Theatrical Outfit Announces Updated Spring 2021 Mainstage Season

Theatrical Outfit has shared the updated Spring 2021 Mainstage season. After a sold-out digital Fall and Winter, TO is returning to the virtual stage this Spring with 3 pivotal solo productions that speak directly to the world today - The Catastrophist by Lauren Gunderson, A Hundred Words For Snow by Tatty Hennessy, and the previously announced Fires In The Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn And Other Identities by Anna Deavere Smith. Additionally, TO will hold two special events - a virtual wine tasting, TO Hearts ATL, and the annual Our Luckie Stars Gala. TO continues its commitment to smart, authentic, vital theatre that starts the conversations that matter.

"I am thrilled with the response we have gotten for our digital programming so far, and am excited to share these

exceptional plays with Atlanta audiences this Spring," says Matt Torney, Artistic Director. "When putting this season together, we challenged ourselves to look for plays that both engaged directly with the crucial questions of 2021 and the COVID recovery, and also allowed our audience escape into new worlds and explore ideas in fresh and exciting ways. The 3 plays also create a path towards reopening this fall, especially the live stream of Fires in the Mirror which will feel as close to live theatre as you can get at home!"

These exciting plays are all perfectly suited for the digital format, and will offer three outstanding performances that come to life right in the comfort of your own home. First, Atlanta favorite Lauren Gunderson (Silent Sky, Book of Will, Christmas at Pemberley series) returns to ATL with her brand-new play The Catastrophist. In a partnership with Marin Theatre Company & Round House Theatre, this ripped-from-the-headlines story is paired with Gunderson's signature humor and heart to tell the true story of virologist Nathan Wolfe, who was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world (who also happens to be her husband). Next, a hit British play, fresh from a national tour and a West End run, will make its Atlanta debut when A Hundred Words For Snow by Tatty Hennessy blows onto your screen. Torney directs this tender, hilarious, and epic play that follows the story of Rory, a 15-year-old girl who copes with her grief at her father's passing by running away to spread his ashes across the North Pole. Lastly, we are excited to present the seminal play Fires In The Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn And Other Identities by Anna Deavere Smith. Taken directly from a series of interviews with over fifty members of the Jewish and Black communities following the historic Crown Heights riots, which happened 30 years ago this summer, this timely piece turns their voices into a tour de force one-woman show starring January LaVoy. And, while the first two shows of the season will be prerecorded, Fires In The Mirror will STREAM LIVE from Theatrical Outfit for 9 PERFORMANCES ONLY - making it the true not-to-be-missed theatrical event of the season. Additionally, there will be a chance for limited in person seating for these 9 performances (details will be announced at a later date once the safety of our patrons, artists, and staff is assessed).

"It's exciting to be presenting three thought-provoking plays that explore the ways in which we navigate challenging situations with ingenuity, grace, and occasionally humor," says Addae Moon, Associate Artistic Director. "This is especially true now with the multitude of challenges we have been dealing with over the last several months. Plays like these remind us that one of the many gifts of our art form is that it allows a communal space for us to share, reflect, and heal."

The Spring will also see two special virtual events. Join TO this February for TO Hearts ATL - a virtual wine tasting celebrating love and ATL. The evening will feature tastings of three bottles of Argentinian wines from Altos las Hormigas and Colonia las Liebres guided by sommelier Javier Gomez & entertainment from Joe Gransden and Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. Then in May, TO will host its annual Our Luckie Stars Gala. Join TO this year for a fun evening of homemade cocktails, fabulous auction items, and lots of surprises! TO will honor devoted District 2 Councilmember, Amir R. Farokhi at this event.

"One of my favorite things is finding ways to connect with people even though we're separated physically," says Gretchen Butler, Managing Director. "After our successful 'I'll Stay Home for Christmas' event, I'm excited to come together for another virtual wine tasting and to hear how our patrons are doing in the new year. And I am absolutely thrilled to honor the work of City Councilmember Amir Farokhi at our Gala this Spring. Amir has been a tireless supporter of our Downtown community and of the arts throughout Atlanta for years, and his support was especially impactful in 2020 as we faced both the COVID pandemic and the call for racial reckoning. Although he is the evening's honoree, it's actually our honor to call Amir a friend of Theatrical Outfit."

While we all wait for the opportunity to all be together in a theatre again, Theatrical Outfit promises to continue bringing you smart, authentic, vital digital theatre that starts the conversations that matter. VIP Packages and Single Tickets to all productions and events are on sale now. We invite you to visit theatricaloutfit.org or call 678-528-1500.

The Catastrophist

by Lauren Gunderson

Based on the life and work of Dr. Nathan Wolfe

In Partnership with Marin Theatre Company & Round House Theatre

Directed by Jasson Minadakis

STREAMING March 2 - 21, 2021

How do you plan for catastrophe? Virologist Nathan Wolfe, named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in the World for his work tracking Ebola and swine flu, proposed pandemic insurance years before the novel coronavirus outbreak. No one bought it. Now, in a post-COVID world, we hear his story-presented entirely digitally. Silent Sky playwright Lauren Gunderson returns with a time-jumping tale based on the life and work of Nathan Wolfe (who also happens to be her husband). A deep and exciting dive into the profundities of scientific exploration and the realities of facing your own mortality, The Catastrophist is a theatrical experience built of and for this moment in time.

A Hundred Words For Snow

by Tatty Hennessy

Directed by Matt Torney

STREAMING April 13 - May 2, 2021

How do you plan for adventure? 15-year-old Rory's father always wanted to be an Artic explorer, but had to settle for being a geography teacher in suburban England. When he dies suddenly in an accident, Rory decides to honor her dad's lifelong dream and to take his ashes on one last, great expedition to the North Pole. Direct from a sold-out run on London's West End, Tatty Hennessy's epic and hilarious A Hundred Words For Snow will take you on an unforgettable journey through love, loss, and endless snow.

Fires In The Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn And Other Identities

by Anna Deavere Smith

Directed by Adam Immerwahr & January LaVoy

LIVE STREAMING June 11 - June 27 • Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays • 9 PERFORMANCES ONLY

How do you plan for a reckoning? Theatrical Outfit will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Crown Heights riot by bringing Anna Deavere Smith's (Shonda Rhimes' For The People) documentary theatre masterpiece to life with soaring theatricality. Taken directly from a series of interviews with over fifty members of the Jewish and Black communities following the historic riots, Fires In The Mirror turns their voices into a tour de force one-woman show starring January LaVoy.

TO ATL

A Virtual Wine Tasting Celebrating Love & ATL

February 19, 2021 • 7pm

Theatrical Outfit is celebrating Atlanta with a unique online event to toast our love for this great city and everyone who lives in it. The evening will feature tastings of three bottles of Argentinian wines from Altos las Hormigas and Colonia las Liebres guided by sommelier Javier Gomez. To complement the wine, Atlanta jazz favorites Joe Gransden and Kenny Banks will play a couple of your favorite tunes, the dancers from Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre will share a special performance, and you'll enjoy sweet treats from the TO staff. We hope you'll join us for this hour-long event and share the love while supporting the work of Theatrical Outfit and our mission to start the conversations that matter in the heart of downtown Atlanta.

Our Luckie Stars Gala

A Virtual Event

May 15, 2021 • Cocktail Hour at 6:30pm • Event at 7pm

Join us from the comfort of your home for the annual OUR LUCKIE STARS VIRTUAL GALA - a fun evening of homemade cocktails, fabulous auction items, and lots of surprises! We will honor our devoted District 2 Councilmember, Amir R. Farokhi. Support world-class theatre in the unprecedented times. All proceeds from this fundraiser will support Theatrical Outfit's mainstage productions, education offerings, and community engagement programs. We'll see you live online!

To post a comment, you must register and login.