2nd Annual festival of works dedicated to Creating More Opportunity for Racial Equity.
April 9 - May 2 at the cell
After a wildly successful inaugural season last year, nancy manocherian’s the cell will present the 2nd annual C.M.O.R.E. Festival dedicated to Creating More Opportunity for Racial Equity among playwrights, directors, and actors. The festival will present readings of two new plays and a fully-staged production of The Year of the Bicycle. Festival events will be presented April 9 - May 2 at the cell.
The Year of the Bicycle, written by South African playwright Joanna Evans, chronicles the unlikely bond between two children in apartheid South Africa as they navigate their friendship and the tumultuous political landscape that separates them. Directed by Shariffa Ali, the play will feature Kambi Gathesha (Our Lady of Kibeho, The Rivals -- pictured above) and Elaine Ivy Harris with lighting by Chris Steckel and set by You-Shin Chen. Tickets are $10. Performances are Saturday, April 15 @ 7PM; Monday, April 17 @ 7PM; Wednesday, April 19 @ 7PM; Friday, April 21 @ 7PM; Saturday, April 22 @ 1PM; Wednesday, April 26 @ 7PM; Thursday, April 27 @ 7PM; Monday, May 1 @ 7PM; and Tuesday, May 2 @ 7PM.
The C.M.O.R.E. Festival will also present readings of two new plays. The First reading is Shoppin’ for N.I.G.G.A.S by Garlia Cornelia, directed by Christopher Burris. It tells the hilarious and thought-provoking story of a dating agency designed to find a very specific type of man for their clients. The play will receive two readings, one on April 9th and another on April 10th at 7PM in conjunction with Blackboard Reading Series. The second reading is The Marks You Leave by Tyler Andrew Jones, directed by Mia Crivello. When Georgette’s estranged younger brother arrives unexpectedly to her and her girlfriend’s home in Brooklyn, long-held family secrets, heartbreaks and resentments are unearthed as Georgette's entire existence is put into question. The reading will be presented on April 6th at 7PM. All readings are free and open to the public.
In 2016, the inaugural C.M.O.R.E. Festival at the cell presented readings of Lovely Send Anywhere by Douglas J. Cohen, Lambs to Slaughter by Khalil Kain, The Year of the Bicycle by Joanna Evans and In the Southern Breeze by Jireh Breon Holder.
nancy manocherian’s the cell is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the incubation and presentation of new works by emerging artists. Started in 2006 by Founding Artistic Director Nancy Manocherian and Artistic Director Kira Simring, the cell has produced over a dozen critically-acclaimed world premiere productions of new plays and musicals over the past 10 years including the recent off Broadway transfer of Crackskull Row. the cell also features the jazz at the cell series and has served as a home base for a large community of resident artists and organizations such as Blackboard Reading Series, Artists Without Walls (AWOW), Irish American Writers and Artists (IAW), Sybarite5 and Tribeca New Music.
the cell is located at 338 W 23rd St, between 8th & 9th Avenues -- accessible from the C & E trains at 23rd Street. Tickets are available at 800-838-3006 or www.thecelltheatre.org.