NEW WORKS SERIES
Monday, April 11, 2022 | 7PM ET
at Theaterlab (357 W 36th St, NYC)
WITH(OUT) HER
Music and Lyrics by Chilina Kennedy
Book by Eric Holmes
Directed by Kate Siahaan-Rigg
BLACK-EYED SUSAN
Music and lyrics by Matthew McCollum
Book by McCollum and Crystal Skillman
Directed by Jen Wineman
WITH(OUT) HER
Music and Lyrics by Chilina Kennedy
Book by Eric Holmes
Directed by Kate Siahaan-Rigg
A MOTHER WITH MEMORY LOSS & A SON STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION EMBARK ON A WORLD WITH(OUT) EACH OTHER
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Olivia wakes up in a hospital bed unsure of how she got there or even really who she is. As memories of past loves and painful betrayals start to hazily appear, three defining relationships come into focus, along with the various ways she has feared commitment, questioned her sexuality and numbed her restless heart with pills and avoidance. Ten years later, Olivia’s son, Billy, now a troubled young man with his own addictions and struggles, stumbles upon a box of letters, artifacts, and clues to Olivia’s past. By piecing together the fragments of his mother’s unfinished life, Billy searches for his own path with(out) the spirit of his mother by his side, guiding him towards the beautiful, imperfect redemption that she never reached. With(out) Her (formerly known as Call It Love) was developed through the generous support of Eclipse Theatre Company, Straighten Your Crown Productions, and Sylvia Soyka.
BLACK-EYED SUSAN
Music and lyrics by Matthew McCollum
Book by McCollum and Crystal Skillman
Directed by Jen Wineman
A TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY
"ROMEO AND JULIET" MEETS "DEADWOOD"
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Set in the late 1800s, Black-Eyed Susan tells the dark tale of a young town in the mountains of West Virginia. A town ruled by two households, both alike in dignity -- had none. A town that Rosie MacAleese was determined to change for the better...and then she met Jason. Weaving the musical traditions of Bluegrass, Americana, and Celtic Balladry, Black-Eyed Susan is a turn-of-the-century Romeo and Juliet meets Deadwood—a campfire ghost story about those who inherit broken legacies, those who pass them down, and those stuck in between. Black-Eyed Susan (formerly known as The Ballad of Brightwater) has been developed through the ASCAP DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop, and was a finalist for the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program.