Off-Broadway NewsLewis Black, Arianna Huffington, and More Join Off-Broadway Talkback SeriesPrimary Stages will present a number of talkbacks following performances of Discord at the Cherry Lane Theatre.
By
Olivia Clement
August 24, 2017
Lewis Black
Primary Stages has announced the roster of special guests that will take part in its talkback series following performances of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord. The lineup includes comedian, author, and playwright Lewis Black, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Susie Essman, and Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington.
Discord, by Scott Carter, executive producer of Real Time with Bill Maher, sees the three historical figures debating literature, religion, and everything in between.The New York premiere will be directed by Kimberly Senior, with performances set to begin September 19 at the Cherry Lane Theatre Off-Broadway.
The cast is made up of Duane Boutté (Parade, The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin) as Charles Dickens, Michael Laurence (Appropriate, Talk Radio) as Thomas Jefferson, and Thom Sesma (Pacific Overtures, Man of La Mancha) as Leo Tolstoy. Opening night is set for October 1, for a limited run through October 22.
See below for the talkback series’ complete schedule:
September 30 at 2 PM – Performance artist and author Karen Finley
October 7 at 2 PM – New York Times columnist & CNBC Squawk Box host Andrew Ross Sorkin
October 7 at 8 PM – Ex-New York Times ethicist and Person, Place, Thing host Randy Cohen
October 12 at 8 PM – Comedian, author, and playwright Lewis Black
October 13 at 8 PM – Thrive Global founder and CEO Arianna Huffington
October 14 at 8 PM – New Yorker contributing writer and author Maria Konnikova
October 15 at 3 PM – Ex-U.S. Representative Rick Lazio (R-NY)
October 21 at 8 PM – Radio talk show host and author Thom Hartmann
October 22 at 3 PM – CurbYourEnthusiasm star and comedian Susie Essman
For tickets and more information visit primarystages.org or call OvationTix at (212) 352–3101.
Flip through a two-show day from Primary Stages’ 2017 production of Tanya Saracho’s Fade at Cherry Lane:
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Spend a Two Show Day with Annie Dow at the Cherry Lane Theatre
Spend a Two Show Day with Annie Dow at the Cherry Lane Theatre
Get a behind the scenes look at a day in Tanya Saracho’s behind-the-scenes comedy Fade.
34 PHOTOS
Good morning!! It’s a two-show day at Fade and I managed to wake up earlier than I had to today, which means I get some time to play one of my favorite video games: Cities Skylines. If I’m frowning it’s because my city’s downtown area just got hit by a meteor.
Next up! TEA! Just a little to get the day started. I’m totally not addicted or anything…
And now we’re off to brunch!
That’s my boyfriend, Sam.
We get off at the 63rd and Lex stop which I’ve never been to and is VERY quiet.
BRUNCH! My favorite meal, this one is a special one with the family, who came all the way from Mexico and DC to see the show this weekend!
And now it’s time for work at this magnificent theater. It’s one of the oldest in the city, and in my opinion that is most likely why it is probably haunted…
You gotta ring the bell to be let in. The secret password is: “It’s meeee!!”
Maggie is our stage hand. She’s awesome!
Ok, this is my battle station: Flowers, makeup, hair stuff, glasses. And a little massage ball. I try to keep this space neat but on two show days that’s a tall order.
Please, step into my office…
First thing I like to do is get into costume and put on my makeup right away so I can hang out with our tiny cast/crew before showtime.
This is Alfredo! He’s our stage manager and is AMAZING!
Eddie getting all tatted up for the show by our incredible tattoo artist/wardrobe supervisor, Gillian.
Alright — I’m bored with the dressing rooms, let’s go backstage!
This is what backstage looks like. DEFINITELY haunted, right?
I’m “helping” Alfredo check all the lights before the show to make sure they work.
While I’m down there goofing off, Eddie’s mentally preparing for the show. He’s too busy focusing to talk to me right now.
Two can play that game!
And it’s places for the first run…here we go!
By the time we emerge from the matinee it’s already dark and cold outside. Boo winter!
Luckily, Andrew, the Artistic Director at Primary Stages, popped by to drop off some cookies from Milk and Cookies!!
Since it’s too cold to go out and do stuff we stay in. Eddie naps on the Equity cot.
All you can ask for in life is to have somebody look at you the way Poster Tanya looks at Alfredo…
Meanwhile, in the Green Room, Maggi and Gillian catch a much deserved break.
I catch up on my reading. I’m re-reading Animal Farm because the bookstore ran out of 1984. Hmm…wonder why?
Pizza’s here! Every day Two Boots delivers us some pizza to use for the show! Every day is a struggle not to eat it before Scene 8.
Alright, Places is in 5 minutes so I gotta redo a little bit of my lipstick.
By the way this is what my battle station looks like now. #shame
Just catching up with my girl, Poster Tanya. We’re gossiping about Eddie, who totally can’t hear us…
Right before the show, Eddie and I go over the trickier dialogue overlaps to make sure we have the timing right.
Places! See you on the other side!
We did it! Eddie gets out of costume while Alfredo does his performance report. We get an A+, obvs.
