Off-Broadway company Primary Stages has announced that it will present Morning in America, November 9, 9:00 AM, a series of one-minute monologues penned by playwrights in response to the 2016 Presidential election. Featured playwrights include Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Theresa Rebeck, Terrence McNally, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Jenny Rachel Weiner, and Leah Nanako Winkler.
Morning in America, November 9, 9:00 AM will be staged February 18 and 19 at the Cherry Lane Theater as a benefit for The Actors’ Fund.
The announcement coincides with the U.S. Presidential Inauguration on January 20, which was preceded by a number of protests and reactions from the theatre community. On January 19, more than 500 theatres across the U.S. took part in the Ghostlight Project to affirm their commitment to “diversity and inclusion.” Theatre artists gathered outside their theatres to “create a “light” for dark times ahead.
SCROLL THROUGH PHOTOS OF THE GHOSTLIGHT PROJECT
Beginning one week after the 2016 election, Primary Stages commissioned a collection of over 70 pieces from an array of playwrights within its artistic community. Each playwright wrote a short monologue from the perspective of a character in America on the morning of November 9.
Other playwrights who have contributed to the project are: Dan Ahearn, Courtney Baron, Alex Beech, Stephen Belber, Brooke Berman, Lee Blessing, Emily Bohannon, Stephen Brown, Bekah Brunstetter, Matthew Capodicasa, Jonathan Caren, Nat Cassidy, Kathleen Clark, Cynthia L. Cooper, Kate Cortesi, Cusi Cram, Emily Daly, David Davila, Eisa Davis, Richard Dresser, Laura Eason, Bruce Faulk, Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy, Kate Fodor, Daisy Foote, Julian Giat, Judy Gold, Jason Grote, Michael Hollinger, Willy Holtzman, Tina Howe, Rachael Jenison, Yanna Jurado, Russell Kaplan, Boo Killebrew, Alessandro King, Brandon Marianne Lee, Rehana Lew Mirza, Michele Lowe, Jessica Luck, Mariah MacCarthy, Cheri Magid, Michael McKeever, Winter Miller, Dan O'Brien, Topher Payne, Mike Poblete, Brian Pracht, Kat Ramsburg, Janet Reed, Kristine M. Reyes, Karina Richardson, Edwin Sanchez, Julian Sheppard, Crystal Skillman, Mat Smart, Tommy Smith, Susan Soon He Stanton, Samantha Stone, Tatiana Suarez-Pico, Caridad Svich, Daniel Talbott, Jonathan Tolins, Ken Urban, Richard Vetere, Eljon Wardally, Sheri Wilner, and Stefanie Zadravec.
“Undertaking Morning in America acutely reflects the responsibility and capability of a non-profit, artist-focused organization to respond directly and rapidly to current events,“ reads a statement from the organization. Primary Stages will also organize talk-backs and roundtable discussions to allow artists and audiences to come together and share their stories.
“The recent election has brought to the forefront a deep divide in principles, as well as a startling amount of animosity and prejudice in our nation,” added a spokesperson for Primary Stages. “Along with our audience, we seek to support the voices of immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, and people of color in hopes of creating a space of understanding, inspiration, and healing.”
Tickets, priced $10, are now on sale at PrimaryStages.org, CherryLaneTheatre.org, and by phone via OvationTix at (212) 532-3101.
