Theatre & Dance : New Plays

Primary Trust by Eboni Booth Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Primary Trust is an arresting character study of an isolated man finding the courage to expand his world and begin again.  38-year-old Kenneth lives a comfortable life of routine in suburban New York: after days spent working at a used bookstore, he whiles away his evenings knocking back mai tais with his best friend Burt at the local tiki bar. But when the long-time bookstore owner decides to close up shop for good, Kenneth panics at the prospect of finding a new job--a process that unearths long-suppressed fears. When Kenneth makes a new friend named Corrina, and she begins to ask questions Kenneth isn't prepared to answer: how many mai tais is too many mai tais? And who--or what--is Burt? Primary Trust is a deeply affecting play about the careful structures we build to contain oceans of feeling and what happens when those structures begin to crumble.

Stereophonic by David Adjmi; Will Butler (Composed by) Winner of five 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Play An epic play with music that examines the human costs of the quest for artistic greatness. The place: Sausalito. The time: the mid-1970s. The carpet: brown shag. Stereophonic brings us inside the cloistered world of a recording studio as a rock band on the brink of superstardom attempts to create their sophomore album. The ensuing pressures open up cracks in the band's once-easy camaraderie, and spats over issues like tempo and song length begin to reveal deeper problems in the band's foundation. Running on a diet of booze, sleep deprivation, and a giant bag of cocaine, interpersonal relationships are pushed to the breaking point as a process that was meant to last a few weeks becomes a neverending slog. With original songs by Arcade Fire's Will Butler, David Adjmi's play is an electrifying portrait of a band wracked with division and disillusionment that nevertheless might be on the verge of creating a masterpiece.

Jonah by Rachel Bonds Ana is on scholarship at a boarding school far from home, deeply and distinctly alone until she crosses paths with day student Jonah. They navigate the edges of this new relationship, tentative and heady, but something else is stirring - what begins as an exploration of new, exultant desire shifts into more complex negotiations of intimacy and survival. A story of fracture and resilience, what bodies carry and what they can release, and the radical possibilities of trust.

King James by Rajiv Joseph All the time we have invested. In him. All the money. All the games we went to. The basis of our entire friendship ... LeBron for the win. LeBron for the win ... The fortunes of the Cavaliers are about to change: the great LeBron James, the biggest star in basketball, is coming to Cleveland. But when superfan Matt's latest business venture turns sour, he has to sell his most prized possession: his pair of Cavs season tickets. The buyer, Shawn, just sold his first short story - so watching his team in the flesh for the first time will be a sweet reward. Now just to figure out what to do with that second ticket ... Thrown together by chance, the next twelve years prove as defining, dramatic, and sometimes heart-breaking for Matt and Shawn as they do for the Cavs - and for 'King' Lebron James. Multi-award-winner Rajiv Joseph offers a play-by-play look at how friendship and supporting a team intersect. His plays include the Obie Award-winning Describe the Night, Guards at the Taj, and his Pulitzer Prize-finalist Broadway play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.

The Comeuppance by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

The Hot Wing King by Katori Hall

Becky Nurse of Salem by Sarah Ruhl A wry, innovative reckoning with the legacy of the Salem witch trials from one of America's foremost playwrights. Becky Nurse is an outspoken, sharp-witted tour guide at the Salem Museum of Witchcraft who's just trying to get by in post-Obama America. She's also the descendant of Rebecca Nurse, who was infamously executed for witchcraft in 1692--but things have changed for women since then...haven't they? After losing her job for calling out The Crucible in front of schoolkids, Becky visits a local witch for help. One spell leads to another, and then everything really goes off the rails. A darkly comic play about a woman coming to terms with her family's legacy and finding her voice in the "lock her up" era.

Plays for the Plague Year by Suzan-Lori Parks A stunning collection of plays from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks that captures the societal rupture of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.  On March 13, 2020, as theaters shut their doors and the world went into lock­down, Suzan-Lori Parks picked up her pen and set out to write a play every day. What emerged is a breathtaking chronicle of our collective experience throughout the troubling days and nights that followed.  Parks's groundbreaking new work bears witness to what we've experienced and offers inspiration as we look ahead.

The Hills of California by Jez Butterworth

Corsicana / Evanston Salt Costs Climbing by Will Arbery A double-volume of plays by acclaimed playwright Will Arbery that explore communities of outsiders who strive to help one another persevere in the face of despair. In this two-play volume, acclaimed playwright Will Arbery explores the dynamics within tight-knit communities of outsiders working together to persevere against despair, whether intimate or cosmic. From wildly different angles, Corsicana and Evanston Salt Costs Climbing both examine the shape-shifting specters of grief, the pull of desire and dreams, and the universal human need for receiving and giving care.

Global Theatre Anthologies: Ancient, Indigenous and Modern Plays from Africa and the Diaspora by Simon Gikandi (Editor); R. N. Sandberg (Editor) The power of theatrical performance is universal, but the style and concerns of theatre are specific to individual cultures. This volume in the Global Theatre Perspectives series presents a reconstructed ancient performance text, four one-act indigenous African plays and five modern dramas from various regions of Africa and the Caribbean Diaspora. Because these plays span centuries and are the work of artists from diverse cultures, readers can see elements that occur across time and space. Physicalized ritual, direct interaction with spectators, improvisation, music, drumming, and metaphorical animal characters help create the theatrical forms in multiple plays. Recurring themes include the establishment or challenging of political authority, the oppression or corruption of government, societal expectations based on gender, the complex and transformational nature of identity, and the power of dreams. Though each play is its own unique entity, reading them together allows readers to explore what theatrical elements and cultural concerns are perhaps essentially African. The Caribbean plays add further perspective to the questions of what values, theatrical and societal, are part of African drama, how these have influenced the Caribbean aesthetic, and what the relationships are between the old and new world. Among the creators of the pieces are two Nobel Laureates, those who have been exiled or jailed for the political nature of their work, and the author of his country's first constitution. The volume can serve as the primary text for an intensive semester-long investigation of African drama and culture. But it is also possible to use this volume along with others in the series as texts for a single course on drama from around the world. The global perspectives approach, letting works from ancient, indigenous, and modern times resonate with each other, encourages thinking across boundaries and connective human understanding.

Gendering Taboos: 10 Short Plays by African Women by Irene Isoken Agunloye; Philisiwe Twijnstra; Miliswa Mbandazayo; Faustina Brew; Kaulana Williams; Rukayat Nihinlola Banjo; Gisemba Ursula; Martina Omorodion; Katlego K. Kolanyane-Kesupile; Chioniso Tsikisayi; 'Tosin Kooshima Tume (Editor); Ekua Ekumah (Editor); Yvette Hutchison (Editor) Ten new short plays by African women tackling taboo topics on identity, gender, sexualities, family relations and power. Following the international success of Contemporary Plays by African Women, this new collection is the next step in the African Women Playwright Network (AWPN) both showcasing and encouraging the development of new work. Consisting of the ten winners of the AWPN's international writing competition, this collection is centered around the theme of 'Tackling Taboo Topics in African Female Writing', originally performed as staged readings at the AWPN Festival hosted by the University of Ghana in 2022. Selected from 75 submissions from nine African countries, these plays speak to contemporary and pressing issues, illuminating lived experiences of African women that are common but seldom discussed. An important resource for schools and universities looking to diversify and decolonise curricula and engage with short works for practical classes, performances and auditions from a range of various cultures, Gendering Taboos is also an invaluable tool for programmers looking for new work and scholars working specifically in areas of gender and dramatic criticism.

A Mirror by Sam Holcroft 'With great pleasure Leyla & Joel Invite you to celebrate their marriage. Dress code is smart casual. Doors at 7.30 p.m., followed by the exchange of vows. And at the signal, the entertainment will begin. (This performance is being staged without a licence from the Ministry. We recognise the risk that each and every one of you is taking by attending and we salute your courage.)' A Mirror is an elusive, explosive play by Sam Holcroft, interrogating censorship, authorship and free speech. It premiered at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 2023, directed by Jeremy Herrin, and with a cast including Jonny Lee Miller, Tanya Reynolds and Micheal Ward. It transferred to the Trafalgar Theatre in the West End in 2024.

Infinite Life by Annie Baker

The Flea by James Fritz 'We'll start with the flea, because that's as good a place as any...' July 1889, London. A flea bites a rat. A rat spooks a horse. A horse kicks a man. As the chain reaction continues, a boy and his mother find themselves swept up in a national scandal that will reshape both their lives - and the country. James Fritz's play The Flea is a retelling of the Cleveland Street Scandal that shook England - from the streets of Bermondsey to the halls of Buckingham Palace - and features a flea, a horse, a detective, a queen, a pimp, a god, and Charlie, the telegraph boy who knelt before the Crown. This anarchic and affecting play was first performed at The Yard Theatre, London, in October 2023, directed by Artistic Director Jay Miller. 'There are few playwrights working in Britain today whose work is as slick and unsettling as James Fritz's' Exeunt 'Fritz's work pairs structural playfulness with emotional intelligence and inky wit... his plays are contained and compassionate, and frequently find reservoirs of humour in places you wouldn't expect' The Stage

Prima Facie by Suzie Miller This special edition of the international hit play Prima Facie features the definitive version of the award-winning script, together with colour photos and exclusive additional content, giving you a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into the making of the production and the issues it explores. In the play, Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister who has worked her way up from working-class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning. But when an unexpected event forces her to confront the patriarchal power of the law - where the burden of proof and morality diverge - she finds herself in a world where emotion and integrity are in conflict with the rules of the game. After acclaimed productions in Australia and winning the Australian Writers' Guild Award for Drama, Prima Facie received its European premiere in a sold-out run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in 2022 starring Jodie Comer in her West End debut. It was named Best New Play at both the 2023 Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards. A filmed version, released in 2022, went on to become the highest-grossing event cinema release ever in the UK. This edition, published alongside Prima Facie's Broadway transfer in 2023, includes contributions from writer Suzie Miller, actor Jodie Comer, director Justin Martin, producer James Bierman and other key members of the creative team, letting you go deeper into the world of the play. There are also essays on the legal context and how the play has become a vehicle for change in attitudes towards the treatment of female victims of sexual assault.

Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress; Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Afterword by) A radical satire of racism in theatre, widely considered the masterpiece of actress and playwright Alice Childress. In 1950s America, protests for racial equality erupt in the face of voter suppression. On Broadway, Wiletta Mayer, a talented black actress, begins rehearsals for a new play about racism - written and directed by two white men. When Wiletta finds that her arguments to tell the truth of the story are dismissed, she decides to take action. Trouble in Mind was premiered Off-Broadway at the Greenwich Mews Theatre in 1955. Scheduled to open on Broadway in 1957, Childress objected to the requested changes in the script that would 'sanitise' the play for mainstream audiences, and the production was cancelled as a result. Its Broadway premiere eventually came in 2021, at the American Airlines Theatre. Childress's final version of the play is published in this Theatre Communications Group edition, along with an essay by American playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Trouble in Mind had its UK premiere at the Tricycle Theatre, London, in 1992, and was revived at the National Theatre, London, in December 2021.

Holy Ground by Michael Dinwiddie (Editor) A collection of plays and monologues from the National Black Theatre Festival, one of the most significant events in American theatre. With a manifesto by Dr Maya Angelou. Held every two years in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this gathering of Black theatre companies and artists from across the globe features an extraordinary array of performances, workshops, films, spoken-word poetry, and more. This volume includes three full-length plays produced at the Festival: Maid's Door by Cheryl L. Davis Berta, Berta by Angelica Chéri Looking for Leroy by Larry Muhammad It also includes seventeen monologues and scenes selected from each year of the Festival, featuring the work of Jackie Alexander, Ifa Bayeza, Pearl Cleage, Kamilah Forbes, Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Javon Johnson, Rhodessa Jones, and others.