Branden Jacobs-Jenkins News

Wagner College Theatre Stage One presents Everybody, a sparkling new riff on the 15th-century morality play The Summoning of Everyman, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, from November 29 through December 2.

Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins seems like a man who likes to make theatre audiences uncomfortable, and make them question their most basic reactions. Rhode Islanders will be familiar with his play Appropriate, which was at Trinity Rep in 2016, and may have left many scratching their heads in a 'what did I just watch?' way. GLORIA, playing through December 16 at the Gamm is a similar head scratcher, but is remarkably well-executed with a strong cast and excellent direction. The mental gymnastics this play asks of the audience are confounding, and there are plenty of moments where the script feels manipulative, but the end result is satisfyingly perplexing in a way that feels new.

As usual, Mixed Blood Theatre is doing something pretty remarkable right now. They're presenting three plays in rep, all written by young black men. Under the umbrella 'Prescient Harbingers' (meaning: 'having or showing knowledge of events before they take place;' 'a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another'), these three brilliant plays explore what it means to be a black man in America, directly or indirectly (one is even subtitled BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES), along with commenting on race relations in America and more generally on modern life in America. Young black men are dying at an alarming rate, and these are voices we need to listen to if we ever hope to understand the problem so that we can stop it from happening. If you are a young black man, I can only imagine how validating it must feel to see these voices and these stories on stage. If you're not, I encourage you to go see one, two, or preferably all three of these plays with an open mind and an open heart. Listen, hear, laugh, cry, be disturbed, get angry, join the movement for justice and equality.

Vineyard Theatre announces the opening of a new rehearsal space for both Vineyard productions and industry rental.

Actor's Express presents An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Directed by Donya K. Washington, Associate Producer at the Alliance Theatre, this wildly imaginative new work  turns a 19th century melodrama on its ear in a riotous romp that hurls the antebellum south into direct collision with 21st century cultural politics. "Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is one of the most exciting playwrights writing for the American theatre today. This play uses crazy theatricality to cast a critical eye on the modern world through the lens of the past," says Artistic Director Freddie Ashley.

Meghan Lantzy will become the new General Manager at Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Harold Wolpert, Executive Director; James Houghton, Founder), the company announced today. Ms. Lantzy comes to Signature from Lincoln Center Theater, where she has worked for more than 12 years.  

Victory Gardens Theater, with Actors Theatre of Louisville, to present the Co-World Premiere of How to Defend Yourself, written by Lily Padilla and directed by Marti Lyons. How to Defend Yourself will be presented at the 2019 Humana Festival of New American Plays (March 21 - April 7, 2019) and as part of the Victory Gardens Theater 2019/2020 Season (January 24 - February 23, 2020).

Artists Repertory Theatre presents Everybody, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama. The production is co-directed by Jessica Wallenfels and Damaso Rodriguez, and is an inventive twist on a medieval morality play. Everybody runs from November 25 through December 30 on the Alder Stage.

Signature Theatre will partner with American Theatre, the national magazine for the American professional not-for-profit theatre published by Theatre Communications Group, on a new series of panel discussions covering subject matters relevant to theatre audiences and practitioners. All panels, which are free and open to the public, will take place at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).

Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA; Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) presents the New York Premiere of C.I.C.T. - Theatre du Bouffes du Nord's The Prisoner, continuing Peter Brook's 40-year-long collaboration with playwright/director Marie-Helene Estienne.  

The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) continues Season 34 (2018-2019) with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Gloria, an alarming and bitingly funny drama by one of the most celebrated young playwrights in American theater. Jacobs-Jenkins' scathing satire of the media and the public's hunger for sensational news stories was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize. His last two plays, An Octoroon and Appropriate, took on race and bigotry and won him the Obie for Best American Play for both scripts. Jacobs-Jenkins 'has established himself as one of the country's most original and unsettling dramatists,' declared the New York Times.

Following their Jeff Award Recommended run of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' regional premiere of EVERYBODY, Brown Paper Box Co. continues their 2018/2019 season with a 2-night presentation of BOOMBOX: a (sort of) solo show by Jeff Award nominee Hannah Starr (they/them). BOOMBOX runs 2 nights only - November 26, 2018 and December 1, 2018 at The Frontier (1106 W Thorndale Ave.).

This winter, Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 will produce the world premiere of MARYS SEACOLE, a new play by Jackie Sibblies Drury, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65 Street).

Nancy Manocherian's the cell (Artistic Director Kira Simring) in Chelsea, New York City has announced Sandra A. Daley-Sharif's play Straddling the Edge as part of the cell's ongoing residency series. Artistic Director Kira Simring will direct and features Almeria Campbell, Jacqueline Gregg, Nathan Hinton, Justin Jorrell, Travis Raeburn and Robert McKay. Perri Gaffney will read stage directions.

Playing On Air announced today the three winners of the inaugural James Stevenson Prize for comedic short plays. First Prize ($7,500, plus a Playing On Air recording for radio and podcast distribution) has been awarded to Hate Baby by Gracie Gardner. (Gardner is also the winner of the 2017 Relentless Award and author of the New York Times Critic's Pick Athena.) Second Prize ($2,000) has been awarded to Hedgehog Years by Lily Akerman. Third Prize ($1,000) has been awarded to Horse Latitudes (Who Wants to be an Equine Extra?) by Elizabeth Logun.

Vineyard Theatre's 2018-19 Paula Vogel Playwriting Award was recently presented to Jeremy O. Harris.

Southern Rep Theatre has announced that its Regional Premiere production of A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2, by Lucas Hnath, will extend one additional week, running now through October 28. The production opened Monday, October 8 to rave reviews and is the first Mainstage production of Southern Rep's 2018-19 season in their new permanent home located at 2541 Bayou Road, New Orleans. 

The New York premiere of Ngozi Anyanwu's GOOD GRIEF, directed by Awoye Timpo, will begin performances the Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street) on Thursday, October 11.  Opening night is set for Tuesday, October 30th.

Following their Jeff Award Recommended run of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' regional premiere of EVERYBODY, Brown Paper Box Co. concludes their 2018/2019 season with the Chicago storefront premiere of Little Women the Musical running January 11-February 9, 2019 at Strawdog Theatre Company.

Today ChiChi Anyanwu of the NYC Black Theater Network, Marcia Pendelton, President of Walk Tall Girl Productions/Black Theater Online, and the award-winning Vineyard Theatre announced BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS: THEY SPEAK. WHO LISTENS? A Black Theater Fall Preview: Off Broadway Edition.