NEW YORK CITY: WP Theater has announced its 2018-19 season, which will feature two world premieres, several readings, and the annual Parity Plays Festival.
The season kicks off with the world premiere of Natural Shocks (Oct. 28-Nov. 25) by Lauren Gunderson, the most-produced playwright in the country last season. Directed by May Adrales, Natural Shocks follows a woman who finds refuge from a tornado in her basement where, as the storm approaches, she finds herself becoming less confident about how safe she really is and how to overcome the approaching danger.
Following will be Pulitzer finalist Madeleine George’s Hurricane Diane (Feb. 6-March 10, 2019), the first co-production of a two-play collaboration with New York Theatre Workshop. Directed by Leigh Silverman, this play tells the story of a Greek god disguised as a gardener who has returned to the mortal world to restore it to its natural state.
Next will be the world premiere of Rehana Lew Mirza’s Hatefuck (March 3-31, 2019). This play, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt and presented by WP Theater & Colt Coeur in association with Abingdon Theatre Company, follows the tumultuous romantic relationship between Layla, a literature professor, and Imran, a novelist she has accused of trading in anti-Muslim stereotypes.
WP Theater will also introduce the WP Fortieth Anniversary Reading Series, a new annual series featuring plays from the company’s 40-Year history. The plays are Chain by Pearl Cleage, Aye Aye Aye I’m Integrated by Anna Deavere Smith, Abingdon Square and excerpts by María Irene Fornes, Still Life by Emily Mann, The Exact Center of Universe by Joan Vail Thorne, The Antigone Project by Tanya Barfield, Karen Hartman and Chiori Miyagawa, and Lynn Nottage and Caridad Svich.
Additionally, WP Theater will produce the annual Parity Plays Festival for the second year in a row with Colt Coeur. The festival celebrates new work by female and trans playwrights and directors. WP will also continue its Domestic Partner Program this season with theatre companies Trans Lab, Hypokrit Theatre Company, and Lesser America.
WP Theater (formerly known as Women’s Project Theater), was founded in 1978 by Julia Miles with the mission of addressing the under-representation of women in theatre through programs encouraging and supporting female playwrights and directors.
