Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop will kick off its 2023-2024 season with the world premiere of The Refuge Plays by Nathan Alan Davis (Nat Turner in Jerusalem), a former NYTW 2050 Artistic Fellow and Usual Suspect. NYTW Artistic Director Patricia McGregor (Ugle Lies the Bone, brownsville song) will direct the three-part drama which will be presented in collaboration with Roundabout Theatre Company in September at Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre.
Gail, a young mother decides to leave the traumas of society behind. In the woods of Southern Illinois, a ghost tells her that she has 24 hours to live, sparking a saga exploration of a single Black family's story over 70 years. Filled with humor and magical realism, the work explores "how we survive the unimaginable," according to McGregor. She continues in her statement that The Refuge Plays are "a testament to the exquisite enduring power of love in the Black community." The plays are performed in reverse chronology over the course of the night.
McGregor first heard about The Refuge Plays seven years ago when she was contacted by Juilliard to direct a reading of the work. "Since then, we’ve workshopped these pieces with extraordinary artists and theatres," sahres McGregor. "They are a deep part of my artistic soul and I'm honored to begin my tenure of programming at New York Theatre Workshop with the world premiere of these powerful plays."
Dates for the production will be revealed in the coming weeks, and further productions for the season will be announced at a later date.
