SPACEMAN Announced At Urbanite Theatre
Regional premiere to run January 3 - February 16, 2025.
Urbanite Theatre's eleventh season will continue with the regional premiere of SPACEMAN, opening on January 3rd.
“I have a hunch that SPACEMAN is going to be one of the most talked-about shows in town,” says Producing Artistic Director Summer Wallace. “It's a brilliant example of the far reaches of the universe–both physically and artistically–that live theatre can take you.”
Wallace will direct SPACEMAN, starring Terri Weagant, who previously captivated Urbanite audiences in BO-NITA during the 2016/17 season. Her performance was hailed by Broadway World as “absolutely [illuminating] the stage” with her “fine acting [skills].” Following its Urbanite debut, Weagant and Wallace reimagined BO-NITA and toured it nationwide with Two Chick Productions.
Urbanite Theatre is delighted to announce that, thanks to the generous support of The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, we will be unveiling new seating during the run of SPACEMAN. The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation approved $563,853 in grants to strengthen 14 local nonprofits with technology, equipment, and building renovations, including $28,742 to Urbanite for new seating and tools to enhance performances at our space. Guests can look forward to experiencing our upgraded seating arrangements midway through the production run of SPACEMAN, marking an exciting (and more comfortable!) start to our second decade of bold theatre.
Astronaut Molly Jennis has embarked on an interplanetary expedition following her husband's tragic, failed attempt to reach Mars. As the first to the Red Planet, she faces not only the dangers of solitude and the unknown frontier, but also the haunting reflections of her past decisions.
SPACEMAN is a weightless, full-sensory, surround-sound exploration of both the challenges of space travel and the uncharted future that awaits Molly at her Martian destination.
Leegrid grew up in the Texas hill country. He moved to New York after attending SMU in Dallas and now lives in Brooklyn. His plays have been seen in downtown theaters in New York, including HERE Arts Center, Incubator Arts Project, Lark Theatre, Altered Stages, Wild Project, and Theatre for the New City, among others, both nationally and internationally. You can find some of his plays in print, including POST-OEDIPUS (Playscripts), LEDA'S SWAN (Stage Tribes, Theater-Verlag Desh Publishers), SUN STAND THOU STILL (Plays and Playwrights 2004), and THE DUDLEYS! (Indie Theatre). Leegrid received the Alec Baldwin Playwright Fellowship at the Singer's Forum and the John Golden Playwriting Award at Columbia University and was named one of the “People of the Year” by NYTheatre.com. Leegrid also recently co-authored a fantasy novel, FALL, with Craig Bridger.
As founding Producing Artistic Director of Urbanite Theatre, Summer has directed the regional premieres of SCORCH, ATHENA, NORTHSIDE HOLLOW (Winner of the 2018 Handy Award for Best Direction of a Play), DRY LAND, SAM & LIZZIE, the MODERN WORKS FESTIVAL, and the world premiere of WESTMINSTER. Regional credits include: Asolo Repertory Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre, Dog Day's Theatre, 1st Stage, Vashon Repertory Theatre, Cumberland County Playhouse, Stage Door Theatre, Lagniappe Theatre, Theatre Lab, Players Theatre, FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, New College of Florida, and the list goes on. Summer is also the Producing Director of Two Chicks Production. Summer is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
