Virtual Premiere of THE NICETIES Starring Lisa Banes and Jordan Boatman to Stream in May

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced the premiere of a special new adaptation of The Niceties written directly for the virtual stage by Eleanor Burgess and directed by Kimberly Senior, streaming on demand from Thursday, May 27 through Sunday, June 13 only in association with The Huntington.

Tickets are free and can be reserved at www.manhattantheatreclub.com/mtc-now-showing.

The Niceties debuted at The Huntington in Boston, MA from August 31 - September 30, 2018 prior to arriving at Manhattan Theatre Club (October 12 - November 18, 2018). The new virtual presentation, reimagined for the digital space, will reunite original stars Lisa Banes (Present Laughter, "Royal Pains") and Jordan Boatman (Hulu's "The Path").

The play was originally presented as part of MTC's Ted Snowdon Reading Series in 2017.

In The Niceties an ambitious young Black college student and her esteemed white professor meet over Skype to discuss a paper the college junior is writing about the American Revolution. Unfortunately, they find it hard to agree about the facts of the past - or the present. Discussions of grammar and Google turn to race and reputation, and soon they're in dangerous territory neither of them had foreseen - and facing stunning implications that can't be undone. Written with powerful truth and humor by Eleanor Burgess, this deeply resonant work is directed by Kimberly Senior (Disgraced). The Washington Post hails it as "a barnstormer of a play," adding that it's "one of the best plays I've seen about who gets to tell the story of America, and how."

The Niceties' design team includes Cameron Anderson (Production Design Consultant), Emily Auciello (Sound Design), Rocco DeSanti (Editor), and Thomas Dieter (Stage Manager).

The Niceties is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

The world premiere of The Niceties was co-produced in the 2018-2019 season by The Huntington (Peter DuBois, Artistic Director Michael Maso, Managing Director), Boston, MA; Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director Barry Grove, Executive Producer), New York, NY; and McCarter Theatre Center (Emily Mann, Artistic Director/Resident Playwright Michael S. Rosenberg, Managing Director), Princeton, NJ.

Originally developed at the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in July 2017, under the leadership of Ed Herendeen, Producing Director, and Peggy McKowen, Associate Producing Director.

Developed in part at Portland Stage Company, Anita Stewart, Executive & Artistic Director.

While physical stages remain dark across America, Manhattan Theatre Club invites audiences to gather virtually as a community and find connection, inspiration, and entertainment through a series of virtual theatrical experiences from the comfort of their homes. Up-to-date information about all MTC Virtual Stage initiatives can always be found at www.manhattantheatreclub.com/virtual.

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