The Public's 2023/2024 Season!

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 6/1/23 at 2:58pm

Hey everyone! I only see a thread about Hell's Kitchen, but The Public announced several other shows as well and I want to talk about them! So, I thought I'd create a new thread!

The link to their release and details on the announced shows are below!

https://publictheater.org/your-2324-programming/

The Tempest

By William Shakespeare 
Music & Lyrics by Benjamin Velez
Choreography by Tiffany Rea-Fisher
Directed by Laurie Woolery 

Aug 27 – Sep 3, 2023

In The Public’s decade-long tradition of bringing together a diverse ensemble of both professional and community members from across New York, this Public Works production examines what it means to be isolated and how we find our way back to one another. With music and lyrics by Benjamin Velez and directed by Director of Public Works Laurie Woolery, this ambitious work of participatory theater explores the grief of being cut off from community, the desire for retribution, and the healing power of love.

 

DruidO’Casey

North American Premiere of Druid Theatre’s
DruidO’Casey
Sean O’Casey’s Dublin Trilogy
The Plough and the Stars
The Shadow of a Gunman
Juno and the Paycock
Directed by Garry Hynes

In Partnership with NYU Skirball 

Performances at NYU Skirball – 566 LaGuardia Place

Oct 4 – 14, 2023

A century ago, Ireland was reborn in the fires of rebellion and war. The playwright Sean O’Casey bore witness to these seismic events and dramatized them as the Dublin Trilogy, three great works of Irish theater, full of history, humanity, and humor. A hundred years later, Druid will weave O’Casey’s three plays into an epic theatrical event of conflict, national identity, and the human toll of war, DruidO’Casey. Audiences will experience O’Casey’s work as never before; directed by Tony Award winner Garry Hynes, a company of 18 actors will perform over 40 roles in these three classic plays.

 

Hell's Kitchen

World Premiere 

Music & Lyrics by Alicia Keys
Book by Kristoffer Diaz
Choreography by Camille A. Brown 
Directed by Michael Greif 

Oct 24 – Dec 10, 2023

Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys and Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Kristoffer Diaz bring their exhilarating coming-of-age musical HELL’S KITCHEN to The Public this fall. In a cramped apartment hanging off the side of Times Square, 17-year-old Ali is desperate to get her piece of the New York dream. Ali’s mother is just as determined to protect her daughter from the same mistakes she made. When Ali falls for a talented young drummer, both mother and daughter must face hard truths about race, defiance, and growing up. Ali feels trapped, until the sound of a neighbor playing piano opens the door to an unexpected friendship and a radically different future. Choreographed by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown and directed by Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, HELL’S KITCHEN is an unforgettable new show featuring both newly created music and the soulful, iconic songs of New York’s own Alicia Keys.

 

Manahatta

New York Premiere

By Mary Kathryn Nagle 
Directed by Laurie Woolery

Nov 16 – Dec 17, 2023

A gripping journey from the fur trade of the 1600s to the stock trade of today, Mary Kathryn Nagle’s MANAHATTA tells the story of Jane Snake, a brilliant young Native American woman with a Stanford MBA. Jane reconnects with her ancestral Lenape homeland, known as Manahatta, when she moves from Oklahoma to New York for a banking job just before the 2008 financial meltdown. Jane’s struggle to reconcile her new life with the expectations and traditions of her family and Nation are powerfully interwoven with the heartbreaking history of the Delaware Nation's expulsion from their land. Both old and new Manahatta converge in a lesson about the dangers of living in a society where there’s no such thing as enough. A stunning play about self-discovery, MANAHATTA was written as part of The Public’s prestigious Emerging Writers Group. The Public’s Director of Public Works, Laurie Woolery, directs. 

 

The Ally

World Premiere

By Itamar Moses 
Directed by Lila Neugebauer

February 2024

Tony Award-winning playwright Itamar Moses returns to The Public with the world premiere of THE ALLY. When Asaf (Josh Radnor) is asked to sign a social justice manifesto, he expects to be able to do so without hesitation. Instead, he becomes embroiled in an increasingly conflicted web of relationships that challenge his commitments as a liberal, a husband, an academic, an American, an atheist, and a Jew. With tensions at an all-time high, Asaf is forced to confront the age-old question: “If I am only for myself, what am I?” Directed by Drama Desk Award winner Lila Neugebauer, THE ALLY is a passionate, provocative, and unflinching new play about the vanishing line between the personal and the political.

 

Sally & Tom

New York Premiere 

By Suzan-Lori Parks 
Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III
In Association with The Guthrie Theater

March 2024

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, the author of last season’s The Harder They Come, returns to her artistic home with an edgy dramedy that celebrates the craft of theater while taking a hard look at history. The off-off-off-Broadway theater troupe Good Company is putting on a play about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. Writer Luce is cast as Sally; her romantic partner, and the play’s director, Mike, is cast as Tom—really, people, what could possibly go wrong? In association with Minneapolis’s acclaimed Guthrie Theater, this funny, ferocious new work is about art, politics, and the contradictions that make all of us. Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, SALLY & TOM is an unmissable New York premiere from one of our finest and most daring playwrights.

Sounds like it'll be a great season!

[Voter]

Posted: 6/1/23 at 3:28pm

It was mentioned in the press release that the Under the Radar festival program has been killed

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 6/1/23 at 3:36pm

I saw Sally & Tom at the Guthrie in Minneapolis - I enjoyed it a lot, but thought there could be improvements. I'm curious if Suzan-Lori Parks has changed anything since its initial run.

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 6/1/23 at 3:36pm

Sally & Tom sounds a LOT like Underground Railroad Game.

The loss of the Under the Radar festival is a damn shame.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 6/1/23 at 3:46pm

I unfortunately haven't been in the City for an Under the Radar, but it sounds like it was a unique opportunity to produce (and for us to see) really cool unique theatre by emerging artists. 

I assume the decision was financial, but I'm curious to know some of the details. Was there a donor or other funding source that pulled out?

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 1:00am

A lot of interesting stuff here!  I'm definitely interest in particular in The Ally and Sally & Tom, but I'll probably also try to see The Tempest and Manhatta.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 1:10am

Maybe they should cut Oskar's salary down from $800,000 a year, that alone would fund UTR. The executive salary at The Public is beyond absurd these days.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 7:16am

The fact they casually tossed in the cancellation of UTR at the end of the announcement is adding insult to injury. UTR is (was?) the last of its kind in NYC- a high profile festival of international “fringe” work. It was truly special and a highlight of the season every year. I am really shocked it’s been canceled- and a little baffled, as it didn’t particularly seem like a major expense to the Public. 

[Voter]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 10:51am

Kad said: "The fact they casually tossed in the cancellation of UTR at the end of the announcement is adding insult to injury. UTR is (was?) the last of its kind in NYC- a high profile festival of international “fringe” work. It was truly special and a highlight of the season every year. I am really shocked it’s been canceled- and a little baffled, as it didn’t particularly seem like a major expense to the Public."

Between this, the death of the Humana Festival at ATL, and the closure of the LC Director's Lab... It's the death of the rising underground artist... But sure, let's clear space in the season for more celebrity vanity projects (this isn't a dig at Miss Keys, who is an actual HK local and seems very talented)

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 11:28am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Maybe they should cut Oskar's salary down from $800,000 a year, that alone would fund UTR. The executive salary at The Public is beyond absurd these days."

His salary isn’t a problem. His contemporaries in the commercial space can make far more than that in a given year. It’s a big job with a lot of responsibilities and this is fair compensation. He’s not the only nonprofit leader with an enormous salary.

The Public has plenty of money (earned and donated) + an endowment to spend as they wish. 

One big issue is that most of these NY theatre nonprofits are over staffed and there are evident redundant positions in their artistic & marketing departments (among other places). The anomaly being LCT, which is way understaffed and that is starting to show with the company’s output.  

Updated On: 6/2/23 at 11:28 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 11:31am

The ending of UTR is dismaying and unfortunate, and I hope something else will rise out of the ashes (be it at the Public or elsewhere). We need more CURATED festivals of new work & emerging artists in this city.

Public Works has seemed to take up a lot of the Public’s energy/time these days, which is noble in a different set of ways. 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 11:48am

UTR was one of the last places where avant garde theater got an international showcase in New York.  Its vanishing represents New York's continued artistic slant in all mediums to the conservative.  But please, tell us more about the Alicia Keys musical. 

Updated On: 6/2/23 at 11:48 AM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 11:51am

verywellthensigh said: "UTR was one of the last places where avant garde theater got an international showcase in New York. It's vanishing represents New York's continued artistic slant in all mediums to the conservative. But please, tell us more about the Alicia Keys musical."

 

Oh GMAFB --- what do you think has been paying for all of this "avant garde" work over the past 30+ years?  It's the Public's residuals from shows like A Chorus Line, Hair, Hamilton, etc.  

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 11:55am

Hell's Kitchen sounds amazing and with that cast? Exciting. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/2/23 at 12:49pm

And with the Alicia Keys musical comes enhancement money from commercial producers + the promise of a royalty. And the nonprofit system is broken enough nowadays that a lot of these institutions won’t produce a new musical without enhancement.

But that also means treating the commercial producer as a semi-equal partner in creative development.  

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/3/23 at 9:32am

I mean they're still profiting from Hamilton, so they could easily use that money to fund the UTR festival if they wanted to. Maybe it's just too much to manage and the profits aren't worth the effort. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/3/23 at 10:45am

If UTR subscriber/member/package (whatever they call it) sales are down as they are across the rest of the industry, it can be both costly and logistically tough to do. It's not good for the artists if these things have, say, 1/3-full houses. And tough to market & build word of mouth when the performances are few and scattered.

It may be that they become more inclined to give the best of the UTR-style work a full run at the Public in one of the smaller spaces. Or they have some other initiative up their sleeve.

Remember also that a lot of bandwidth and resources are going towards gut-renovating the Delacorte starting in August, and presenting the 2024 Shakespeare in the Park season in an offsite venue to be determined.

[sppunk]

Posted: 6/3/23 at 12:57pm

Dumb question - my best friend is a member. Can members buy tickets (not use their complimentary ones) and gift them to friends? 

[Voter]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 1:25pm

Might need to start a new thread for HELL'S KITCHEN, but until then...

 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Video-Alicia-Keys-Teases-New-Musical-HELLS-KITCHEN-on-GOOD-MORNING-AMERICA-20230607

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 1:27pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1155569

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 2:07pm

JSquared2 said: "verywellthensigh said: "UTR was one of the last places where avant garde theater got an international showcase in New York. It's vanishing represents New York's continued artistic slant in all mediums to the conservative. But please, tell us more about the Alicia Keys musical."



Oh GMAFB --- what do you think has been paying for all of this "avant garde" work over the past 30+ years? It's the Public's residuals from shows likeA Chorus Line, Hair, Hamilton, etc."

UTR premiered in 2005, before Hamilton and well after A Chorus Line and Hair.  If you really think all avant garde work begins and ends with the Public, well...enjoy that snug place in the butt where your head is buried.  Avant garde art, or any art that takes risks has been dying in a New York that is all but impossible for artists to thrive.  But, enjoy the Alicia Keys musical and the Britney Spears musical and the Hannah Gadsby Picasso exhibition and everything else that is of reactionary, touristy tastes.

Updated On: 6/7/23 at 02:07 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 3:15pm

verywellthensigh said: "JSquared2 said: "verywellthensigh said: "UTR was one of the last places where avant garde theater got an international showcase in New York. It's vanishing represents New York's continued artistic slant in all mediums to the conservative. But please, tell us more about the Alicia Keys musical."



Oh GMAFB --- what do you think has been paying for all of this "avant garde" work over the past 30+ years? It's the Public's residuals from shows likeA Chorus Line, Hair, Hamilton, etc."

UTR premiered in 2005, before Hamilton and well after A Chorus Line and Hair. If you really think all avant garde work begins and ends with the Public, well...enjoy that snug place in the butt where your head is buried. Avant garde art, or any art that takes risks has been dying in a New York that is all but impossible for artists to thrive. But, enjoy the Alicia Keys musical and the Britney Spears musical and the Hannah Gadsby Picasso exhibition and everything else that is of reactionary, touristy tastes."

 

Dude, if you think Hannah Gadsby is "mainstream and touristy", I don't know what to tell you... and where on earth did you see anyone say that "avant garde work begins and ends at The Public"??  

 

 

[Voter]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 3:39pm

Response from The Public....

 

"Last week, difficult news was shared that the UNDER THE RADAR festival would not return for The Public’s 23-24 season. We made the painful decision to place the festival on hiatus. I understand and share the hurt that those who participated in and loved the festival have expressed over the past few days.

The Public Theater has been the proud home of UNDER THE RADAR for 18 years. Under the brilliant leadership of Mark Russell, UTR became a beloved annual part of our city’s calendar, a time when we celebrated the cutting-edge performance art of the moment. It was also a vital gathering point for adventurous artists and audiences and the only place in our season where American and international artists work side-by-side in multiple venues. My first artistic act when I became Artistic Director was to invite UTR to make The Public its home.

Unfortunately, these are exceptionally challenging times in our field. The Public, like almost every other non-profit theater in the country, is facing serious financial pressure. We have not returned to pre-pandemic economics, neither in our expenses nor our revenue. Many of our programs are free or priced for accessibility, which make them particularly economically vulnerable. Because of these factors, we are assessing and implementing other cost reductions at the theater in addition to UTR. We must act now to avoid the kind of existential pressure currently battering some of our sister theaters.

The Public retains its strong commitment to experimental, devised, and downtown work outside of a festival context, including the Devised Theater Working Group, our incubator for experimental artists. Further, Joe’s Pub continues to be a platform for many multidisciplinary artists; and we will continue our long-standing relationships with experimental ensembles. We will be aggressively searching for ways to support the artists who thought of UTR as home.

In the certainty that better times will come, we continue to work to preserve the health and mission of The Public. We look forward to a time when we can fully expand back into the robust and expansive theater we need to be."

- Oskar Eustis"

[JasonC3]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 3:39pm

Museum officials have been quoted as saying one of the reasons Gadsby was brought in to curate was because she would attract new audiences to the exhibition and generate large buzz.  Gadsby may not be mainstream, but their specials, particularly Nanette (which won both an Emmy and a Peabody), received massive worldwide press attention.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 10:01pm

That flaccid statement is being torn to shreds on Instagram.