Photos: Matthew LaBanca Premieres COMMUNION At The Cell Theatre

Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre in association with Spin Cycle presents COMMUNION, written and performed by Matthew LaBanca and directed by Kira Simring. Ripped from the headlines, COMMUNION is a one-man show about a gay Catholic school teacher who is fired when the church discovers that he married a man. His termination causes a crisis of faith, not only for himself but for his entire community.

Based on the real-life story of Broadway actor and playwright Matthew LaBanca, COMMUNION spotlights themes of delusion, spiritual trauma, and hope, reminding those who would use religion to discriminate against LGBTQ people that the most basic tenet of spiritual life is that we are called to love one another.

COMMUNION continues through October 1 at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre, located at 338 W. 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011. Running time is 65 minutes. Tickets are $20, available at www.thecelltheatre.org.

COMMUNION features projection, music and sound by Julianne Merrill; additional projections by Ryan Belock; set and costumes by Rodrigo Hernandez; lighting and technical direction by Julian Singer-Corbin; and production stage management by Richard Urquiza. Brian Reager is Associate Director and Mara Jill Herman is Associate Producer.

Matthew LaBanca performed on Broadway in the original companies of Young Frankenstein, White Christmas, and A Christmas Carol. His solo show Good Enough played Off Broadway at the United Solo Festival, winning the festival's Best Musical Award in 2014. Matthew’s controversial termination from the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2021 led to a media firestorm, and is the inspiration for his new solo show, Communion. His story is also portrayed in the documentary May All Be Wed, which makes its debut on the film festival circuit this autumn. Matthew’s TV credits include Broad City, Live from Lincoln Center, and the upcoming season of Severance on Apple+. In addition to performing, Matthew is a proud NYC elementary music teacher at PS151 in Woodside, Queens.

 

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