The Off-Broadway theatre company will present the New York premiere of the satire Bootycandy, the world premiere of Heidi Schreck's Grand Concourse and the world premiere of Pocatello, by Samuel D. Hunter.
Placebo, by Melissa James Gibson, will also receive a world-premiere production, as will Iowa, by Jenny Schwartz.
The Playwrights Horizons 2014-15 season will conclude with the presentation of a new play by Bruce Norris, which will begin performances in May 2015. The title of the play will be announced at a later date.
The season-at-a-glance follows.
Bootycandy
New York premiere
Written and directed by Robert O'Hara
Previews begin Aug. 22
"Sutter is on an outrageous odyssey through his childhood home, his church, dive bars, motel rooms and even nursing homes. A kaleidoscope of sketches that interconnect to portray growing up gay and black, Robert O'Hara's subversive, uproarious satire crashes headlong into the murky terrain of pain and pleasure and... Bootycandy." Grand Concourse
World premiere
By Heidi Schreck
Directed by Kip Fagan
October-December
"Called to a life of religious service, Shelly is the devoted manager of a Bronx soup kitchen, but lately her heart's not quite in it. Enter Emma: an idealistic teenaged volunteer with mixed intentions, whose recklessness pushes Shelley to the breaking point. With startling compassion, Heidi Schreck's play navigates the mystery of faith, the limit of forgiveness, and the pursuit of something resembling joy."
Pocatello
World premiere
By Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by Davis McCallum
November 2014-January 2015
"Eddie manages an Italian chain restaurant in Pocatello — a small, unexceptional American city that is slowly being paved over with strip malls and franchises. But he can't serve enough Soup, Salad and Breadstick Specials to make his hometown feel like home. Against the harsh backdrop of Samuel D. Hunter's Idaho, this heartbreaking comedy is a cry for connection in an increasingly lonely American landscape."
Placebo
World premiere
By Melissa James Gibson
Directed by Daniel Aukin
February–April
Playwrights Horizons Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street)
"A minty green pill — medication or sugar? Louise is working on a placebo-controlled study of a new female arousal drug. As her work in the lab navigates the blurry lines between perception and deception, more and more these same questions pertain to her life at home. With uncanny insight and unparalleled wit, Melissa James Gibson's affectionate comedy examines slippery truths and the power of crossed fingers."
Iowa
World premiere
By Jenny Schwartz
Music and lyrics by Todd Almond
Oratorio lyrics by Jenny Schwartz
Directed by Ken Rus Schmoll
March–May
"Mom found her soul-mate on Facebook, and he lives in Iowa. So Becca says goodbye to her beloved math teacher, bulimic best friend, neighborhood pony and her mildly deficient teenage life, and she follows her wayward mother to a new, uncharted beginning. But in this fanciful, absurdist and intoxicating musical play from the imagination of Jenny Schwartz and Todd Almond nothing can prepare them for what they'll find.".
Visit PHnyc.org for more information.
