A new drama about civil rights leader Malcolm X and a rare revival of Karel Capek’s seminal robot play R.U.R. topline the 2016 season for The Acting Company that includes both a national tour and a series of readings in New York City.

For its 44th national tour, the company, founded in 1972 by John Houseman, will present the world premiere of Marcus Gardley’s X and a revival of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, which will be presented in repertory at each stop. Both plays deal with the assassination of charismatic leaders. They will be staged in an artistic and educational collaboration with nearly 30 universities, colleges, and community partners.

The company’s 15-city tour begins January 31, 2017, in Phoenix, AZ, and concludes April 1-2 in Clinton, NY. It comes to New York City March 15-26 at The New Victory Theater. A complete itinerary of play dates and venues appears below:

Ian Belknap, The Acting Company’s artistic director, directs X and Devin Brain, The Acting Company’s associate artistic director, directs Julius Caesar.

Here is a complete list of tour stops:

January 31- February 1, 2017 Phoenix, AZ Herberger Theater Center – Center Stage
February 2-6 Mesa, AZ Mesa Arts Center – Piper Repertory Theater
February 10-11 Flagstaff, AZ Northern Arizona Univ. – Clifford E. White Theatre
February 15-16 Lawrence, KS University of Kansas – Lied Center of Kansas
February 18-19 Columbia, MO Univ. of Missouri-Columbia – Rhynsburger Theatre
February 21-23 Kansas City, MO Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City – Helen F. Spencer Theatre
February 24-25 Warrensburg, MO Univ. of Central Missouri – James L. Highlander Theatre
March 2 Baltimore, MD Morgan State – Turpin-Lamb Theatre (Murphy Fine Arts Center)
March 3-7 Towson, MD Towson University – Stephens Hall Theatre
March 8-9 Essex, MD Community College Baltimore Co Essex – Mainstage Theatre
March 10-11 Bowie, MD Bowie State University – MainStage Theatre
March 15-26 New York, NY - The New Victory Theater
March 27-28 Oswego, NY SUNY-Oswego – Charlotte Waterman Theatre
March 30-31 Syracuse, NY Le Moyne College – W. Carroll Coyne Center
April 1-2 Clinton, NY Hamilton College – Wellin Hall

The company also has announced a monthly Monday-night salon reading series in New York City. The John McDonald Salon Reading Series will be held Mondays at 7 PM, December through May, at Culture Project on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. Here are the readings:

December 12, 2016: Design for Living by Noël Coward. Directed by Maria Aitken. Coward's high comedy about a love menage.
February 13, 2017: R.U.R. by Karel Capek. Directed by Dana Ivey. The social satire that introduced the word “robot” to the world, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) chronicles a mechanized creation’s revolt against its creators.
March 20, 2017: The Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes by Marcus Gardley. A riff on Moliere’s Tartuffe set in a world of megachurches and religious hypocrisy, and written in verse.
April 24, 2017: Doll House by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Ian Belknap. An adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, with the action transposed to modern-day Chicago.
May 15, 2017: Lady Tattoo by Meg Miroshnik, directed by Devin Brain. A play inspired by the subversive trend of wealthy American women embracing tattoo artistry at the turn of the 19th century.

For tickets to X, Julius Caesar, and the John McDonald Salon Reading series, visit Theactingcompany.org or call (212) 258-3111.