Anne Gee Byrd to Star in WINTER'S BENCH World Premiere at 24th Street Theatre

Scientists have discovered that trees communicate through vast underground networks. But what if one had something to say to us? Anne Gee Byrd, joined onstage by flutist Shih-wei Wu, will star in the world premiere of Winter's Bench, a new play by Olivier Award-winning British playwright Mike Kenny. Commissioned by 24th Street Theatre and directed by artistic director Debbie Devine, performances run September 5 through October 25 at the company's home, a converted carriage house in L.A.'s West Adams historic district.

Set in a park where only one ancient tree remains, Winter's Bench follows Gladys, an elderly woman who has spent a lifetime believing the tree spoke to her when she was a child, and who waits, even now, to hear its voice again. Blending storytelling, live music and imagination, Winter's Bench is both a memory play and a meditation on nature, aging and hope. At a time when forests are disappearing and loneliness is on the rise, Winter's Bench invites audiences to consider what we lose when we stop listening—to nature, to one another and to the stories that shape us.

Winter's Bench marks 24th Street Theatre's third collaboration with Kenny, following the acclaimed Walking the Tightrope and Rapunzel Alone. Named among the Independent on Sunday's “Top Ten Living UK Playwrights,” he is widely regarded as one of Britain's leading writers for the stage.

The production reunites many of the artists behind 24th Street Theatre's celebrated original works, including composer Bradley Brough, scenic designer Keith Mitchell, video designer Matthew G. Hill, lighting designer Dan Weingarten, sound designer Nick Foran and Costume Designer Shannon Kennedy. Jesús Castaños-Chima serves as assistant director, Beja Wolf is production stage manager, and Jay McAdams produces.

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