World Premiere of TELL ME YOU'RE DYING Comes to Chautauqua Theater Company

Chautauqua Theater Company the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, has announced plans for the world premiere of Tell Me You're Dying, a CTC-commissioned work by Brooklyn-based playwright C.A. Johnson.

This year marks CTC's third consecutive year producing a world premiere, underscoring the company's commitment to supporting fresh voices in American theater. C.A. Johnson, an emerging powerhouse known for her poignant, complex explorations of human relationships, offers audiences an unconventional tale of love and survival against an apocalyptic backdrop.

The world premiere of Tell Me You're Dying is an opportunity to experience a daring and genre-blending production - a post-apocalyptic lesbian love story that pushes the boundaries of contemporary drama while exploring themes central to our shared humanity. Facing illness, mortality, and the shared urgency of dwindling time, the darkly funny and wildly magnetic Millicent and her chosen family of misfits forge connections with both heart and wit. Through their collective journey, Johnson creates a story rich with vulnerability, brutal honesty, exacting humor, and an unmistakable yearning for human connection in a reality that threatens to tear them apart.

The production will be directed by CTC's Producing Artistic Director Jade King Carroll and will premiere in August 2025 during the final two weeks of Chautauqua Institution's nine-week Summer Assembly.

"With this play, C.A. is sharing her true power as a playwright, inviting us to delve into what it means to be alive," said Carroll. "She is expanding upon her remarkable talent for navigating effortlessly between realism and the surreal. I cannot wait to share this compelling world premiere as part of Chautauqua Theater Company's 2025 season."

Of her collaboration with CTC, Johnson said, "Since my original commission in 2022, Jade and her team have supported every iteration of Tell Me You're Dying. To say I'm excited is an understatement! More than anything, though, I am grateful for what this production represents. Every playwright wants to know a company is committed to their voice, but at Chautauqua, I feel an even deeper commitment to lifelong artistic curiosity. I can't imagine a better first home for this play and look forward to the work ahead."

In presenting this captivating new work, CTC reaffirms its dedication to championing innovative, diverse voices that challenge and inspire audiences. Looking ahead to August 2025, Chautauqua invites theatergoers to witness an engrossing production that blends laughter, heartache, and a fierce sense of humanity in a way that only live theater can.

This commission is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

CTC's additional programming will be announced in the coming weeks and tickets will go on sale in February of 2025.

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