New York Theatre Workshop Announces Productions Through 2023

After concluding its 2019-2020 season early due to COVID-19, New York Theatre Workshop has announced in-person productions for both its 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons.

The 2021-2022 season will begin in August with Whitney White's Semblance, bringing her work as a 2020-2021 Artistic Instigator to the stage in a filmed theatrical experience. Next up will be Pulitzer winner Martyna Majok's Sanctuary City in September. Directed by Rebecca Frecknall, the show had just begun performances at the time of theaters shutting down in New York City. Following Sanctuary City will be a new project from Kristina Wong in October. The project will build on Wong’s 2020-2021 Artistic Instigator project Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord and will be directed by Chay Yew.

In 2022, the season will continue with the world premiere of Aleshea Harris' On Sugarland with Whitney White directing. The season will conclude with Somi Kakoma's Dreaming Zenzile, which is based on the life of Miriam Makeba. The production will be directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz.

The previously announced production of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, adapted by Clare Barron and directed by Sam Gold, will be mounted as part of the 2022-2023 season to accomodate company schedules. Greta Gerwig and Oscar Isaac had been cast in the production.

The 2022-2023 season will also include Victor I. Cazares' american (tele)visions, directed by Rubén Polendo, Liliana Padilla's How to Defend Yourself, co-directed by Rachel Chavkin, Padilla and Steph Paul, Inua Ellams' The Half-God of Rainfall and an additional production to be announced at a later date.

“As we considered our return to live performance, we realized that in addition to the interrupted commitments we’d made, the artists in our community had not stopped creating—there was even more work that demanded our attention,” said Artistic Director James C. Nicola and Managing Director Jeremy Blocker in a joint statement. “Additionally, since we’ll be welcoming a new artistic director in summer 2022, we wanted to give them—not to mention the whole organization—some breathing room. Setting out plans for our next two seasons will give the gift of time to just be present, without the pressure to compose a season. Time to listen, to observe and formulate a plan for change and growth.”

Performance schedules, casting and full creative teams will be announced at a later date. A ticketing initiative for the 2021-2022 season will offer free tickets at all performances to members of the theater community who lost work during the pandemic. For that information and more on NYTW's COVID-19 safety procedures, head here.