Theatrical Outfit has announced a brand-new lineup that embraces digital programming for their 2020-2021 season, which includes Downtown Dialogues, Made In Atlanta, The Welcome Table, The Unexpected Play Festival, and a return to the Mainstage this coming Spring 2021.
Downtown Dialogues – a four-part series of digital readings each followed by a live video podcast hosted by arts journalist Gail O’Neill–launches the the end of September. O’Neill will talk to experts and special guests about each of the featured plays and their themes. The four titles take a deep dive into important topics of today from equality to education to the environment, and all will be brought to life by Atlanta’s finest actors and directors for you to engage with from the comfort of your own home.
First will be the Tony Award nominated The Children by Lucy Kirkwood. Directed by Susan Booth, it is a taut environmental thriller about legacy, responsibility, and how to step up in the midst of a crisis. Next up is FLEX by Candrice Jones. Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and developed at the Humana 2020 Festival of New American Plays, this groundbreaking new work takes a hard look at the lives of an African American girls’ basketball team on and off the court. Third will see the critically acclaimed Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector make its Atlanta debut. Directed by January LaVoy, this immensely funny play explores how a parent governed charter school tries to respond to a health crisis. Rounding out the series is the New York hit Stew by Zora Howard. Directed by Ibi Owolabi, this family drama is set in the kitchen where Mama makes her famous stew and looks at three generations of African American women and the bonds and secrets that they share.
As we approach the holiday season, Theatrical Outfit is honored to host a special one-night event to benefit organizations that serve the downtown homeless community. The Welcome Table will raise awareness of the most vulnerable among us, shining a light on how the homeless community has been impacted by COVID while raising funds to support the wonderful organizations working to mitigate that impact. Stay tuned for more details.
Theatrical Outfit will also be launching the Made In Atlanta new play program. Made in Atlanta is a place-based program that aims to create a space in the heart of downtown Atlanta where artists can tell the stories of our City and the South. It will include three stages: commissioning brand new plays, developing scripts through workshops and readings, and most importantly, producing world premiere productions. Through these avenues, Theatrical Outfit is investing in powerful new voices and building national partnerships that will enrich the theatre and our community.
In January, Theatrical Outfit will once again partner with the Working Title Playwrights (WTP) for the Unexpected Play Festival. This month-long festival celebrates brand new work by local playwrights, all being heard for the first time. Each digital reading will be immediately followed by a discussion led by WTP Artistic Director Amber Bradshaw in which the audience will offer essential feedback that will help the playwright take the work to the next level.
Spring 2021, Theatrical Outfit plans to return to the mainstage with three smart, authentic, and vital live productions. As previously announced, Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed & adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, will take to the stage rearranging TO in a bold new way. The season will also see a powerful partnership with Theatre J in Washington DC on a co-production of Fires In The Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities by Anna Deavere Smith. A third title will be announced soon.
“We believe that theatre offers an essential place for dialogue in times of extreme disruption, and a space in which our community can celebrate, console, and most importantly, connect with one another,” said Artistic Director Matt Torney. ‘Theatrical Outfit is committed to building programs that not only respond actively to the present crisis, but also serve as a long-term investment in our community, Atlanta artists, and our future as a Downtown theatre.”
Learn more about Theatrical Outfit’s 2020-2021 programming at theatricaloutfit.org.