MCC Theater has revealed its 2018–2019 season, to be staged in the Off-Broadway theatre's new permanent home in midtown.
The lineup includes the world premiere of Alice By Heart, a new musical with music and lyrics by Spring Awakening's Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater and a book by Sater with Waitress' Jessie Nelson inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (and which MCC has helped develop over a number of years); as well as New York premieres from playwright and poet Aziza Barnes, Loy A. Webb, and Halley Feiffer.
The new programming will take place in MCC’s new complex at West 52nd Street in two theatres: The Newman Mills Theater and The Susan and Ronald Frankel Theater beginning in January 2019.
Kicking off the season January 9, 2019, will be the Off-Broadway premiere of Webb's play The Light, directed by Logan Vaughn in The Susan and Ronald Frankel Theater. The new play, which received a critically acclaimed world premiere in Chicago in January, unfolds in real time and looks at a marriage proposal that goes awry when ground-shifting accusations from the past resurface. Performances are scheduled through February 17.
Also beginning in January in The Newman Mills Theater will be the world premiere of Alice By Heart, directed by Nelson. Set in London in the midst of World War II, the musical follows Alice Spencer and her friend Alfred's journey down the rabbit hole as the two teenagers attempt to escape their harsh reality. The new musical explores the poignancy of first love, coming to terms with loss, and finding the courage to move forward. Performances are scheduled for January 30–March 10.
Barnes' playwriting debut BLKS, which recently premiered at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, will be seen April 18–May 26 in The Newman Mills Theater. The play depicts a day in the life of four women of color in New York. A director will be announced at a later date.
Rounding out the season will be Feiffer's play Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, a contemporary re-imagining of Chekhov’s Three Sisters by the I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard playwright which had its world premiere at the Williamstown Theater Festival last year. Trip Cullman (Lobby Hero) will direct the Off-Broadway premiere in The Susan and Ronald Frankel Theater June 27–August 4.
“More than three decades ago we rented a tiny apartment in Hell’s Kitchen for our work and now our dream for a permanent home for MCC Theater is coming true,” said MCC Co-Artistic Director Robert LuPone in a statement. “This landmark 2018–19 season will introduce New York audiences to two wholly original new voices and will also feature new work from trailblazing artists, including some longtime collaborators.”
The recently announced production of Jen Silverman's Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties will close out MCC's current season but is also available as part of the subscription package for 2018–19. For more information visit MCCTheater.org.
