Jessica Hecht Will Star in World Premiere Neena Beber Play A Mother | Playbill

Off-Broadway News Jessica Hecht Will Star in World Premiere Neena Beber Play A Mother

The Eureka Day star co-conceived the piece—described as "part documentary, part autobiography, part disco"—with Beber.

Jessica Hecht Bruce Glikas

A new take on Bertolt Brecht's The Mother, written by Neena Beber and co-conceived by Beber and Jessica Hecht (Eureka Day), will make its premiere Off-Broadway at Baryshnikov Arts, part of the company's 20th anniversary spring season. Performances will run March 29–April 13, with opening night set for April 7.

Hecht will also star in the new work, described in press notes as "part documentary, part autobiography, part disco." The play, titled A Mother, shifts the Brecht story to take place during the 1980 Miami race riots, which followed the murder of Arthur Lee McDuffie by police. Along with Hecht, the cast will include Zane Pais, Portia Johnson, and Delilah Napier, plus more to be announced.

The performance will also feature music, with audiences told to expect disco, gospel, reggae, and Jewish music. Music director Mustapha Khan will lead the band, which will feature Kenny Vaughan and Norman Burns. The trio has also written the work's score. The production will have scenic design by Neil Patel, costume design by Katherine Roth, and lighting design by Matthew Richards. The work is being produced in partnership with Lana Russell and Susan Kaplan and in association with The Orchard Project.

The company's upcoming season also includes a modern-day take on the tale of Sisyphus titled Sissy, which is written, choreographed, and directed by Celia Rowlson-Hall. The work will play three performances April 24-26 with a cast that includes Christopher Abbott, Ida Saki, Alia Shawkat, and Marisa Tomei plus dancers Jesse Kovarsky, Nando Morland, Aliza Russell, and Jacob Thoman.

In this dance-driven version of the mythological story, Sissy is a pregnant woman whose rock is sometimes the moon and sometimes a disco ball, exploring the Sisyphean experience of motherhood and being a female artist.

The company will close its anniversary season with a joint celebration with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the latter celebrating its 50th anniversary. The performance, set for May 8, will feature Vivaldi's The Four Seasons interspersed with recorded nature sounds, Angélica Negrón's Marejada, and Anna Clyne's Woman Holding a Balance. The performance will feature lighting design by Jennifer Tipton.

“We are excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Baryshnikov Arts supporting the visions of multidisciplinary artists," says Baryshnikov Arts Founder and Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov in a statement. "For two decades, we have championed creative freedom and presented innovative new works, welcoming a passionate community of artists and art enthusiasts. Please join us this season as we honor our past and move into the future."

Tickets are available at BaryshnikovArts.org.

 
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