Koenig & Cook's THE POSTMAN'S DAUGHTER Comes to Teatro Círculo This Month

"The Postman's Daughter," a new musical with words by Danielle Koenig and music by Justin D. Cook will be presented as a fully-staged workshop production by Forager Theatre Company at Teatro Círculo for six performances only (April 24-27, 2025). 

This original work is an intimate, heartfelt, epistolary musical that follows an aging postman whose estranged daughter unexpectedly moves into a house on his route after giving birth to her first child. As they begin to reconnect through messages, the daughter doesn't initially realize she's corresponding with her father, and the Postman, unsure whether he wants to reveal his identity, grapples with the complexities of their fractured past. As the truth eventually comes to light, both must confront their past, their assumptions, and their evolving connection in powerful and surprising ways.

"Thematically, it's a story about forgiveness, communication, and distance," says Koenig about the musical. "It [shows] two people trying really hard to reach out to each other but not actually connecting physically in a real way, [as well as] recognizing the fullness of the other's humanity, and recognizing yourself as a parent or a child in all the complexity of those identities."

Danielle Koenig's previous work has been developed by Second Stage, Theatre NOW, Prospect Theatre Company, and Syracuse University, and presented at Lincoln Center, Joe's Pub, Rattlestick Playwright's Theater, and 54 Below. Justin D. Cook's work has been seen at Lincoln Center, UCLA, Syracuse University, Prospect Theatre Company, NYU, Rattlestick Theater, Nautilus Music-Theater, and has music directed with Children's Theatre Company, UCLA, Illusion Theater, among many other schools and theaters.

Forager Theatre Company will be producing this original sung-through musical as a workshop production, starring Angela Travino* (SUFFS at The Public Theatre, South Pacific National Tour) as The Daughter and Carlos Encinias* (How to Dance in Ohio, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!) as The Postman, and directed by Irvin Mason Jr.. Forager is an independent non-profit that "builds dynamic, joyful, and holistic theatrical experiences from the objects, spaces, viewpoints, contributions, and people it can gather from any and everywhere." It comprises four branches: Take Root donation-based classes, Unearth readings and content development, Blossom concerts and one-night experiences, and Harvest staged productions. Their recent work includes inventive reimagined productions of "tick, tick...BOOM!" (The New Ohio) and "Flora the Red Menace" (Court Square Theatre), as well as fully-mounted premieres of Sarah Groustra's "The Hand That Feeds You" and Eliana Rubin's "Tides" (The Tank). www.foragertheatre.com

PERFORMANCES: Thursday April 24th @ 3pm and 8pm, Friday April 25th @ 8pm, Saturday April 26th @ 3pm and 8pm, Sunday April 27th @ 3pm.

LOCATION: Teatro Círculo (64 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003), (212) 505-1808, accessible by 4/6/BDFM subways, near NQRW line.

CAST: The production stars Carlos Encinias* (Broadway: How to Dance in Ohio, Scandalous, Les Miserables, Good Vibrations) and Angela Travino* (National Tour: South Pacific, Mac-Haydn Theatre: Anything Goes, Ogunquit Playhouse: From Here to Eternity). *Actors appear courtesy of Actors Equity Association.