The North American premiere of Alexander Zeldin's LOVE opens Off-Broadway February 28. Previews began February 25 at Park Avenue Armory February 25 where performances are slated to run through March 25.
Delving into the lives of families living in temporary public housing in the days before Christmas, LOVE was created by Zeldin using personal interviews and first-hand accounts collected over years. It follows a group of strangers brought together, including a middle-aged man and his elderly mother, a young family with a baby on the way, a newly arrived woman from Sudan, and a Syrian refugee. The cast stars are Alex Austin, Amelda Brown, Naby Dakhli, Janet Etuk, Amelia Finnegan, Oliver Finnegan, Nick Holder, Hind Swareldahab, and Grace Willoughby.
Zeldin also helms the production which is performed with the house lights on. It features set and costume design by Natasha Jenkins, lighting design by Marc Williams, sound design by Josh Anio Grigg, movement by Marcin Rudy, associate direction by Elin Schofield, and casting by Jacob Sparrow.
“LOVE invites us into the lives of those who are often unseen, but doing so with love in a way that ignites our compassion and empathy,” said Armory Artistic Director Pierre Audi in an earlier statement. An artist talk is scheduled for March 9.
LOVE is part of Zeldin’s trilogy of plays The Inequalities, which together explore the human impact of austerity in Great Britain. The Inequalities also includes Beyond Caring, which premiered in 2014, and Faith, Hope and Charity, which opened in 2019. LOVE premiered in 2016 at the National Theatre and subsequently toured Europe. It was then adapted into a film by the BBC.
A Park Avenue Armory and A Zeldin Company Production, LOVE was originally produced by National Theatre of Great Britain, in a co-production with Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and produced for European touring by Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe and A Zeldin Company.
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