Sarah Benson News

Abrons Arts Center is pleased to present the world premiere of Aloha, Aloha, or When I Was a Queen (April 4-21), a solo play written and performed by Eliza Bent and directed by Knud Adams. In 1996, a young Eliza Bent, along with a friend, created, directed and starred in an amateur historical film for a school project. In it, Bent portrayed Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. 22 years later, Bent uses her home movie as a jumping off point to lead audiences on a journey that grapples with personal history, legacy, and cultural appropriation. In the tradition of Spalding Gray, Fran Lebowitz, and David Sedaris, Bent's humorous cringe-inducing stories chart a young Bostonian's education in race and appropriation.

Tickets are now on sale for the Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; James Houghton, Founder) New York City premiere production of Paradise Blue, by Obie Award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau (Skeleton Crew, Pipeline) and directed by Tony Award-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson (The Piano Lesson, Jitney). Paradise Blue is the first play of Morisseau's Signature Residency, which will include three productions over the course of five years.

Just last night, the Signature Theatre held its Annual Gala at The Pershing Square Signature Center (located at 480 West 42nd Street between 9th & 10th Avenues). The event celebrated the late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee and honored the passionate and visionary leadership of former President of the Signature Board of Trustees, Michael Rauch. 

Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb (Maria Striar, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director) is proud to announce the line-up for SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays. Now in its 23rd season, SUMMERWORKS will run May 19 through June 30 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd Street) in Manhattan, and will feature productions of three new plays: TIN CAT SHOES by Trish Harnetiaux and directed by Knud Adams; WILDER GONE by Angela Hanks; and PLANO by Will Arbery and directed by Taylor Reynolds.

Soho Rep. (Sarah Benson, Artistic Director; Cynthia Flowers, Executive Director), has extended the world premiere of Aleshea Harris's Relentless Award-winning Is God Is, directed by Taibi Magar, a second time, through March 31.

Abrons Arts Center is pleased to present the world premiere of Aloha, Aloha, or When I Was a Queen (April 4-21), a solo play written and performed by Eliza Bent and directed by Knud Adams. In 1996, a young Eliza Bent, along with a friend, created, directed and starred in an amateur historical film for a school project. In it, Bent portrayed Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. 22 years later, Bent uses her home movie as a jumping off point to lead audiences on a journey that grapples with personal history, legacy, and cultural appropriation. In the tradition of Spaulding Gray, Fran Leibowitz, and David Sedaris, Bent's humorous cringe-inducing stories chart a young Bostonian's education in race and appropriation.

In response to popular demand, Soho Rep. (Sarah Benson, Artistic Director; Cynthia Flowers, Executive Director) extends the world premiere of Aleshea Harris's Relentless Award-winning Is God Is, directed by Taibi Magar by two weeks, through March 25. In this play, which dauntlessly cracks jokes as it eviscerates, twin sisters Anaia (Alfie Fuller) and Racine (Dame-Jasmine Hughes) undertake a murderous journey from the Dirty South to the California desert, seeking payback for a horrendous act. Is God Is treats both morality and genre as notions to be exploded, drawing on the ancient, the modern, the tragic, the Spaghetti Western, hip-hop and Afropunk in its subversion of theatrical constructs.

Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; James Houghton, Founder) will host several special events at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues) this winter, the company announced today.

Ars Nova one of the most adventurous Off-Broadway companies (New York Times), piece by piece productions and Z Space present the world premiere of The Lucky Ones, a new musical by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher (Hundred Days), commissioned and developed by Ars Nova.

Soho Rep. (Sarah Benson, Artistic Director; Cynthia Flowers, Executive Director) today announces the complete cast and creative team for the world premiere of Aleshea Harris's Relentless Award-winning Is God Is, directed by Taibi Magar (Ars Nova's Underground Railroad Game), February 6 - March 11, 2018. The play, with which Soho Rep. reopens its longtime Tribeca theater, dauntlessly cracks jokes as it eviscerates. Alfie Fuller and Dame-Jasmine Hughes play Anaia and Racine, twin sisters who undertake a murderous journey from the Dirty South to the California desert, seeking payback for a horrendous act. Is God Is treats both morality and genre as notions to be exploded, drawing on the ancient, the modern, the tragic, the Spaghetti Western, hip-hop and Afropunk in its subversion of theatrical constructs.

Following a year-long search, Ars Nova one of the most adventurous Off Broadway companies (New York Times) has been selected by Greenwich House as the new tenant of their historic, 199-seat Greenwich House Theater, which opened in 1917 and is located at 27 Barrow Street. In addition to operating and filling the beloved venue with new work by its emerging artists, Ars Nova will partner with Greenwich House on new community engagement and educational initiatives that will deepen the mission of both non-profit organizations.

Soho Rep. (Sarah Benson, Artistic Director; Cynthia Flowers, Executive Director) reopens its iconic downtown Manhattan theater with the world premiere of Aleshea Harris's Relentless Award-winning Is God Is, directed by Taibi Magar (Ars Nova's Underground Railroad Game), February 6 - March 11, 2018.

Niegel Smith, Artistic Director and Carol Ostrow, Producing Director of The Flea Theater proudly announce the slate for their spring season, which will feature three world premieres, the return of its late-night series Serials, as well as new programming Cereals, plays for younger audiences and Flea Fridays, an immersive weekend cabaret.

Ars Nova, piece by piece productions and Z Space present the world premiere of The Lucky Ones, a new musical by The Bengsons (Hundred Days) and Sarah Gancher, commissioned and developed by Ars Nova.

Ars Nova, one of the most adventurous Off Broadway companies (New York Times), announces NOVA BALL XX17, the non-profit's annual gala, which will take place on Monday, November 13 at Capitale (130 Bowery). NOVA BALL XX17 will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Play Group, Ars Nova's emerging playwrights' collective.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, just presented its first annual 'SDC Foundation Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Directing and Choreography.'

Atlantic Theater Company recently announced its 2017-2018 Amplified Reading Series selections, presenting six bold new plays throughout Atlantic's season with an expanded rehearsal process for more meaningful engagement with the material and the playwright.

While Suzan-Lori Parks' ferocious drama from 2000, f**kING A, enjoys an excellent new production at Signature Theatre, across the lobby of their multi-stage center, her more sensitive 1999 exploration, IN THE BLOOD, also receives a solid remounting.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, announces its first annual 'SDC Foundation Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Directing and Choreography.'

Atlantic Theater Company has announced its 2017-2018 Amplified Reading Series selections, presenting six bold new plays throughout Atlantic's season with an expanded rehearsal process for more meaningful engagement with the material and the playwright.