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ABOUT THE 2021-2022 SEASON
TEENAGE DICK
In Association with Huntington Theatre Company and Pasadena Playhouse
By Mike Lew
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel
Welcome to a modern, darkly comic re-telling of Shakespeare’s RICHARD III set in the most treacherous of places—high school. Bullied because of his cerebral palsy, Richard is willing to crush his enemies in order to become senior class president. But all the scheming, manipulation, and revenge plots force him to ask the age-old question: is it better to be loved or feared?
“Initially planned for June 2020, we were well into final designs and only a little over a month away from rehearsals when we had to postpone this show last season because of the coronavirus. This hysterical and riveting reimagining of RICHARD III showcases the self-loathing that comes from social rejection, especially for disabled youth. It feels so important to have this show back in our season, especially given the contemporary resonance of conversations about bullying on social media and the toxic masculinity we are witnessing all over our country. This show also demands that all of us reevaluate our rhetoric surrounding the disabled experience.” – Maria Manuela Goyanes
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A STRANGE LOOP
In Association with Playwrights Horizons and Page 73 Productions
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
Directed by Stephen Brackett
Choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly
Music Directed by Rona Siddiqui
Usher is a Black queer writer working a job he hates while writing his original musical… about a Black queer writer working a job he hates while writing his original musical. Michael R. Jackson’s blistering, mind-blowing, Pulitzer-Prize winning new musical follows a young artist at war with a host of demons—including the punishing thoughts in his head—in an attempt to capture and understand his own strange loop.
“When I think about all the unexpected work Woolly could do, what’s more unexpected than a Broadway-bound musical? This show is very special to me. When I was 25 and Michael R. Jackson was 24 and still in graduate school, I directed the first early readings of A STRANGE LOOP. With this project, my past is becoming my present, and, in a way, my very own strange loop! This musical centers a Black queer man whose experience stands in sharp relief to the more mainstream LGBTQ progress we’ve seen over the past decade. Woolly Mammoth will break into song with what I believe to be completely Woolly material—a bold show with nerve, replete with soaring and gut-wrenching show tunes.”
– Maria Manuela Goyanes
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HI, ARE YOU SINGLE?
In Association with IAMA Theatre Company
By Ryan J. Haddad
Directed by Laura Savia
Dates TBA
Ryan has a higher sex drive than you. He also has cerebral palsy. You can often find him on Grindr or at your local inaccessible gay bar. Join writer/performer Ryan J. Haddad on his search to find love. Or a date. Or at least a hookup. From encounters with drag queens to platonic lap dances, Ryan will guide you through the gay dating scene with his provocative take on intimacy, rejection, and judgment. His one request? Please bring an attractive male friend with you.
“Hot off the heels of our critically-acclaimed digital production, it’s well past time for our audiences in the DMV to finally meet the glorious (and gorgeous) Ryan J. Haddad in the flesh! This pandemic asked us all to re-examine what physical intimacy could look like, and Ryan’s perspective on navigating those interactions as a gay man with a disability is one we need to hear more often. Oh, and he is still looking for a date—I’d be happy to set you up!” – Maria Manuela Goyanes
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OCTAVIA E. BUTLER’S PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Co-Presented by Strathmore
by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon
Directed by Eric Ting
Based on the Novels Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
April 28 and 29, 2022
Parable of the Sower is a triumphant, mesmerizing work of rare power and beauty that illuminates deep insights on gender, race, and the future of human civilization. This fully staged opera brings together over 30 original anthems drawn from 200 years of Black music to recreate Butler’s sci-fi, Afrofuturist masterpiece live on stage. With music and lyrics composed by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon, this compelling work gives life to Butler’s acclaimed science fiction novel of the same name.
“From the moment I first heard the stunning score Toshi and Bernice created for this epic adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s renowned novel, I just knew we needed to find a way to share it with our audiences in the DMV. Since then, the need to elevate this powerful post-apocalyptic story filled with hope and human connection has only become more urgent to me. With a powerhouse ensemble of singers and musicians, there could be no better home, or better partner, for this piece than Strathmore. I’m thrilled to join forces and unite our audiences to witness this visceral and mesmerizing new operatic work that beautifully reveals Butler’s stunningly prophetic insights on the future of American civilization.” – Maria Manuela Goyanes
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THERE’S ALWAYS THE HUDSON
By Paola Lázaro
Directed By Jess McLeod
Dates TBA
Lola and T met years ago in a support group for sexual abuse survivors. They’ve made a pact… and the deadline is coming at them fast. So tonight, they decide to take matters into their own hands by plotting to exact revenge on anyone who has ever f–ked with them. Spend the night with two fractured souls who let loose their fury in this fearless adventure. Paola Lázaro’s new work takes an unflinching look at confronting trauma, and how the bonds with our chosen family can carry us through.
“We were two weeks into rehearsal for Paola’s world premiere play when we had to stop because of the pandemic. Though it was heartbreaking to send everyone home, I was so moved by how quickly this group of artists bonded over this brilliant material, with Paola at the center as not only the writer, but the lead performer as well. This is a play whose characters leap off the page with tremendous energy, authenticity, and depth, and I can’t wait to be in the theatre with them again.” – Maria Manuela Goyanes
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WHERE WE BELONG TOUR
In Association with Folger Shakespeare Library
By Madeline Sayet
Directed by Mei Ann Teo
Dates TBA
In 2015, Mohegan theatre-maker Madeline Sayet travels to England to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare. Madeline finds a country that refuses to acknowledge its ongoing role in colonialism, just as the Brexit vote threatens to further disengage the UK from the wider world. In this intimate and exhilarating solo piece, Madeline echoes a journey to England braved by Native ancestors in the 1700s following treatise betrayals—and forces us to consider what it means to belong in an increasingly globalized world.
“Coming off the success of our film adaptation of WHERE WE BELONG, Woolly and the Folger are so thrilled to give audiences around the country a chance to witness Madeline Sayet’s deeply insightful journey, in-person! This play is a moving and funny examination on language, appropriation, erasure, and how to honor one’s ancestry. We also plan to support this tour through intentional engagement of local Indigenous communities along the way. We will be announcing what communities we will be visiting later this fall.” – Maria Manuela Goyanes
