made in Atlanta." This program focuses on commissioned pieces and a rigorous new play development process that will cultivate stories that center our city and region. We are also excited to embark on new community engagement initiatives that will help build a bridge between the work that is being done on our stage and the work of individuals and institutions that are creating positive transformation in our city."

Theatrical Outfit is thrilled to welcome audiences back to the Balzer Theater in the heart of Downtown Atlanta to tell the stories that start the conversations that matter. VIP Packages for the COVID-19 safe in-person season are on sale NOW. We invite you to visit theatricaloutfit.org or call 678-528-1500 for more information.

An Iliad

by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare
Based On Homer's The Iliad, Translated by Robert Fagles
Directed by Matt Torney

September 15 - October 10, 2021

Has anything really changed since the Trojan War? Visionary creators Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare have reimagined Homer's tragic poem with dazzling theatricality and dark humor. As we emerge from a global pandemic, join us for this sweeping account of humanity's unshakeable attraction to war and the heroes that rise and fall in times of chaos.

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Melissa Foulger

November 17 - December 19, 2021

Who killed Sir Charles Baskerville? Is there any truth to the legend of a supernatural hound? This sounds like a case for the world's most famous detective! From the award-winning mastermind of mayhem, Ken Ludwig, comes a fast-paced comedy mystery that takes us from Baker Street to the haunted Dartmoor. Join Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson as they try to escape a dizzying web of clues, disguises, and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than 40 characters.

Bright Half Life

by Tanya Barfield

February 2 - 27, 2022

What if life came with a rewind button? Pulitzer Prize finalist Tanya Barfield brings the world a kaleidoscopic new play about love, heartbreak, skydiving and the infinite moments that make a relationship. Bright Half Life shares the four-and-a-half-decade story of Vicky and Erica, who meet, fall in love, and go through all the trials and tribulations of marriage and building a family. Pause. Rewind. Fast forward.

The Wolf at the End of the Block

by Ike Holter

March 30 - April 24, 2022

Have you ever entered a world where nothing is as it seems? Abe, a resident of the Rightlynd neighborhood of Chicago, seeks justice after a mysterious, late-night attack at a boarded-up bar. In the next 48 hours, the neighborhood digs deep into escalating mystery, working against time to separate fact from fiction. But as the clock ticks down, the media gets involved, and what began as a simple mystery quickly twists into a personal, pointed and political thriller. A modern-day neo-noir.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill

by Lanie Robertson
Directed by Eric J. Little

June 1 - 26, 2022

Have you ever witnessed an icon? Theatrical Outfit will once again be transformed into a 1950s Philadelphia jazz bar where the legendary Billie Holiday is giving one of her final performances. As she wows audiences with her iconic hits, Billie shares bittersweet stories about her life, painting a riveting and moving portrait of the lady whose music wove pain into beauty. Broadway's Terry Burrell returns with a tour-de-force performance featuring more than a dozen of Holiday's beloved songs, including "Strange Fruit," "What a Moonlight Can Do," and more.