How would you respond if a ghost were to tell you that your life would end in the next twenty-four hours? From September 16th to November 12th, The Refuge Plays lands at the Laura Pels Theatre to answer this chilling question. Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company in collaboration with New York Theatre Workshop, this three-and-a-half-hour fresh production follows a Black family over seven decades set in the woods of Southern Illinois. With Direction by Patricia McGregor, this daring show takes a new spin on an American “family play,” and succeeds in providing audiences with amusement, affection, and unanticipated turns throughout the unorthodox plot created by playwright Nathan Alan Davis! Drive down to the Laura Pels Theatre as this intimate and exclusive dramatic arts venue will be the ideal stage for the ambitious off-Broadway show. Secure your front-row seats now in this website while they’re still available!
The Refuge Plays Tickets:
“There is strong writing, some good moments, and solid performances in this co-production by Roundabout Theatre Company and New York Theatre Workshop.” – North Jersey
“An epic journey through time, space, and family” – The New York Theatre Guide
“The plays get stronger, and more focused, as they go” – New York Stage Review#
Ghosts haunt the present while a family contends with its future in this up-and-coming Off-Broadway production! The Refuge Play opened at the Laura Pels Theatre earlier in October this year and will continue to run at the theatre from September 16th to November 12th as part of the New York Theatre Workshop’s ‘23-’24 Season.
Nathan Alan Davis’s “The Refuge Plays” is a three-part drama with “engaging moments and ambitious durations” as several critics have mentioned. The production, directed by Patricia McGregor, runs for three hours and 29 minutes – a progressive project that starts in the present with a Black family in Southern Illinois and steps back one generation with each installment.
“The Refuge Plays” suggests the potential for stories to exceed the world’s limitations” – The New York Times
“You get to the end, and you want to begin again.” – The New Yorker
Davis expanded his play from a one-act centered on a modern-day, close-knit family living in a remote two-room cabin in the woods. The opening act, though somewhat diffuse, sets the stage for the story, with the following acts gaining momentum. Arnulfo Maldonado’s rustic set design features a mossy cabin illuminated by lanterns, nestled among towering, shadowy trees. As the narrative unfolds, a newcomer to the house is awestruck, likening the atmosphere to a church, with more ghosts and living family members filling the interconnected spaces.
The second act shifts to the 70s to explore a younger version of Gail’s husband while introducing various disconnected events, such as monologues about his worldwide travels and encounters with ghosts, failing to fully develop the concept of the house as a powerful haven. Meanwhile, the third act appears as the most compelling as it focuses on the interaction between a young Early and Crazy Eddie, a soldier returning from World War II, with well-defined character arcs.
“A Surreal Family Saga on the Homestead” – The New York Times
CAST
Check out the complete list of the talented ensemble of actors starring in this new off-Broadway show:
- Ngozi Anyanwu as Joy
- Jerome Preston Bates as Reginald
- Jessica Frances Dukes as Gail
- Jon Michael Hill as Walking Man
- Mallori Taylor Johnson as Symphony
- Lizan Mitchell as Clydette
- Nicole Ari Parker as Early
- Daniel J. Watts as Crazy Eddie
- Lance Coadie Williams as Dax
- JJ Wynder-Wilkins as Ha-Ha
Parker, who plays one of the main characters, shares what it’s like to perform in a play about family. She responds that there are a lot of parallels between her role, Early, and her own family which she feels honored to represent. “I was lost in the magic…this is the kind of play where you can’t leave any of that out.”
In addition, the artistic visionaries behind the technical aspects of the production can be viewed right here:
CREATIVE TEAM
- Nathan Alan Davis – Playwright
- Patricia McGregor – Director
- Arnulfo Maldonado – Set Designer
- Emilio SosaStacey Derosier – Costume Designer
- Stacey Derosier – Lighting Designer
- Marc Anthony Thompson – Original Music and Sound
- Imani Uzuri – Composer and Vocal Soundscapes
- Paloma McGregor – Movement Coordinator
Roundabout Theatre Company spoke with Director Patricia McGregor regarding her fantastic work on the new production. When asked about what drew her into the play, she shares the brief story of how Jim Houghten and members of Julliard sent her the piece when she had just moved to Hawaii. “I love that it is epic and poetic. It is mysterious and grounded. It has a kind of dynamic tension…there’s a politics to not looking at ourselves just as an individual slice of life, but to contextualizing ourselves over generations. There was just so much that I was drawn to,” she adds about the script.
“Elusive, elegiac, folksy, spiritualistic, lyrical, funny, and infused with symbolism and magic realism.” – Theater Life
“A gripping border story that focuses on people, not politics” – The Denver Post
Laura Pels Theatre
The Laura Pels Theatre is a dramatic arts venue located within the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center. With a 400-seating capacity, the venue offers a unique and intimate experience and, at the same time, forges a strong connection between the performers and the audience. This is especially fitting, considering the rich familial themes explored within The Refuge Plays’ trilogy. Buy your tickets as early as now before they run out!