Livy Scanlon, Artistic Director Of The Hanover Theatre Repertory, To Perform In NYC And Florida

After opening its second season with back-to-back productions of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and The Return of the Edgar Allan Poe Double Header, The Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep) sends its artistic director Livy Scanlon on a multi-city adventure that will continue building Worcester's reputation as a new regional home for great professional theatre. 

  

That adventure follows Judith, a new play by Katie Bender, conceived and performed by Scanlon.   

  

In Judith, Shakespeare's sister dresses in drag and heads to London to save her brother's reputation. There, she discovers the pleasures and pitfalls of passing as a poet known around town as The Bard. Gallivanting in and out of character, Judith is an unexpected solo show that questions ambition, self-worth and queer identity. 

  

In March of this year, with funding from the Barr Foundation, THT Rep produced an experimental staged reading of Judith directed by Brendon Fox, which played live in the BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) while live-streaming to industry professionals around the country.  

  

Thanks to that livestream, Judith caught the eye of All For One Theater (AFO), an organization in New York City dedicated to developing and producing solo work.  

 

“Katie Bender is an extraordinary playwright with a brilliant touch for striking both the darkly funny and the empathetic heart of a piece,” explains Nicholas Cotz, Executive and Producing Director of AFO. “When she brought me the script she created with Scanlon, I was immediately pulled in by the very conceit - and when I saw the execution and quality of Scanlon's performance, I knew this was a show we had to support." 

  

AFO will present its own staged reading of Judith, directed by Alex Keegan, at WP Theatre, an Off-Broadway house on Manhattan's Upper West Side, in hopes of courting an artistic director or company eager to produce a fully realized New York premiere. The reading is free and open to the public, playing November 16-18.  Learn more and RSVP at JudithAFO.Eventbrite.com. 

  

After New York, Judith will head to Florida for her world premiere production, where Fox will resume the helm as the show's director.  

 

"Bender has created a singular theatrical experience, with Scanlon portraying not only Judith, but also her friends, foes and love interests,” extolls Fox. “This makes the production an exciting ride, highlighting how our identities are more fluid than we think." 

 

The host venue, located in Sarasota, is Urbanite Theatre, where Summer Dawn Wallace serves as Producing Artistic Director.  

  

"We are thrilled to collaborate with THT Rep to bring the world premiere of Judith to life,” offers Wallace. “This groundbreaking play is vibrant, timely, and a daring exploration of the journey to break free from the constraints of gender barriers."  

  

After 40 performances in the Sunshine State running January 5-February 18, the Urbanite production of Judith will return home to Worcester and the BrickBox Theater to round out THT Rep's 2023-2024 season, playing in rotation with Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, also directed by Fox. 

  

“The American Theatre may have tentacles in all 50 states, but is ultimately a smallish industry,” explains Scanlon, who will continue to perform the titular role in Judith's upcoming iterations. “That we helped create Judith, and she's now actively wanted elsewhere, gives THT Rep ‘cred' as a regional producer of professional theatre, including new work.  It also helps establish Worcester as a city with cultural chops.” 

  

While traveling with Judith, Scanlon will continue as Managing Director of the JMAC, working remotely to support presenters and staff.  She'll also work with the Senior Leadership Team at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts (THTC) to curate, plan and announce THT Rep's 24-25 season. 

  

“Building creative relationships beyond Worcester will help us continue to foster a professional theatre community within Worcester,” asserts Troy Siebels, President and CEO of THTC. “We're proud to send Livy to New York and Florida as a cultural ambassador of sorts, and excited to see THT Rep becoming part of a national dialogue.”

About All For One Theater (New York, NY)

All For One is dedicated to producing and developing extraordinary solo theater and to creating opportunities for solo artists to enjoy sustaining careers. Extraordinary solo theater is unique in its ability to deliver life-changing stories. It speaks with a passion and intimacy that compels us to lean in, learn, relate, and revel, while offering a range of topics and experiences as diverse as humankind itself. Since 2011, All For One Theater has presented acclaimed full-length solo plays Off-Broadway. We also created the AFO Solo Collective (AFO|SoCo) to nurture and develop some of the brightest writing, performing, and directing talent in the solo world. www.afo.nyc 

 

About Urbanite Theatre (Sarasota, FL)

Urbanite is committed to creating visceral, shared experiences by fearlessly uplifting the boldest new voices in theatre. They believe in inclusive, artist-first storytelling, daring honesty, and the powerful connectivity of an intimate space. Located in the heart of downtown Sarasota, Florida, Urbanite is an award-winning theatre committed to equity and inclusion both on and off the stage. They produce captivating new plays that demand conversation and leave the best questions unanswered. Their fully flexible black-box theatre is the most intimate venue in the region, creating a highly immersive experience for patrons and challenging perspectives. www.UrbaniteTheatre.com 

 

Judith Project History

Judith was developed with the Hyde Park Theater Writers Group in 2020 and 2021. It then enjoyed a non-Equity production at Hyde Park in 2022, directed by Madge Darlington, for which it won a B. Iden Payne Award for best original script. 

 

About The Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep)

The mission of THT Rep is to engage, entertain and energize audiences with dynamic theatrical events made in and for Worcester, with a focus on classics, modern classics and classics-inspired works. In short: vital cities have vital downtowns, and vital downtowns have great professional theatre. Learn more at TheHanoverTheatre.org/THTRep.

 

About The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts

Since opening in 2008, The Hanover Theatre has entertained more than two million guests with Broadway musicals, comedy headliners, music, dance and more. POLLSTAR consistently ranks The Hanover Theatre as one of the top theatres in the world. The award-winning historic theatre continues to establish its place as a world-class center for the performing arts, a venue for local cultural and civic organizations and a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Worcester. This year, The Hanover Theatre celebrates its 15th anniversary with the opening of the Francis R. Carroll Plaza. This new space offers free outdoor events throughout the year. The Hanover Theatre's facilities at 551 Main Street house function spaces, offices and The Hanover Theatre Conservatory.

 

Worcester Center for Performing Arts is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which owns and operates The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts (THT) and, on behalf of the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC), manages Worcester's BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC). All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Photo credit: Unity Mike Photography

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