Courtney Berringers would like to welcome you to her wake! But—make no mistake—this ain’t your grandma’s funeral. AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN is an imaginative one-act play that uses magical realism, mythology, drama, and drag to tell the story of a pair of drag queens living (and dying) in rural Georgia in 2004. From African Gods and Goddesses to Trina and Whitney Houston, AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN explores identity, illness, and the celebration of Black, queer life in the rural south. Come party at the wake. Bring your own heels!
Category: Off-Broadway / Off-West End
Creditors
CREDITORS is the suspenseful tale of two men who meet at a seaside resort in Sweden—a sculptor and a mysterious stranger—only to discover that they have something unexpected in common; a woman. In Wright’s adaptation of Strindberg’s forgotten masterwork, all three characters engage in a deadly game of wits, opening old wounds and inflicting fresh ones. Written in 1888, the play still bears its ferocious sting, and is reminiscent of the most contemporary erotic thrillers with its blend of toxic desire and wicked intent.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
When Agatha Christie invites you to spend the summer at an estate in the English countryside, you know you won’t be sipping tea and playing croquet. Indeed, when John Cavendish invites his dear old friend Nick Hastings to Styles Court, murder ensues. And who better to solve it than Hercule Poirot, in his debut? Come along as Poirot and Hastings unravel the delicious and mysterious affair at Styles.
Pen Pals
PEN PALS is an epistolary play that tells the story of the extraordinary friendship between two ordinary women. Bernie, from Newark, New Jersey, starts writing to Mags, who lives in Sheffield, England, when she’s 14-years-old and their correspondence continues for the next five decades.
The play is essentially an extended flashback where the women read the letters they sent to each other over the past 50 years. Without the aid of costumes, make-up, or wigs, the actors age before the audience’s eyes as they tell the stories of their lives.
Wild Heart
An inspiring score of powerful pop hits drives this witty, fast-paced retelling of the iconic story of Joan of Arc, a 17-year-old girl who changed the world. In this pop-rock adaptation, Joan is a warrior for everyone. From her small town to the intricacies of French court to the fields of battle, she led the charge to end a war that started before she was born and overthrow the greatest military power in the world—THAT is punk rock! She talked to angels, stood up to princes, argued with canon lawyers, and held her own in the face of public execution by fire. She led an army with no experience because she was absolutely convinced that if she didn’t save the world, nobody would. Joan is a hero perfect for anyone who has been born into a system that seems broken beyond repair, dares to imagine a better future, and works hard to bring that future into existence.
Full of defiant, chart-topping anthems by P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Andra Day, Weezer, Melissa Etheridge, and more, WILD HEART affords powerful leading male and female roles and a richly developed ensemble full of saints, townspeople, followers, and detractors. In this revolutionary new musical by acclaimed writer Chelsea Marcantel, join Joan as she defies the odds, demands the respect of her nation’s leaders, and fights imperviously for freedom.
Jane Austen in 39+ Minutes
An abridged version of James’s JANE AUSTEN IN 89 MINUTES with optional scenes to extend its length.
In this uproarious, clever, engaging comedy, narrator Jane Austen and a madcap cast of ladies and gents deliver condensed versions of all six of Austen’s beloved novels at a lightning pace, including modern day zingers about Austen’s fame—and fandom. Fans will be delighted, although no knowledge of Austen’s work is required to enjoy the play, which basks in the glory of her major works, while also poking fun at their pitfalls—a hilarious and loving homage to the celebrated English writer whose insightful wit and romantic stories are treasured across the world today.
The Hummingbirds
Been unemployed too long? Welcome to a very special office of the Unemployment Bureau! Here you will work with two very special unemployment counselors to place you into a job today. It may not be a job you are qualified to do, or a job that’s safe for anyone to do, but you will have to do it. Because if you can walk, you can work!
The play also concerns domestic terrorism, strippers, and weaponized hummingbirds.
Coal Country
COAL COUNTRY tells the story of 2010’s Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster—the worst American mining disaster in over 50 years—a “preventable accident” that killed 29 men and devastated an entire community. Drawn from interviews with survivors and surviving family members of the coal miners who were killed, and with music by legendary songwriter Steve Earle, COAL COUNTRY reveals West Virginia’s radical history of union mining and the courage, specificity and resilience of an often misunderstood community—and the devastating costs of unfettered corporate greed.
A Christmas Carol (Hellesen)
Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey toward redemption, aided by the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet To Come, is freshly told in this masterful dramatization which has become a standard throughout the country. Drawing deeply from Dickens’ own words, with evocative music and lyrics newly adapted from traditional sources, A CHRISTMAS CAROL is both a joyous piece of theatre and a moving reminder of the necessity of good will and humanity in the world—not just in Dickens’ time, but in our own.
cityscrape
Provocative, hilarious, and unexpectedly tender, CITYSCRAPE is a new play that dares to ask: does sharing a vibrator collection make you officially co-dependent? Roommates Kitt and Kat are willing to do anything for the sake of their art… even if it means destroying the friendship that keeps them afloat. A love letter to surviving your first year in New York, CITYSCRAPE examines what it means to truly be “seen” by another person—and what happens if the version of ourselves that’s reflected back is an egocentric monster.