Libra Theatre premieres wartime drama by Tom Diggs inspired by Kranz Xaver Kroetz.
January 16 - February 1 at Theatre 54
This winter, Alexander Greenfield – Associate Director of the acclaimed Broadway production of Outside Mullingar and The City of Conversation at Lincoln Center – directs Libra Theater Company’s production of Tom Diggs’ new play KIND SOULS, performing January 16 - February 1 at Theatre 54. The cast includes Lindsey Kyler (The Seagull at New York Classical Theatre) and John Clarence Stewart (Choir Boy at Manhattan Theatre Club / The Alliance Theatre). Opening is slated for January 18.
KIND SOULS tells the story of Tara and Oliver, a young couple struggling to make ends meet on the periphery of a great conflict. As the names of the dead continue to multiply in the town square, they do their best to survive with little food and few possessions. When an unexpected work opportunity finds its way into their lives, it appears things might just turn around for the two lovers. But all is not as it seems in this powerful, gut-wrenching look into how our relationships and ideals are tested as we bear the unbearable in times when violence and war are king.
The production team includes scenic design by Jason Sherwood (The Mysteries at The Flea), costume design by Travis Boatright, lighting design by Carl Wiemann, sound design by Steven P. Nemphos, and original music by Michael Finke. Production Stage Management by Cait Weisensee.
Kind Souls was inspired by the plays of 20th Century German playwright Kranz Xaver Kroetz in the tradition of plays that personalize the political. An early draft was read and developed at the Kennedy Center's Playwriting Intensive. In the summer of 2012, Kind Souls was part of the Summer Readings 2012 new play reading series in NYC, sponsored by the Whitley-Mosier Foundation.
The production reunites Greenfield, Stewart, and Sherwood who were all nominated for Suzi Bass Awards for their work on The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez at the Tony-winning Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA.
KIND SOULS runs January 16 - February 1, Tuesday - Sunday at 8pm with an added performance Sat. Jan. 24 at 2pm. Please note: there is no performance on Jan. 29; Sun. Jan. 18 is at 6pm and Sun. Feb. 1 at at 2pm. Theatre 54 is located at Shetler Studios at 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.
Tom Diggs (Playwright) has had worked produced at major regional theatres including East/West Players, Intiman Theatre, The Seattle Rep, Theatre Masters, Atlantic 2, and Moving Arts (L.A.). His play, Harper Lee’s Husband, was a part of the 2005 Pittsburgh New Works Festival, The Vital Theatre’s Vital Signs, and was a finalist for a Samuel French Award. Nu Shu, was part of the Kennedy Center’s New Works Festival in April 2006. The Fairy Hoax won the Aurand Harris Award at NETC in 2007, was a Princess Grace Finalist, and developed in the TRU Voices Musical Theatre Reading Series. Fair and Decent was commissioned by The Kennedy Center and The National New Play Network and opened the 2007-2008 Luna Stage season where it was nominated for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. Love in the Time of Reagan was developed in New York City with a Bridgeworks/id theater, the Lark Theatre, and 24Seven Lab. Last summer, Tom’s latest musical, Milo at the Movies, was developed at Seven Devils Playwriting Conference and Aurora Theatre in Gwinnett, Georgia. Tom graduated from NYU’s Tisch of the Arts in 2007 with an MFA in Dramatic Writing. He was named a Dramatist Guild Fellow for 2007-2008 and is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Alexander Greenfield (Director) is an Atlanta-raised, New York-based professional stage director. Upcoming: 4000 Miles (Aurora Theatre in GA) and Richard III (Warehouse Theatre in SC). Last season: Associate Director of the Tony-nominated Outside Mullingar on Broadway, a world premiere by John Patrick Shanley at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and The City of Conversation by Anthony Giardina at Lincoln Center Theater. Directing credits include: The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez at the Alliance Theatre (Suzi Bass Award Nomination); Ten Mile Lake (Serenbe Playhouse); Sweeney Todd (Fabrefaction—Suzi Nomination; Seven 2012 Atlanta Theater Fan Awards). Alexander is Associate to Tony-winning director Doug Hughes. Broadway AD credits include: The Big Knife, An Enemy of the People, The Road to Mecca (dir. Gordon Edelstein), Born Yesterday, Elling, and Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Other AD credits include: Glengarry Glen Ross as well as The Price at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, and the commercial Off-Broadway production of My Name is Asher Lev. Recent staged readings include: The Seagull starring two-time Tony winner Judy Kaye; Milo at the Movies, a new musical (Aurora Theatre); Reporting Live at NYMF. Proud member of SDC.
Libra Theater Company recently received 7 New York Innovative Theatre Award nominations for its world premiere of The Thirteenth Commandment by Joshua H. Cohen, and won two of those awards. Most recently, Libra produced a world premiere of Royal Fables, a new musical by Nick Luckenbaugh and directed by Megan Mekjian. Other past work includes Monstersongs with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki (Love, NY) and illustrations by Dave O’Neill, William Shakespeare’s 12th Night (winner of a NY Innovative Theatre Award for “Outstanding Original Music”), The Entropy Songs by Joshua H. Cohen, Poems & Moon Songs by Will Reynolds (The Greenwood Tree), and Fleet Week and Other Reasons to Sail by Sam Carner and Derek Gregor (Unlock’d). For more information, visit www.libratheater.org.