ROSETTA
new plays. dynamic writers.
Get in on the ground floor of our creative process by joining local actors and directors as they unearth, decode, and develop exciting new works by up-and-coming playwrights.
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January 26th, 7:30pm
Blood of Souls
Frederick Douglass escaped to freedom in 1838—but his origins as a slave haunted him for the rest of his life. Now, in a space outside of time, the man, made myth, reexamines his own story.
This visceral, rhythmic, high-style new play delves deep into the psyche of one of the most prolific and influential leaders of the 20th century.
by Frederick Douglass
arranged by Rickerby Hinds
directed by Matthew Kellen Burgos
January 27th, 7:30pm
On the Third Day
The Lansings have been asked to make a recommendation on the verdict of a court case that tore their family apart. The decision they make might heal their wounds—or it could shed more blood.
An atypical look at the collision between a Black-American family and the justice system, this timely, tender, theatrical new play explores loss, guilt, and the language of dreams.
by Amina S. McIntyre
directed by Jiréh Breon Holder
January 28th, 3pm
Weak Nerves
by Kirin McCrory
directed by David J. Crowe
Hank Saulless was a master builder, but now he's dead—and the three women he left behind are still living in his house.
A loose sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder, this poetic new play probes the question of what it costs to be a woman in a man’s world.
January 28th, 6pm
Forest, Empty
written & directed by
Matthew Kellen Burgos
Four figures from history come together to help one modern-day academic name an anonymous plaster cast that sits in a museum. But the cast represents a man who cannot speak for himself—who, then, gets to name him?
This conceptual, stylized new work explores race and record-keeping through the sensational and widely unknown story of Ota Benga—the Congolese pygmy once caged in the Bronx Zoo.
Educational, entertaining, and experimental, ROSETTA redefines the relationship between audiences and play readings. In this series, audiences can expect the rare gifts of both transparency and theatricality: transparency through behind-the-scenes insight into the inspiration, research, and process of each new play; theatricality through high production values and technical elements that offer a glimpse into later stages of development.
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All readings are pay-what-you-can at the door. Seating will be first come, first served.