WP Theater's PIPELINE FESTIVAL Begins, Full Casting Announced

Casting is announced for WP Theater's second biennial Pipeline Festival, which begins performances today, Thursday March 29. The festival, which showcases the work of the celebrated WP Lab residency for playwrights, directors and producers, runs through April 28 at WP Theater (2162 Broadway & 76th Street).

The culmination of the two-year WP Lab residency, the 2018 Pipeline Festival provides a unique opportunity for audiences and industry to access five new plays at various stages of development, ranging from staged readings to full-length workshop productions. True to its name, the festival serves as a pipeline to funnel talented female-identified and trans artists and their work to the forefront of American theater.

The 2016-2018 WP Lab is:

PLAYWRIGHTS: Donnetta Lavinia Grays, MJ Kaufman, Sylvia Khoury, Zoe Sarnak, Leah Nanako Winkler

DIRECTORS: Melissa Crespo, Morgan Gould, Ellie Heyman, Tyne Rafaeli, Mo Zhou

PRODUCERS: Roxanna Barrios, Sally Cade Holmes, Nidia Medina, Laura Ramadei, Yuvika Tolani

Shelley Butler leads the Director's Lab, Stephanie Ybarra leads the Producer's Lab and WP Theater's Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty leads the Playwright's Lab.

Tickets for The Pipeline Festival are now on sale via WWW.WPTHEATER.ORG/ 888.811.4111. Festival passes are available for $60. The performance schedule is as follows: Thursday at 7:00pm, Friday at 3:00pm & 8:00pm, and Saturday at 8:00pm.

2018 PIPELINE FESTIVAL PLAYS:

WEEK 1: MARCH 29 - 31

GALATEA or WHATEVER YOU BE

By MJ Kaufman * Directed by Mo Zhou * Produced by Yuvika Tolani

Set Design: Carolyn Mraz * Costume Design: Andrea Hood * Lighting Design: Masha Tsimring * Sound Design: Joanna Lynne Staub

Cast: Hennessy, Esco Jouléey, Eve Lindley, Pooya Mohseni, Bailey Roper, Futaba Shioda, Morgan Sullivan.

A trans love story set against the backdrop of a climate crisis. Loosely based on John Lyly's 1585 play, Galatea tells the story of two young women from a village threatened with flooding who escape to the nearby woods disguised as boys and fall in love

WEEK 2: APRIL 5 - 7

THE REVIEW or HOW TO EAT YOUR OPPOSITION

By Donnetta Lavinia Grays * Directed by Melissa Crespo * Produced by Roxanna Barrios

Set Design: Kimie Nishikawa * Costume Design: Lux Haac * Lighting Design: Masha Tsimring * Sound Design: Emily Auciello

Cast: Chae Castello, Tia James, January LaVoy, Chalia La Tour

In the fall of 2001, there's a marked change in the air of New York City. When a naive yet self-righteous art critic questions an iconic visual artist's integrity, the stage is set for a sexy, emotional, and intellectual game of football between critic and artist.

WEEK 3: APRIL 12 - APRIL 14

AFLOAT

Music and Lyrics by Zoe Sarnak * Book by Emily Kaczmarek * Directed by Ellie Heyman * Produced by Nidia Medina

Set Design: Kimie Nishikawa * Costume Design: Haydee Zelideth * Lighting Design: Lucrecia Briceno * Sound Design: Joanna Lynne Staub

Cast: Zeniba Britt, Jordon Bolden, AnnEliza Canning-Skinner, Ben Mayne, Max Sheldon, Angela Travino, Michelle Veintimilla

In a near-future America ravaged by climate change, teenagers Blue, Nico, and Casey steal a boat and set sail. A kinetic musical odyssey about friendship, survival...and the future of civilization.

WEEK 4: APRIL 19 - APRIL 21

POWER STRIP

By Sylvia Khoury * Directed by Tyne Rafaeli * Produced by Laura Ramadei

Set Design: Kimie Nishikawa * Lighting Design: Masha Tsimring* Sound Design: Joanna Lynne Staub

Cast: May Calamawy, Nikki Massoud, Laith Nakli, Babak Tafti

A young woman is tethered to the only power source in a Syrian refugee camp. Caught in a war-torn world, dictated by the needs and expectations of men, she battles for power of her own.

WEEK 5: APRIL 26 - APRIL 28

TWO MILE HOLLOW

By Leah Nanako Winkler * Directed by Morgan Gould * Produced by Sally Cade Holmes

Set Design: Carolyn Mraz * Costume Design: Haydee Zelideth * Lighting Design: Lucrecia Briceno * Sound Design: Emily Auciello

Cast: Bjorn DuPaty, Katie Lee Hill, Keren Lugo, Sathya Sridharan, Jade Wu

Two Mile Hollow explores the age-old theater genre of affluent white families retreating to their big houses for a weekend of secrets and fights with brutality, awe and compassion.... only this time, none of the white characters are played by white actors.

WPTHEATER.ORG

Photo Credit: Eric Michelson

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