This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
For its 56th season, the Alliance Theatre will feature six world premiere productions on its stages, including those celebrating two iconic Atlanta leaders who transformed the American Civil Rights movement and new works from Pulitzer Prize finalists and Tony Award winners.
“What binds each of these seemingly disparate stories together is the palpable sense of hope pulsing through each and every one — not platitudes masquerading as hope but the kind of hope that won’t let you down — the kind forged from the truth of our human condition,” said artistic directors Christopher Moses and Tinashe Kajese-Bolden in a joint statement. “This season both celebrates our city and our connection to the national theater field. But most of all, it celebrates the majesty of the human spirit.”
The season began with “Babble Lab,” which runs through July 28 and aims to teach new learners from ages 3 to 7 about language and letters. This season’s Family Series will also feature a musical adaptation of author William Steig’s “Doctor De Soto” in January.
Credit: Courtesy of Alliance Theatre
Credit: Courtesy of Alliance Theatre
From August 2-11, playwright Pearl Cleage’s “Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard” — which explores the historic election of Atlanta’s first Black mayor, Maynard Jackson, from the perspective of citizens involved in the movement — will play for a limited engagement on the Hertz Stage.
Then, from August 30 to September 22, the Coca-Cola Stage will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall’s “The Mountaintop,” which re-imagines events on the night of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The play will be directed by Kajese-Bolden.
“Good plays are always in conversation with the audience, but they are also in conversation with other plays,” said Cleage in a statement. “In the case of “Something Moving” and “The Mountaintop,” we were independently moved by the lives of two of Atlanta’s most famous native sons, focusing on each man’s greatness without ignoring their humanity.”
Lloyd Suh’s “The Chinese Lady” takes the Hertz Stage beginning September 18, followed by the annual holiday production of “A Christmas Carol” on the Coca-Cola Stage in November. Also in November, Matt Torney, who serves as artistic director at Theatrical Outfit, will direct “Business Ideas” by Milo Cramer, which won the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition this year.
On February 13, playwright Zora Howard’s “Bust,” a coproduction with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, will have its world premiere. Then, on March 29, “The Reservoir,” a play by Jake Brasch and a finalist for the Kendeda prize, premieres on the Hertz Stage.
The season concludes in May with a musical adaptation of “Millions,” based upon the charming British novel and film by Frank Cottrell-Boyce about two suburban boys who discover a duffel bag filled with cash. Directed by Bartlett Sher, “Millions” will feature new music from Tony Award winners Adam Guettel (“The Light in the Piazza”) and Bob Martin (“The Prom”).
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Benjamin Carr is an ArtsATL editor-at-large who has contributed to the publication since 2019 and is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Atlanta Press Club and the Horror Writers Association. His writing has been featured in podcasts for iHeartMedia, onstage as part of the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival and online in The Guardian. His debut novel, “Impacted,” was published by The Story Plant.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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