Fired gay Catholic music teacher (and Broadway actor) speaks out in Off-Broadway premiere.
November 7 - December 8, 2024 at the cell theatre
“Gripping, provocative… makes the case for the eternal importance of live theater.” -- Jed Ryan, Lavender After Dark
“Defies superlatives.” -- Tony Marinelli, TheaterScene.net
“Frociaggine.” -- Pope Francis
After a twice extended developmental production that became a hot ticket last fall, Matthew LaBanca’s confessional play COMMUNION will make its official Off-Broadway debut. Directed by Kira Simring, performances begin November 7 at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre.
Ripped from the headlines, COMMUNION is a one-man show about a gay Catholic school teacher who is fired when the church discovers that he married a man. His termination causes a crisis of faith, not only for himself but for his entire community. Based on the real-life story of Broadway actor and playwright Matthew LaBanca, COMMUNION spotlights themes of religious hypocrisy, spiritual trauma, faith and hope, reminding those who would use religion to discriminate against LGBTQ people that the most basic tenet of spiritual life is that we are called to love one another.
COMMUNION’s production team includes Julianne Merrill (sound design / programming), Ryan Belock (projection design), Will Morris (scenic and lighting design), Christine O'Grady Roberts (choreography), Lexi Vollero (additional programming), Julian Kelly (assistant projection design), Julian Singer-Corbin (production manager), and Richard Urquiza (stage manager). It is produced by Knocking at Your Door in association with Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre and Alissa Orlando.
COMMUNION runs November 7 – December 8, Wednesday - Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 3pm. (Note: no performances Nov. 27 – 29 due to Thanksgiving.) Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre is located at 338 W. 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011. Running time is 65 minutes. Tickets are $45, available at www.thecelltheatre.org.
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Matthew LaBanca performed on Broadway in the original companies of Young Frankenstein, White Christmas, and A Christmas Carol. His solo show Good Enough played Off Broadway at the United Solo Festival, winning the festival's Best Musical Award in 2014. Matthew’s controversial termination from the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2021 led to a media firestorm, and is the inspiration for his new solo show, Communion. His story is also portrayed in the documentary May All Be Wed, which makes its debut on the film festival circuit this autumn. Matthew’s TV credits include Broad City, Live from Lincoln Center, and the upcoming season of Severance on Apple+. In addition to performing, Matthew is a proud NYC elementary music teacher at PS151 in Woodside, Queens.
Kira Simring is the Artistic Director of Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre in NYC, where she has developed and directed new works since 2006. Directing credits include the world premieres of What Kind of Woman by Abbe Tanenbaum, The Women Who Rode Away by Natalia Zukerman (the cell and Off the WALL), Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom (Irish Rep), Crackskull Row by Honor Molloy (New York Times Critics’ Pick) and Hard Times: An American Musical by Larry Kirwan (New York Times Critics’ Pick). Kira is a three-time Origin Theatre 1st Irish Award Winner for Best Director.
Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre (Artistic Director Kira Simring) is a not-for-profit dedicated to the incubation and presentation of new work across all artistic disciplines. Founded in 2006, the cell has provided a developmental home in the heart of Chelsea for works in progress by artists ranging from early career to established staples. Originally established as a 21st century salon, the cell has evolved into a cultural hub for the performing arts, food artists, musicians, installation artists, choreographers and more. Past performances include I'm Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire, The Final Veil, the revival of Elizabeth Swados’ Nightclub Cantata, Fruma-Sarah (starring Jackie Hoffman), The Evolution of Mann, Bastard Jones (a Drama-Desk Award nominee), Crackskull Row, Rady & Bloom's Peter/Wendy, The McGowan Trilogy, Horse Girls, Hard Times: An American Musical (which became the Tony-nominated Paradise Square). New work developed at the cell has been seen on Broadway, Irish Rep, MCC, Rattlestick, New World Stages, Cherry Lane, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage, Toyohashi Arts Theatre, Kino Theater, Edinburgh Fringe, Carnegie Stage, Carnegie Museum of Art, and Art Basel Miami. www.thecelltheatre.org / @thecelltheatre.