Waterwell Announces 7 MINUTES Casting

Waterwell has announced casting for the U.S. premiere of Stefano Massini's 7 Minutes, produced in association with Working Theater. The cast of 11 is composed entirely of women and gender non-conforming BIPOC+ actors.

The play will feature Nicole Ansari (Rock 'n' Roll) as Mahtab, Jojo Brown (Hulu & Freeform's "Single Drunk Female") as Jordan, Danielle Davenport (An Octoroon) as Danielle, Julia Gu (BAb(oo)shka) as Alex, Simone Immanuel (New York debut) as Rachel, Mahira Kakkar (Monsoon Wedding) as Denise, Layla Khoshnoudi (Dance Nation) as Leyla, Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Chicken & Biscuits) as Linda, Aigner Mizzelle (Chicken & Biscuits) as Sophie, Sushma Saha (Interstate) as Nicole, and Carmen Zilles (Fefu and her Friends) as Inés. Genevieve Ortiz will serve as the Production Stage Manager.

Based on actual events, 7 Minutes depicts an urgent meeting of the 11 women and gender non-conforming folx elected to the union council of their rural Connecticut textile factory. Changes at the factory seem inevitable when new owners take over, giving the council only 90 minutes to vote on a decision with serious consequences for everyone at the factory. Tempers flare and anxieties boil over as personal needs, perspectives and suspicions vie for position while the clock runs down.

Written by Stefano Massini (The Lehman Trilogy), the English-language premiere of 7 Minutes is directed by Mei Ann Teo (SKiNFoLK: An American Show), with a translation by Francesca Spedalieri commissioned by Waterwell. 7 Minutes will play March 17 through April 10, 2022 at HERE in Manhattan. Opening night is set for March 27, 2022.

A razor-sharp portrait of unionized factory workers grappling in real time with the power imbalance they depend on for their very livelihoods, 7 Minutes scrutinizes the individual impact of the economic forces and labor practices currently under debate in the United States. Best known in New York for his acclaimed play The Lehman Trilogy - a searing study in the unfettered pursuit of wealth by early captains of American industry - Massini tracks in 7 Minutes the lasting effects of the capitalist system they helped build on the workers of today, who bear the brunt of ever-tightening productivity demands and decades of government policy and business interest weakening the labor movement.

7 Minutes will feature scenic design by You-Shin Chen, costume design by Asa Benally, lighting and sound design by Hao Bai, and props design by Patricia Marjorie. Taylor Williams is the casting director, Victor Cervantes Jr. is the line producer, and Brittany Coyne is the production manager. AriDy Nox serves as dramaturg.

7 Minutes has been produced around the world, including in Italy, France, Germany and Iran. This production is a part of SubletSeries@HERE: a curated rental program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as a technical liaison.

Tickets are priced according to a Sliding Scale Ticketing Initiative, reflecting Waterwell and Working Theater's commitment to accessibility. For tickets and information, visit waterwell.org. HERE is located at 145 6th Avenue in Manhattan (enter on Dominick Street, one block south of Spring Street).

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