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Brilliant, bold, and oft-untold. In our Season 19, C1 is excited to explore the prism of the black male experience in America. From politics in hip-hop, to the realness of the catwalk, to a dream bigger than the system allows, these stories penned by visionary playwrights Idris Goodwin (HOW WE GOT ON), Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight, BRO/SIS PLAYS), and Josh Wilder are the heartbeat of >>What’s Next in American Theatre.
C1 will begin its 19th season with a World Premiere presentation of Goodwin’s HYPE MAN: A BREAK BEAT PLAY at the Boston Center for the Arts. We then return to Harvard Square for the third consecutive season with McCraney’s WIG OUT!, in association with the A.R.T. as part of the OBERON Presents series. Finally, C1 moves to The Strand to present Wilder’s LEFTOVERS — an electrifying new work developed as part of C1’s groundbreaking PlayLab program.
Just as our on-stage programming climbs to new heights, we are proud to announce two new community engagement programs that aim to amplify and encourage dialogue across the city. Come lend your voice to OUR AMERICAN STORY, a curated conversation series exploring the American identity and what it means to us right now. Join us for play readings, film screenings, and more as we dive into the heart of what shapes our society. And be sure to join us for ARTIVISTS ACTIVATED, a neighborhood-driven program that connects artists, activists, organizers, and community members who are interested in igniting change in Boston.
Finally, we are thrilled to announce the initiation of PlayLab Bootcamp: a high-intensity, curated series of professional development Master Classes for early and midcareer playwrights, directors, and dramaturgs. Over two weekends this fall, join C1’s award-winning dramaturgy staff for personalized workshops meant to expand approaches to collaboration, visibility, and the creation of new work.
“We talk a lot about diversity and silenced voices in the theatre, and one set of voices that often gets silenced and overlooked is that of black male playwrights. I don’t know where I’d be without James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Ed Bullins and August Wilson having come before me, and yet so many of the programs meant to cultivate new voices put an emphasis on female voices or female voices of color. There is room for everybody at this table, so the answer is not to discontinue any programs, but recognize these voices are imperative if the deaths of black men in this country at this moment—such as Trayvon Martin, Michaal Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice—are not to be in vain.” – C1 Resident Playwright Kirsten Greenidge
>>SEASON 19 PLAYS
HYPE MAN: a break beat play
A World Premiere by Idris Goodwin
Directed by Shawn LaCount
January 26 – February 24, 2018 | Boston Center for the Arts
#MicDropWithC1
Frontman Pinnacle and his hype man Verb have been making Hip-Hop together since they were kids. Now that they’ve got top-notch beatmaker Peep One in the mix, the group is finally on the verge of making it big—until the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager shakes the trio to its core, and forces them to navigate issues of friendship, race, and privilege. The latest from break beat poet and playwright Idris Goodwin (HOW WE GOT ON), HYPE MAN asks us: who has the responsibility to speak up in the face of social injustice?
“I want to use the theatre as a venue to wrestle with our national sicknesses but also a place to nod heads in unison, as we collectively imagine towards liberation. HYPE MAN, this latest entry into my break beat plays series, exemplifies this desire.” – Idris Goodwin, playwright
WIG OUT!
A Boston Premiere by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight, BRO/SIS Plays)
Directed by Summer L. Williams
In Partnership with A.R.T’s OBERON
April 27 – May 13, 2018 | OBERON
#VogueWithC1
From the Oscar-winning writer of Moonlight, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s WIG OUT! is the catwalk showdown of the year! When the House of Light is challenged to a surprise ball by the rival House of Di’abolique, they’ve got to leave it all on the floor to defend their family’s Legendary status. Fueled by a sizzling R&B playlist, WIG OUT! is a divine exploration of drag ball culture, chosen family, and the desire to be desired.
“Astonishing … the gutsy, pulsing portrait of uptown drag queens and the men who love them” – New York Times, Critics’ Pick
LEFTOVERS
By Josh Wilder | Directed by Summer L. Williams
In Development With Company One’s PlayLab
July 20 – August 18, 2018 | The Strand
#ClimbWithC1
Weeds are a given in the heart of Philly, but when a giant dandelion sprouts overnight and wishes start falling from the sky, a young man and his family begin to see a way out of the cycle of poverty that has governed their lives. Refusing to feel like the city’s leftovers any longer, the two brothers embark on an adventure they never could have imagined.
“Growing up in the inner city as a young Black man I felt like my dreams and my environment were at war … Writing this play helped me understand why people in my neighborhood gave up, and it helped me heal the wounds I accumulated in my pursuit of my own dreams.” – Josh Wilder
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>>SEASON 19 ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
>>RESPONSIVE PROGRAMMING: #BeHeardWithC1
Our American Story
A curated conversation series exploring the American identity and what it means to us right now. Join us for play readings, film screenings, and more as we dive into the heart of what shapes our society.
ARTivists Activated
A neighborhood-driven program that connects artists, activists, organizers, and community members who are interested in igniting change in Boston.
For more information about these programs, sign up for our email list or follow us @company_one.
>>C1 PLAYLAB BOOTCAMP
Welcome to PlayLab Bootcamp: a high-intensity, curated series of professional development Master Classes for early and mid-career playwrights, directors, and dramaturgs. Over two weekends this fall, join C1’s award-winning dramaturgy staff for personalized workshops meant to expand approaches to collaboration, visibility, and the creation of new work. For more details, visit our PlayLab page.