World Premiere: A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson
A Strange Loop
Book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
directed by Stephen Brackett
choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly
May 24–July 7, 2019
Page 73 is partnering with Playwrights Horizons to present this world premiere production.
Michael R. Jackson is a member of Page 73's 2018 Interstate 73 writers group. Earlier this year, Page 73 provided a three-week workshop of A Strange Loop, in association with Musical Theatre Factory, directed by Stephen Brackett. Stephen previously directed Page 73's production of Ultimate Beauty Bible.
About A Strange Loop
Usher is a black, gay writer, working a day job he hates while writing his original musical: a piece about a black, gay writer, working a day job he hates while writing his original musical. Michael R. Jackson’s blistering, momentous new musical follows a young artist at war with a host of demons — not least of which, the punishing thoughts in his own head — in an attempt to break out of this strange loop.
Play Reading: Man Cave
MAN CAVE
Written by 2017 Page 73 Playwriting Fellow John J. Caswell, Jr.
Directed by Taylor Reynolds
TWO READINGS:
MAY 8 @ 7PM & MAY 9 @ 2PM
ABOUT THE PLAY
Imaculada has gathered her friends in the fortress-like mansion belonging to her absent employer, a wealthy Republican Congressman living high on a hill in Sedona, Arizona. Together they convert his luxurious basement man cave into their own spiritual war room and protective sanctuary from the violence of men, both real and supernatural.
JOHN J. CASWELL JR. is a queer, Mexican-American playwright and director originally from Phoenix. He is a current member of Ars Nova's Play Group, a 2018 MacDowell Fellow, a 2018 SPACE on Ryder Farm Creative Resident, and was the 2017 Page 73 Playwriting Fellow. He is the Artistic Director of Progressive Theatre Workshop, a company that has made plays for the past ten years. He has developed and shown work across Arizona and in New York City at Page 73, HERE, Dixon Place, The Public Theater, Theater for the New City, and more. His work is cited frequently as an example of queer-themed theater, most recently referenced in articles appearing in Theatre Topics, The International Journal of the Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice and the European Journal of Comparative American Studies. Included as a consummate demonstration of auto-ethnographic theater, his play SHOTS: A Love Story was published as part of Johnny Saldaña’s book Ethnotheatre: Research From Page to Stage published by Left Coast Press. He is pursuing an MFA in Playwriting at Hunter College.
Interstate 73 Reading: Sex Play
SEX PLAY
Written by Daniel K. Isaac
Directed by Ralph Peña
Presented in partnership with Ma-Yi Theater Company
TWO READINGS:
4-6PM & 7-9PM
ABOUT THE PLAY
[ A ] is an Asian American gay man who has lots of sex. Very. Gay. Sex. With [ B ] the Bartender and [ C ] the Chorus Boy and, well, not [ D ]. [ D ] is [ A ]’s brother. And [ D ]’s a pastor. Then there's [ E ] and [ F ] and [ G ] the Gymbro and [ H ] the Hot Guy and and and. Also [ A ] used to go to Christian conversion therapy. With Rich, his conversion therapist and...? In Sex Play, [ A ] navigates shame and sex positivity and sexual violence and everyday microaggressions, seeking intimacy in all the wrong places...or maybe all the right ones
Daniel K. Isaac is a queer Korean American multi-hyphenate artist based in New York City. You can currently see him on the small screen as ‘Ben Kim’ in Showtime's “Billions.” Daniel co-wrote and stars in the short film/pilot presentation, “According To My Mother.” The project was selected for IFP Film Week and the inaugural Sundance New Voices Lab and was an Official Selection at ITVFest, Newfest, Outfest & Outfest Fusion, CAAMfest, SeriesFest (where it was awarded Best Actress), and New York Television Festival (Best Drama and Best Actor). In addition to Sex Play, Daniel’s full-length plays also include ONCE UPON A (korean) TIME (Clubbed Thumb 2018 Open-Application Commission Semi-Finalist) and OR OR OR &&& (available as a podcast recording on The Parsnip Ship). Daniel was a member of Page73’s 2018 Interstate 73, Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Youngblood, and a Lambda Literary Playwriting Fellow. Training: UCSD, BADA. www.DanielKIsaac.com
Interstate 73 Reading: Hackberry Road
HACKBERRY ROAD
Written by Gary Winter
Directed by José Zayas
ABOUT THE PLAY
When Tamara and Victor are asked to watch Lorena, a 15-year-old Honduran, for a few days until her new employers can pick her up, they begin to understand how easy it is to become complicit when it comes to exploiting refugees in a world that leaves few options for those escaping violence in the Americas.
Gary Winter was a member of OBIE-Award winning 13P. His plays have been seen at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville (2015 Heideman Award), P.S. 122, The Flea, The Chocolate Factory, Defunkt Theater, HERE, and the Cherry Lane Alternative. Support from The Dramatists Guild, EST, The New Group, Playwrights Horizons, The Lark, MacDowell and YADDO. Gary tutors incarcerated individuals through the Petey Greene Program and is a mentor/editor with the Pen Prison Writing Program. Gary’s new work, Pi’ilani and Ko’olau, will be performed by composer Jonathan Newman at Florida State University in fall, 2019. MFA: NYU
2019 Spring Benefit: Honoring Board President Amanda Woods
Benefit Co-Chairs Pamela A Ryckman & Jean Kim Smart cordially invite you to
CELEBRATE WITH US
Honoring Board President Amanda Woods
7PM Cocktails and Canapes
8PM Dinner and Live Entertainment by Page 73 Playwrights and Artists
TABLES AND TICKETS
$10,000 Table ($8,250 is tax-deductible): VIP seating for ten; Listing as Leadership Circle on the invitation, in the event press release, the event program, on Page 73’s website and in production programs for one year
$5,000 Table ($3,250 is tax-deductible): Priority seating for ten; Listing as Leadership Circle on the invitation, in the event press release, the event program, on Page 73’s website and in production programs for one year
$2,500 Half Table ($1,625 is tax-deductible): Preferred seating for five; listing as Benefit Committee on the invitation, in the event press release, the event program, on Page 73’s website and in production programs for one year
$1,000 Dinner Ticket ($825 is tax-deductible): Priority seating for one. Listing as Benefit Committee on the invitation, the event program, and in production programs for one year
$500 Dinner Ticket ($325 is tax-deductible): Reserved seating for one; Listing as Benefit Committee on the invitation, the event program, and in production programs for one year
$200 Balcony/Cocktails Ticket ($65 is tax-deductible): Admission for one for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and dessert. The performance can be watched from the Balcony.
$200 Sponsor an Artist Ticket: This fully tax-deductible donation will pay for the admission of an artist to attend the Benefit.
BENEFIT LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Gaily & John Beinecke, Susan V. Bershad Charitable Fund, Jody Falco & Jeffrey Steinman, James Fotheringham, Carson & Joseph Gleberman, Asher Richelli & Daniel Swee, Rachel Rucker Schmidt & Jason Schmidt, Maxine Sleeper, Jeremy Smith, and Eric Wasserstrom
BENEFIT COMMITTEE
Patty Bacon, Allison Blinken, Liz Hull & Greg Wasserstrom, Mary Lee & David Jones, Michael Koester, Mr. & Mrs. William H. Miller, Jr., Martha Mortenson, Daniel Nickolich, Janice Poplack & Mike Epstein, Kimberly Sogioka & Joshua Buhler, Kate & Art Trotman, Lisa Van Curen, A. Tappan Wilder, Marvin Wolf, Pamela L L Woods
(List as of February 22)
“Page 73 would not be what it is today without Amanda Woods’s fearless leadership as President of our Board of Directors and her dedication to the company’s mission. Over the last 10 years, she has been a guiding force in Page 73’s growth. Her commitment and spirit are part of – and will always be part of – our DNA. While Amanda has always shied away from the limelight and has preferred instead that Page 73, its playwrights and its artists be front and center, a celebration of Amanda and her contribution to Page 73 is long overdue. It truly is a privilege to finally honor her at our 2019 Spring Benefit.”
– Liz Jones and Asher Richelli, Founding Directors
Amanda Woods joined the Page 73 Board in 2007 and has been Board President since 2011. Amanda has worked both nationally and internationally in various capacities for artistic institutions including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, English National Opera, Lincoln Center Theater, Yale Repertory Theater, Steppenwolf Theater Company, LAByrinth Theater Company and The Old Vic. She now runs WallaceWoods Consulting for creative ventures. A former theater scout for Paramount Pictures, she holds an MFA from Yale School of Drama where she is a member of the Board of Advisors. Amanda lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Eric Wasserstrom, and their sons Will and Hugo.
Interstate 73 Reading: The Johnsons
THE JOHNSONS
By Amina Henry
Directed by Shira-Lee Shalit
ABOUT THE PLAY
In Cape Cod, the Johnson family is falling apart. Their house has gone into foreclosure and grandma has died in the bathtub. Will they be able to put the pieces back together again?
Amina Henry is a Brooklyn-based playwright who writes satirical language plays. Productions include: Hunter John and Jane at JACK, Ducklings at JACK, The Animals at JACK, Happily Ever at Brooklyn College, An American Family Takes a Lover at Theater for the New City, Water produced by Drama of Works, The Minstrel Show, produced as part of the 2013 Bring a Weasel and a Pint of Your Own Blood Festival at 13th Street Theater/CSC (NYC), and Bully at Mirror Box Theatre, Interrobang Theater, Clubbed Thumb and SUNY Purchase. She is currently working on commissions from The New Group, HERO Theater and Project Y Theatre. Her work has been developed by, produced and/or presented at: The New Group, The Flea, Ars Nova, Clubbed Thumb, Page 73, National Black Theater, Barefoot Theater, Little Theater at Dixon Place, HERE Arts Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, OR), Kitchen Dog Theater (Dallas, TX), and Texas State University, among other theaters and venues. She has been a participant in Clubbed Thumb's Early Career Writers group, Ars Nova’s 2017-2018 PlayGroup and Page 73’s Interstate 73 writers group and is a New Georges Affiliate Artist. She was a 2017-2018 recipient of a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) Space Grant and a 2018 Dixon Place Space Residency. Bully was on the 2015 Kilroys List and her play Burned was Honorable Mention for the 2016 Kilroys List. Upcoming: New Light Theater's production of The Great Novel, June 2019 at The Flea. For up-to-date information, go to aminahenry.wordpress.com.
Page 73’s 2020 Application Information Session
Page 73’s 2020 Application Information Session
Monday, March 25th
6:30pm - 7:30pm
224 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10014
Page 73 meets nearly all the writers we work with each year through our annual online application. On Monday, March 25th at 6:30pm, Producing Artistic Director Michael Walkup and Artistic Associate Ashley Chang will host an Application Information Session to answer questions you may have about Page 73 and applying to our programs. 2019 Page 73 Playwriting Fellow Sanaz Toossi will also be there to speak about her experience applying for and working with Page 73.
Can’t make it?
Visit our Facebook page at 6:30pm (Eastern time) on March 25th to watch a livestream of the info session! You can also tweet your questions using #p73info, and your question will be answered either during the live info session or personally via our Twitter.
For more information and the application, click here!
Sanaz, Ashley, and Michael will answer your questions!
Interstate 73 Reading: Something Blue
SOMETHING BLUE
Music Julia Meinwald
Book and lyrics Gordon Leary
Director Colette Robert
Music director Mila Henry
ABOUT THE PLAY
Casey and Joelle fell in love when they moved back to their hometown as adults, and they’re getting married tomorrow. They’ve navigated the families, flowers, and fittings to have the simple, easy wedding they’ve always wanted. But when Casey’s ex-boyfriend Geoff shows up at the hotel, things can’t stay so simple. Geoff befriends Joelle and reconnects with Casey, and what has long stayed unspoken begins to surface. They must confront their expectations, hopes, and histories to find the limits and the possibilities of love and marriage.
Julia Meinwald's musicals include Pregnancy Pact, The Loneliest Girl in the World, REB+VoDKa+ME, The Magnificent Seven, Something Blue and Elevator Heart. She and her collaborator Gordon Leary write aggressively empathetic shows that help them understand completely foreign points of view, like Anita Bryant's anti-gay-rights crusade, online fan communities that formed around high school shooters, and groups of teenage girls who decide to get pregnant together. Julia's work has been produced at the Weston Playhouse and Diversionary Theatre, and developed through awesome groups like Ars Nova, the Civilians, Fresh Ground Pepper, the Dramatists Guild, 92Y, and exciting acronyms like MTF, NAMT, NYMF, and YIMT. www.juliameinwald.com.
Gordon Leary is a Brooklyn-based bookwriter and lyricist. Musicals with composer Julia Meinwald include The Loneliest Girl in the World (2018 Diversionary Theatre), REB+VoDKa+ME (2017 Yale Institute), The Magnificent Seven (2019 Flint Rep New Works Fest), Something Blue (2019 Chicago Musical Theatre Fest), and Pregnancy Pact (2012 Weston Playhouse). Other musicals include Cheer Wars (2009 Richard Rodgers Award; Karlan Judd, composer) and Across the River (2013 Seoul Musical Festival; Hyun Rim Kim, composer). Gordon has developed work with the Dramatists Guild, NAMT, Ars Nova’s Uncharted, The Civilians’ R&D Group, Fresh Ground Pepper’s Playground Playgroup, Musical Theatre Factory, the 92Y Musical Theatre Development Lab, and SPACE at Ryder Farm. BA: Vassar. MFA: NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. www.omfgordon.com
Reading: ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS by C.A. Johnson
ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS
by 2018 Page 73 Playwriting Fellow
C.A. JOHNSON
directed by
KATE WHORISKEY
Thursday, December 13 @ 7 PM
Friday, December 14 @ 3 PM
ABOUT THE PLAY
Keyonna is sixteen years old, extremely close with her older brother Samuel, and dreams of a better tomorrow. When brother and sister find themselves on the brink of eviction, however, their tenuous life on the edge of the poverty is forever changed by a few hundred dollars, a pretty girl, and a famous Hollywood actress.
LOCATION
Alchemical Studios, Studio 1 104 W 14th St New York, NY
ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS is free and open to the public.
C.A. Johnson developed ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS at the 2018 Sundance Theatre Lab in Marrakech, Morocco. She was joined by director Kate Whoriskey and a cohort of artists from the US, the Middle East, and North Africa.
C. A. Johnson hails from Metairie Louisiana, but currently lives and writes in Queens, NY. Her plays include THIRST (2017 Kilroys List,The Contemporary American Theater Festival), AN AMERICAN FEAST (NYU Playwrights Horizons Theater School), THE CLIMB (Finalist 2018 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference), ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS, and MOTHER TONGUE. She is a Core Writer at the Playwrights Center and the 2018 P73 Playwriting Fellow. She was previously The Lark's 2016-17 Van Lier Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a member of The Civilians R&D Group, and a member of The Working Farm at SPACE on Ryder Farm. Her work has been developed with The Lark, PlayPenn, Luna Stage, Open Bar Theatricals, The Dennis and Victoria Ross Foundation, and The Fire This Time Festival. Most recently, C.A. was chosen for a Sundance/Ucross Fellowship and the 2018 Sundance Theatre Lab in Marrakesh, Morocco. BA: Smith College MFA: NYU
