THIS STRETCH OF MONTPELIER Comes to the 14Y Theater Next Month

Parity Productions, the New York based theatre company dedicated to producing new work by women, trans, and gender-expansive playwrights, will open a developmental production of THIS STRETCH OF MONTPELIER by Kelley Nicole Girod at the 14Y Theater. This production is presented in association with Southern Comfort Productions and The Fire This Time Festival and will be directed by Parity Productions Founder and Artistic Director Ludovica Villar-Hauser. 

The 14Y Theater’s mission focuses on social awareness and change through big picture narrative. Inspired by works that welcome artists of all backgrounds, they place artists as the heart of the community and seek to create an inclusive cultural experience for all.

THIS STRETCH OF MONTPELIER will open on July 14th and run through July 28th, 2023. Tickets are on sale here. 

“This play originally started out as an ode to my grandmother, Katherine "Johnnie" Kendricks,” says playwright Girod. “I always admired how at ease and content she was, and when I later found out about the extreme hardships she endured, I wanted to understand her journey to a place of such palpable personal peace. The result is a play that examines the complexities of the Louisiana that I grew up in - a beautiful natural world that hides a dark past; Black and White neighbors who are forever linked by events from long ago; the restlessness of individuals in a place where the pace of life offers little relief or escape…"

On a hot and humid summer day In Montpelier, Louisiana, a community of isolated neighbors -- divided by property lines, race, class and tradition, but bonded by overlapping personal and cultural histories-- reckon with the truth and their uncertain fates as they look for refuge in unlikely places.

“Kelley’s writing is exquisite, lyrical and reminiscent of Tennessee Williams. THIS STRETCH OF MONTPELIER shows us how racism affects everyone. It is a beautifully told story about neighbors living on a small stretch of road with miles of secrets,” says Villar-Hauser. “This will be considered a classic play for our time.” 

Parity Productions identifies, develops, and produces new work exclusively by women, trans, and gender-expansive playwrights. At all phases of development and production, our creative teams are comprised of 80-100% women, trans, and gender-expansive artists. Our work unrelentingly centers the experiences of women, trans, and gender-expansive individuals onstage and off to provide urgent perspective to our audience and the industry, and to create greater momentum in achieving gender parity within the American theatre.

The Fire This Time Festival is an Obie award winning theater festival founded in 2009 by playwright Kelley Nicole Girod to provide a platform for early career playwrights of African and African American descent. Since its founding, the Festival has produced the plays of dozens of emerging writers whose works explore a wide range of themes and perspectives. The Festival also supports actors, directors, and technical personnel to help seed the pipeline with diverse talent and amplify underrepresented voices in theater in New York and beyond.

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