2024-2025 SEASON

After a long COVID “intermission” from producing live theatre, MULTISTAGES is excited to announce its current season of SEVEN New World Premieres.

WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION

“JANUARY”

Written by Paula Cizmar
Directed by Lorca Peress
The Theater at the 14th Street Y, 344 East 14th Street, NYC

Performing in repertory as part of the newly-formed Femme Collective**

TICKETS

January 11 – February 1, 2025

REPERTORY SCHEDULE for the play JANUARY:  Sat., 1/11 at 7pm; Sun., 1/12 at 7pm; Tues., 1/14 at 7pm; Thurs., 1/16 at 7pm; Wed., 1/22 at 7pm; Fri., 1/24 at 7pm; Sun., 1/26 at 2pm; Wed., 1/29 at 2pm; Fri., 1/31 at 7pm; and Sat., 2/1 at 4pm (Femme Collective Marathon Day)

JANUARY is a play about the aftermath of traumatic violence:  A child has just shot and killed another child at school.  Lauren, the mother of the victim, becomes the darling of the media; Maya, the mother of the killer is ostracized, hounded. As Lauren’s mind fragments, she becomes increasingly obsessed with Maya, whom she blames for the tragedy. But who really is to blame? Couldn’t this happen to any of us? Aren’t we all in this together? JANUARY is a play about people.  A journey toward sanity and understanding.  An attempt to turn hate into communal concern and care.

JANUARY was a MultiStages New Works Contest Finalist in 2016 and has been updated to reflect our current times. This production include original music, projection design, movement, and live streaming.

PRODUCTION COMPANY

Cast: Veronica Cruz,* Darlenis Duran, Alinca Hamilton,* Jed Peterson*, with Matt Walting

Artistic Company includes Jan Hartley: Projection Design,  Sun Hee Kil: Sound Design,  Kia Rogers: Lighting Design,  Jennifer Varbalow: Scenic & Property Design,  Lisa Renee Jordan: Costume Design,  Abigail Ramsay: Media Design,  Jennifer Chin: Choreography and Intimacy,  Original Music: Dean Landon,  Sound Associate: Bennet Lin

Mel Ashby-Hunt: Production Stage Manager,   Jenna Baker Morrissey: ASM

Kampfire Films PR

Associate Producer: Gena Bardwell

Producing Artistic Director: Lorca Peress

Special thank you to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) for a Creative Engagement Award, the N.W. Dible Foundation, Cherry Lane Alternative Gift, and our dedicated supporters whose donations and grants help fund these projects.

*Appearing courtesy of AEA

**Femme Collective is a groundbreaking partnership between MultiStages, The Neo-Political Cowgirls, and Eden Theater Company. Together they represent a united front in reimagining the theater industry’s future. Born out of the financial and cultural challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, this innovative collaboration between three women-led companies seeks to redefine theater through shared resources, amplified diversity, and community resilience.

MULTISTAGES RECENTLY PREMIERED

ReproEco: Six Short Works

October 4-5, 2024
Readings of New Works
Goddard Riverside Community Arts @ Bernie Wohl Center
647 Columbus Avenue (91-92nd Streets), NYC
TICKETS FREE: LINK

MultiStages, ReproFreedomArts.org, and Goddard Riverside Community Arts Program are joining together to present ReproEco: Six Short Plays.

ReproEco is a collection of six short plays that connect our reproductive health and our environment. These powerful storytellers use humor, mythology, Afro-futurism and drama to look at how industrial waste, plastics, forever chemicals, the lack of safe drinking water and discriminatory laws affect our bodies and our communities.

Followed by special talkbacks with experts in the fields of Reproductive rights and Environmental legislation.

Playwrights Diane Breeser, Cindy Cooper, Alinca Hamilton, Mildred Inez Lewis, Cassandra Medley & Laura Shamas.

ReproFreedomArts.org commissioned these talented playwrights, who represent a cross-section of America, to create new works inspired by investigations and conversations with experts in reproductive rights and environmental justice.

Co-produced by Cindy Cooper & Lorca Peress

Directed by Joyce Griffen, Lorca Peress & Allison Astor-Vargas

Featuring: Gena Bardwell, Jean Brookner, Darlenis Duran, Joyce Griffen, Nina Mehta, Valorie Niccore, Tanis Parenteau, Abigail Ramsay, Marc Reign & Celeste Sena.

http://ReproFreedomArts.org

http://Goddard Riverside Community Arts Program.

2021 SEASON – SPEAKOUT FESTIVAL

In February 2020, MultiStages went dark due to NYC’s COVID-19 restrictions; general anxiety caused by lock-down and the deaths of family members, friends and colleagues set in. We were a company in mourning. When the BLM movement happened, MultiStages collaborators took to the streets. The streets were our theatre, the screams were real, and the pain was palpable. In deciding how to support this movement, and address the politics and pandemic surrounding us, Artistic Director and activist, Lorca Peress, created the idea of a multicultural, multidisciplinary SPEAKOUT call-to-action Festival.

SPEAKOUT is a virtual festival that highlights the times we are living in and stories we need to tell. Through a variety of artistic lenses: theatre, dance, poetry, music, and multimedia, we invite you to join us in solidarity.

FESTIVAL WEEK TWO:

SPEAKOUT: Protest Dance, Poetry & Music

From June 28 – July 5, 2021, we are presenting a Free streaming of protest dances, poetry and original music only available on this website.

To view the work, please click the Link below.

PROTEST POETRY & DANCE FESTIVAL LINK

READ THE PLAYBILL:  FESTIVAL PLAYBILL PDF

Commissioned New Modern Dance Works by Jennifer Chin.

Poetry by Gloria Vando.

Dancers: Jennifer Chin, Madeline Jafari, Anne Parichon-Buoncore, Oscar Antonio Rodriguez, Richard T. Sayama.

Projections, Video Backgrounds, Editing by Jan Hartley, Sound/Music by Sun Hee Kil, Costumes by Lisa Renee Jordan, Dances filmed by Jan Hartley & Michael Lee Stever, “Rage” Dance featuring drummer Paul Peress, Poem filmed by Anika Paris. 

Creative Festival Director and Producing Artistic Director Lorca Peress, Associate Producer Gena Bardwell.

Week One of the SPEAKOUT Festival ended its run on June 25, 2021. We thank everyone who attended, supported the Benefit, and all the artists and company who participated in making the Protest Plays & More a success.

Highlights from Week One of the Protest Plays & More Festival:

SALES ARE NOW CLOSED

BENEFIT OPENING NIGHT: Monday, June 21, 2021, Live Audience and Meet the Artists Talk-Back, TICKETS: $35.00

STREAMING ON DEMAND: June 22-25, 2021, TICKETS:  $10.00, Donation or FREE

MEET THE COMPANY:

SPEAKOUT Protest Plays feature commissioned New Works written by Gena Bardwell, Melody Cooper, Fengar Gael, Dorothy Tan & Nathan Yungerberg.

Commissioned New Modern Dance Works by Jennifer Chin.

Poetry by Gloria Vando.

Actors: Kate Bornstein, Dimitri Carter, Rainbow Dickerson, Brie Eley, Vanessa Guadiana, Wai Ching Ho, Michael Gene Jacobs, Amanda Salazar, Donnell E. Smith, Michael Striano, Messeret Stroman Wheeler, Lu Yu.

Dancers: Jennifer Chin, Madeline Jafari, Anne Parichon-Buoncore, Oscar Antonio Rodriguez, Richard T. Sayama.

Directors: Kimille Howard, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Eugene Ma & Lorca Peress.

Projections, Video Backgrounds, Editing by Jan Hartley, Sound/Music by Sun Hee Kil, Costumes by Lisa Renee Jordan, Dances filmed by Jan Hartley & Michael Lee Stever, “Rage” Dance featuring drummer Paul Peress, Poem filmed by Anika Paris. 

Production Stage Manager: Zija Brubaker Lubin-West

Press Representative: Jonathan Slaff & Associates

Producing Artistic Director Lorca Peress, Associate Producer Gena Bardwell

“SPEAKOUT: Protest Plays & More” is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by LMCC. Other support includes the N.W. Dible Foundation, A.R.T./New York Relief Fund for NYC Small Theatres, the Cultural Arts Solidarity Fund administered by the Indie Theatre Fund, and Leon Levy Foundation COVID Relief Fund, administered by A.R.T./New York, Arlene Goldman Giving Fund, and private donations.

MultiStages expresses its gratitude to the performing unions, Actors Equity Association, American Guild of Musical Artists, American Guild of Variety Artists and SAG-AFTRA, through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the artists to appear on this program. 

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its affects on our industry in NYC, MultiStages is on hiatus until further notice.

We send our love and support to all MultiStages friends and alums, and our NYC theatre community.

We miss you!

Looking forward to seeing you in the future.