Steve Cosson News

Songwriter Michael Friedman died in 2017, but his work will live on. According to The New York Times, nine albums of his unreleased work will soon be released.

The Civilians, under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Steve Cosson and Managing Director Margaret Moll, announces the members of its 2019-20 R&D Group, comprised of writers, composers, and directors who are creating new works derived from creative inquiry.  

Lucas Hnath's DANA H., now in its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre, recounts a harrowing trauma experienced by the playwright's mother, Dana Higginbotham. In 1997, she was working as a hospice chaplain in Florida when a former patient, a mentally ill ex-convict, kidnapped her for five months. Hnath tells this deeply personal story through a riveting device: actress Deirdre O'Connell lip-syncs to recordings of interviews with the real Dana, conducted by Steve Cosson nearly two decades after the recalled events. Under the direction of Les Waters, this uniquely intimate encounter between audience and narrator offers a terrifying glimpse into the mental and emotional realities of being a survivor of abuse.

Preview performances begin September 6 for the world premiere of Dana H. by Lucas Hnath, a?oeone of the freshest playwriting voices to emerge in the past five yearsa?? (The New York Times). A co-production with Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group, Dana H. is an innovative work that 'blurs the lines between documentary and drama' (The Hollywood Reporter) based on the harrowing true story of Hnath's own mother, Dana Higginbotham, and adapted from interviews conducted by Steve Cosson.

Six directors have convened in Arles, France for the sixth annual Sundance Institute | Luma Foundation Directors Retreat in Arles, France, from August 1-12, 2019. Founded in 2013 as a creative collaboration between Sundance Institute's Theatre Program and Luma Foundation, the Retreat is an opportunity for directors to meet, share best and emerging practices, and work self-directed on their upcoming projects.

Vineyard Theatre announces the company's winter production, completing its upcoming 2019-2020 season. DANA H., by Lucas Hnath, adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham conducted by Steve Cosson, and directed by Les Waters, will make its New York premiere, featuring Deirdre O'Connell in the title role, in the winter of 2020

Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce the company's winter production, completing its upcoming 2019-2020 season. DANA H., by Lucas Hnath, adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham conducted by Steve Cosson, and directed by Les Waters, will make its New York premiere, featuring Deirdre O'Connell in the title role, in the winter of 2020 following its engagements at Center Theatre Group and Goodman Theatre. DANA H. is a co-production of Vineyard Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and Center Theatre Group.

Goodman Theatre announces the casting and creative teams for its 2019/2020 "Theater That Moves" Season openers. The season kicks-off September 6 in the Owen Theatre with the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's Dana H., adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham conducted by Steve Cosson and directed by Les Waters.

The World Premiere of Lucas Hnath's DANA H. at the Kirk Douglas Theatre recounts the real-life story of the playwright's own mother, adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham which were conducted by Steve Cosson. Directed by Les Waters, the entire play is told in voiceovers from the real-life interviews, perfectly mimicked and emotionally heartfelt by Deirdre O'Connell in the title role. But be forewarned: this insider's look at a kidnapping and its repercussions is not for the faint of heart.

Performances have begun for the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's "Dana H." at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in a co-production with Goodman Theatre. Adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham, conducted by Steve Cosson, directed by Les Waters and featuring Deirdre O'Connell in the title role, "Dana H." will open on June 2 and continue through June 23, 2019.

The Civilians, under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Steve Cosson and Managing Director Margaret Moll, is proud to announce a series of lively and engaging post-show salons that will follow select performances of Claire Kiechel's Paul Swan is Dead and Gone. Luminaries from the world of arts and letters will speak on various themes relevant to Paul Swan's life and work including his residency in the Carnegie Hall studios, queer performance, and mid-century ideas of camps.

Rehearsals begin for the world premiere of Lucas Hnath's "Dana H." at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in a co-production with Goodman Theatre. Adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham, conducted by Steve Cosson, directed by Les Waters and featuring Deirdre O'Connell in the title role, "Dana H." will begin previews May 26, open June 2 and continue through June 23, 2019.

Center Theatre Group has announced that Deirdre O'Connell will play the title role in the world premiere of 'Dana H.' by Lucas Hnath at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in a co-production with Goodman Theatre. Adapted from interviews with Dana Higginbotham, conducted by Steve Cosson and directed by Les Waters, 'Dana H.' will begin previews May 26, open June 2 and continue through June 23, 2019. 'Dana H.' was originally commissioned by The Civilians (New York) and Goodman Theatre; it will appear at the Goodman from September 6 through October 6, 2019, during their 2019/2020 Season.

The Civilians, under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Steve Cosson and Managing Director Margaret Moll, is proud to present the world premiere of Paul Swan is Dead and Gone by Claire Kiechel, a former member of The Civilians' R&D Group where the play was first developed. Directed by Cosson and starring Tony Torn as the real-life Paul Swan, the production marks Kiechel's New York debut and runs April 25 - May 19, with an opening night set for May 1. For an audience of only 30, the intimate and immersive performance takes place at Torn Page (435 West 22nd Street, Manhattan), a salon-style performance space located inside a historic Chelsea townhouse originally purchased by Torn's parents, Geraldine Page and Rip Torn.

The Goodman Theatre announces the new 2019/2020 Season of 'Theater That Moves'-three world premiere productions (including a new musical), four Chicago premieres and a major revival of a beloved contemporary classic-on the theater's two stages (the 856-seat Albert Theatre and 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre).

On April 1, the celebrated Off-Broadway theater company The Civilians will host Civilian Disobedience, their annual spring benefit, which honors their Civilians of the Year: Emmy nominated, award-winning documentary filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (Reversing Roe, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work) as well as Marion Friedman Young for her longstanding support of The Civilians and her recent work as The Civilians partners for the Michael Friedman Legacy Fund.

Five-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb (Maria Striar, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Bulger, Associate Artistic Director; Quinn Metal Corbin, Advancement Director) is proud to announce the line-up for SUMMERWORKS, its annual series of new plays. Now in its 24th season, SUMMERWORKS will run May 17 through June 29 at The Wild Project (195 E 3rd Street) in Manhattan, and will feature productions of three new plays: LUNCH BUNCH by Sarah Einspanier and directed by Tara Ahmadinejad; YOU NEVER TOUCHED THE DIRT by Zhu Yi and directed by Ken Rus Schmoll; and KING PHILIP'S HEAD IS STILL ON THAT PIKE JUST DOWN THE ROAD by Daniel Glenn and directed by Caitlin Ryan O'Connell.

The Civilians will present a staged reading on February 1stand 2nd, hosted by the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. The play is based on Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola's groundbreaking book Caught in the Pulpit, Leaving Belief Behind, adapted by Marin Gazzaniga and directed by Steve Cosson.

So-fi (Co-Founders; Jody Christopherson (Artistic Director), Nathan Gebhard (Managing Director) and Romy Nordlinger (Producing Director)) announce added January performances in the so-fi (winter mini) festival, a low-fi, multi-disciplinary solo performance festival, co-produced by, and at Torn Page in Chelsea (435 W 22nd Street, 2nd Floor), a performance space in the historic home of Rip Torn and Geraldine Page.

So-fi (Co-Founders; Jody Christopherson, Nathan Gebhard, Romy Nordlinger) announce the launch of a new curated festival, for low-fi, multi-disciplinary solo performance, co-produced by, and at Torn Page in Chelsea (435 W 22nd Street, 2nd Floor), a performance space in the historic home of Rip Torn and Geraldine Page. The impetus for this festival was to create an opportunity for touring and local artists, who push the boundaries of multiple forms, to be produced affordably in New York. The majority of box office sales from each performance go directly to artists.