Primary Stages has found a new home for its 2020–2021 season. The theatre company, which produces Off-Broadway, will be in residence at 59E59 Theaters for its next year of programming—kicking things off in the fall with Jiehae Park's Peerless.
A darkly comic re-imagining of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Park's Peerless is set in the cutthroat world of elite college admissions. This new version of the classic story follows M and L, twin Asian-American siblings who have given up everything to get into "The College." When another classmate (who happens to be one-sixteenth Native American) claims what they feel is rightfully “their spot,” the twins find themselves with only one option: murder. Directed by Margot Bordelon, performances will run in September and October, with casting and further details to be announced.
Peerless has previously been scheduled for the 2019–2020 season.
Also in the fall will be Karen Hartman's Roz and Ray, which shines a light on an important chapter of medical and queer history. The new drama interweaves the story of a single father with hemophiliac sons, and a doctor at the onset of the AIDS crisis. A director and casting will be announced.
Rounding out the season next spring will be On That Day in Amsterdam by Clarence Coo. Previously scheduled for a world premiere with Primary Stages last fall, the production was postponed shortly before the first preview. A director and casting are yet to be announced. A fourth production will be announced at a later date for January 2021.
“I first met Val Day when she was an agent at William Morris and she has a strong background in working with early-career artists," says Primary Stages Artistic Director Andrew Leynse. "She has an intimate understanding of writers: who they are, what kind of work they do, and how the work needs to be supported. We’re both adamant about finding ways to set our playwrights up for success and making their work shine, so when she approached me about Primary Stages returning to 59E59, I leaped at the opportunity.”
Primary Stages produced most recently out of Cherry Lane Theatre. Subscription packages to the upcoming season are available at primarystages.org or 59e59.org or by calling (646) 892-7999.
