Bartlett Sher, Bob Martin, Adam Guettel & More Set for Alliance Theatre's 24/25 Season

Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre has revealed the productions of the Alliance’s 56th season.  The new season will feature award-winning plays, world premieres, and works developed for youth and families.

“As Atlanta continues to build on its reputation as a creative capital, we're proud to deepen our commitment to new work with the six world premiere productions included in our 24/25 season,” said Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses.  “What binds each of these seemingly disparate stories together is the palpable sense of hope pulsing through each & every one – not platitudes masquerading as hope, but the kind of hope that won't let you down – the kind forged from the truth of our human condition.  This season both celebrates our city and our connection to The National Theatre field.  But most of all, it celebrates the majesty of the human spirit.” 

The 56th season will begin this summer with BABBLE LAB, a world premiere co-production with Children’s Theatre Company.  Created with early learners in mind, a scientist makes surprising discoveries in her sound-filled laboratory in a charming exploration of language.

In the fall, the Alliance will produce Pearl Cleage’S SOMETHING MOVING: A MEDITATION ON MAYNARD – a play by Pearl Cleage written for the 50th anniversary of the landmark election of Maynard Jackson as Atlanta’s first Black mayor.  Cleage brings an artist's unblinking eye to her experiences as a member of Maynard Jackson's administration. This limited engagement will run on the Hertz Stage, August 2 – 11, 2024. 

On The Coca-Cola Stage, Alliance will produce THE MOUNTAINTOP.  THE MOUNTAINTOPis a gripping reimagining of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Olivier Award-winning play offers an intimate and empathetic portrait of one of history’s most consequential figures told by one of today’s most important writers, Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall (The Hot Wing King).  THE MOUNTAINTOP is directed by Jennings Hertz Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden. 

“Good plays are always in conversation with the audience, but they are also in conversation with other plays,” said Cleage.  “In the case of Pearl Cleage'S SOMETHING MOVING: A MEDITATION ON MAYNARD and THE MOUNTAINTOP, by Katori Hall, we were independently moved by the lives of two of Atlanta's most famous native sons, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Maynard Jackson, focusing on each man’s greatness without ignoring their humanity."

The Alliance will then produce the critically acclaimed play by Lloyd Suh, THE CHINESE LADY. THE CHINESE LADY is inspired by the true story of the first Chinese woman to step foot in America and is a unique portrait of a young country struggling with its identity and role in the world as seen through the eyes of an idealistic migrant. 

For the holidays, the Alliance will present the timeless Dickens story, A CHRISTMAS CAROL on The Coca-Cola Stage, November 9 – December 24.  Described byThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution as “high art of the season… a nostalgic feast for the eyes” audiences will be transported to the streets of London for the redemption story of Ebenezer Scrooge, told with beautiful live music and an all-star cast.

On the Hertz Stage, the Alliance will produce the world premiere of the 21st winner of the celebrated Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, BUSINESS IDEAS, by Milo Cramer from the University of California San Diego.  Inspired by Cramer’s experiences with his enterprising mom, BUSINESS IDEAS is a cross-generational comedy about wealth – who has it and why? – and the value we place on it. Theatrical Outfit’s Artistic Director Matt Torney directs. Past winners of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition have become some of today’s most exciting playwrights and writers, including Tarell Alvin McCraney, whose play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue inspired the 2017 Academy Award-winning film for Best Picture, Moonlight; Mike Lew (Tiger Style!), 2018 winner of the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for an Emerging American Playwright; and Mansa Ra, whose winning play Too Heavy For Your Pocketreceived multiple productions including Off-Broadway.

In January, the Alliance will produce a world premiere adaptation of William Steig’s Newberry Award-winning picture book DOCTOR DE SOTO, adapted by playwrightIdris Goodwin (Ghost, The Boy Who Kissed the Sky). Full of excitement and laughter, this new play for youth and family audiences proves that even the smallest creatures can make a big difference with kindness and a little quick thinking. DOCTOR DE SOTO is produced in association with Seattle Children’s Theatre. 

On The Coca-Cola Stage, the Alliance, in partnership with Goodman Theatre and in association with Sonia Friedman Productions, Khaliah Neal and Thomas Swayne, will produce the world premiere of the gripping new play, BUST.  It’s not only hell that breaks loose in this ground-breaking, form-defying, laugh-out-loud drama from Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Zora Howard. In BUST, Retta and Reggie are enjoying their usual evening on the porch when a longtime neighbor is pulled over by the police just before turning into his driveway. Everything goes as expected—until the unexpected happens. Humor, spectacle, and surrealism converge in this interrogation of what it costs to be Black and free. Lileana Blain-Cruz, a “master of curating chaos” (The New York Times) directs.

“BUST is a very personal play,” said playwright Zora Howard. “The opportunity to bring it to life alongside Lileana – and in the cities of Atlanta and Chicago especially – is a long-time dream come true. We are beyond ready to kick down the walls and welcome folks into its world(s).”

The last production on the Hertz Stage for the season will be the world premiere production, THE RESERVOIR by Jake Brasch.  Following enthusiastic responses from audiences when it was presented in staged readings as part of the 2023/24 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition and Denver Performing Arts Center’s 2023 Colorado New Play Summit, the Alliance, the Denver Center, and The Geffen Playhouse will present the world premiere of THE RESERVOIR as a co-production.  In THE RESERVOIR, Josh has returned home from college to get his life together but can’t manage to stay sober. Desperate for camaraderie, he decides to bring his four loveable grandparents on his road to recovery. Served up with outrageous humor and truth, THE RESERVOIR reminds us that sometimes the path forward isn’t the one we expect.

The season Will Close on The Coca-Cola Stage with the world premiere musical, MILLIONS.  Inspired by Frank Cottrell Boyce’s beloved novel and film, MILLIONS is a hilarious and heartwarming new musical that proves true wealth has nothing to do with money.  Created by a team of Tony Award winners, MILLIONS is an imaginative and unpredictable adventure with a book by Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom), an extraordinary score by Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins, The Light in the Piazza, Days of Wine and Roses), and direction by Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, To Kill a Mockingbird).  With soaring music and a story full of surprises, MILLIONS is a modern-day fable that will enchant and entertain the entire family.  MILLIONS is produced by arrangement with Sonia Friedman Productions and Franco Productions.

The Alliance Theatre’s Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young will produce four plays developed specifically for children who are ages newborn through five and their caregivers.  These productions include THE CURIOUS CARDINAL, where the title cardinal CC explores the Georgia seasons; the winter celebration (KNOCK, KNOCK), a door-to-door journey through an apartment building full of heartwarming surprises; GIMME PLEASE, a sweet play about the evolving nature of friendship, from initial meeting to lasting connections; and DINOSAUR, an epic dino-tastic adventure that will leave little ones laughing and roaring for more. 

“We're thrilled to share such a wide variety of stories with our Atlanta community – stories that reflect the beautiful diversity of our city, crafted by the finest artists working in our field,” said Kajese-Bolden and Moses. 

NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT

The Alliance will continue its important work developing new plays through its Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition and its Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab. 

The Alliance has revealed the finalists of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition. These plays will receive developmental workshops and staged readings as part of the Alliance/Kendeda Week celebrating new works in 2025.  The finalists of the 2024/25 season are:

Final Boarding Call by Stefani Kuo, Yale School of Drama
I LOVE STRANGERS by Nurit Chinn, Brooklyn College
The Lost Ballad of Our Mechanical Ancestor by Madison Wetzell, Brooklyn College
We Borrowed Brokenness by Yilong Liu, The Juilliard School
The Alliance will present three Reiser Lab projects from its Round 9 at the 2024 Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab Festival from May 31 through June 2, 2024.  These projects have received resources for further development, as well as access to the Alliance’s artistic, education, and production staffs, and rehearsal spaces. The projects and presentation dates are:

May 31, 6:00 p.m. – Hold On To Your Names: An Exploration of Immigrant Women’s Stories, Artists: Ipek Eginli, Sara Ghazi Asadollahi, and Juana Farfán
June 1, 6:00 p.m. – Rome & Juice, Artists: Justen Ross aka Domino Juicy Balenciaga, N'yomi Stewart aka Omi Juicy Balenciaga, and Jade Maia Lambert
June 2, 3:00 p.m. – Sweet Clay Lands, Artists: Anterior Leverett, Damian Lockhart, and Jasmine Waters
The Alliance is also pleased to announce the three projects selected for development in Round 10 of the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab. These lab projects will be presented in free performances in the Spring of 2025.

Day, Artists: Emma Yarbrough, Cait Greenamyre, and Melissa Word
Peps! Cola Bitch, Artists: Dalyla Nicole, K. Parker, and Amanda Washington
Plastic Bottle Genie, Artists: Vynnie Meli, Jimmica Collins, and Cedwan Hook
 

Memberships for the Alliance’s 56th season are on sale now.  For more information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/memberships.

Tickets for individual productions will go on sale in July 2024. 

2024/25 SEASON

THE COCA-COLA STAGE

THE MOUNTAINTOP

August 30 – September 22, 2024

The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

By Katori Hall

Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden

THE MOUNTAINTOP is a gripping reimagining of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Taking place on April 3, 1968, an exhausted Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis after delivering one of his most memorable speeches. When a mysterious young woman named Camae delivers room service, the two engage in humorous conversation that progresses into a soul-searching discussion about their mutual hopes and fears.  When Camae reveals a secret, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people.  “Audacious [and] inventive” (Associated Press), the Olivier Award-winning play offers an intimate and empathetic portrait of one of history’s most consequential figures told by one of today’s most important writers, Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall (The Hot Wing King).  Alliance Theatre’s Jennings Hertz Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden (The Preacher’s Wife) directs. 
 

BUST (world premiere)

February 13 - March 16, 2025

The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

By Zora Howard

Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz

A Co-Production with Goodman Theatre

BUST is produced in association with Sonia Friedman Productions, Khaliah Neal and Thomas Swayne

It’s not only hell that breaks loose in this ground-breaking, form-defying, laugh-out-loud new drama from Pulitzer-Prize finalist playwright Zora Howard.

Retta and Reggie are enjoying their usual evening on the porch when a longtime neighbor is pulled over by the police just before turning into his driveway. Everything goes as expected—until the unexpected happens. Humor, spectacle, and surrealism converge in this gripping interrogation of what it costs to be Black and free. 

MILLIONS (World premiere; Musical)

May 10 – June 15, 2025

The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Book by Bob Martin

Music & Lyrics by Adam Guettel

Based on the novel and film by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Directed by Bartlett Sher

Produced by arrangement with Sonia Friedman Productions and Franco Productions

A million dollars is a windfall. A family is a fortune.

Inspired by Frank Cottrell Boyce’s beloved novel and film, MILLIONS is a hilarious and heartwarming new musical about two brothers, their newly-widowed father, a train robber, and (possibly) a miracle.

Damien and Anthony are dealing with the loss of their mother in very different ways. So, when a duffel bag of cash falls out of the sky, Damien thinks it’s a miracle from his mom, sent to test their goodness. But Anthony knows the truth. 

Created by a team of Tony Award winners, MILLIONS is an imaginative and unpredictable adventure with a book by Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom) and an extraordinary score by Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins, The Light in the Piazza, Days of Wine and Roses), with direction by Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, To Kill a Mockingbird).

With soaring music and a story full of surprises, MILLIONS is a modern-day fable that will enchant and entertain the entire family.  

HERTZ STAGE

Pearl Cleage’S SOMETHING MOVING: A MEDITATION ON MAYNARD

Limited Engagement: August 2 – 11, 2024

The Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre 

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 

By Pearl Cleage

Directed by David Kote

Award-winning author and playwright Pearl Cleage explores the election of Maynard Jackson, Atlanta's first African American mayor, from the vantage point of an artist and an insider - Cleage served as Jackson's press secretary during his campaign and followed him into City Hall for two years as Director of Communications. In choosing to tell the story of this 1973 landmark election, Cleage creates a cast of characters drawn from her own participation in this transformative moment in our city's history. By looking back, Cleage invites us to reflect on the meaning of leadership and the kind of future we want to build. 

THE CHINESE LADY

September 18 – October 13, 2024

Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

By Lloyd Suh

Inspired by the true story of the first Chinese woman to step foot in America, Lloyd Suh’s critically-acclaimed play, THE CHINESE LADY, is a unique portrait of the United States as seen through the eyes of an idealistic Chinese migrant. In 1834, 14-year-old Afong Moy sailed into New York Harbor and was immediately put on display for a paying public who gawked as she brewed tea, ate with chopsticks, and walked around the room on her tiny bound feet. As audiences follow Moy’s travels through America as a living exhibit for decades, THE CHINESE LADY shares her impressions of a young country struggling with its identity and role in the world.  “Moving and often sharply funny” (The New York Times), THE CHINESE LADY serves as an examination of the ongoing struggle for empathy and understanding across cultural divides.  

BUSINESS IDEAS (World Premiere, Winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition)

November 16 – December 15, 2024

Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

By Milo Cramer

Directed by Matt Torney

Winner of the 21st annual Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, BUSINESS IDEAS is a comedy about getting rich. In a too-cute café, a desperate mother and daughter brainstorm get-rich-quick schemes to pay for college (or maybe to make ends meet?), while their hapless server tries to network with a revolving cast of customers (hilariously played by one actor). Inspired by playwright Milo Cramer’s own experiences with his enterprising mom, BUSINESS IDEAS is a cross-generational look at wealth – who has it and why? – and the value we place on it. Theatrical Outfit's Artistic Director Matt Torney directs. 

THE RESERVOIR (World Premiere, 2023/24 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition Finalist)

March 29 – May 4, 2025

Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

By Jake Brasch

Directed by Shelley Butler

In Partnership with Denver Center for the Performing Arts & Geffen Playhouse

Following an acclaimed presentation as a finalist for the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, THE RESERVOIR will have its fully staged world premiere in a three-theater co-production. Josh’s life is a mess. He’s come home to Denver from NYU to get his life together but can’t manage to stay sober. Desperate for camaraderie, he decides to bring his four loveable grandparents on his road to recovery. He drags them to Jazzercise class. He pressures them into playing memory games. He forces them to eat spinach by the handful. And eventually, when he can no longer help his grandparents, they begin to help him. Served up with outrageous humor and truth, THE RESERVOIR reminds us that sometimes the path forward isn’t the one we expect.  

THEATRE FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES

BABBLE LAB (World Premiere)

June 22 – July 28, 2024
Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE

By Autumn Ness

Directed by Sarah Agnew
A Children’s Theatre Company and Alliance Theatre World Premiere Co-production

Strap on your safety goggles and clean out your ears! When an experiment unexpectedly goes awry, a concoction of sneaky, sprightly L E T T E R S takes over a weird and wondrous science lab. Watch them jump into jars, spring from drawers, bounce around the room, and even play hide-and-seek as our scientist makes her surprising findings: Bluku terullala blaulala loooo! Rakete bee bee? Rekate bee zee! Enjoy the blubbering and blibbering exploration of spoken blurbbles as they spring forth in this one-of-a-kind, gee-gaw-filled laboratory. Created with early learners in mind. 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

November 9 – December 24, 2024

The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

By Charles Dickens 
Adapted by David H. Bell 
Directed by Caitlin Hargraves

Original Direction by Leora Morris

The Alliance Theatre’s beloved production A CHRISTMAS CAROL returns to The Coca-Cola Stage with its stunning adaptation, featuring a magical set design and striking costumes.  Described as “high art of the season…a nostalgic feast for the eyes,” by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, audiences will be transported to the streets of London for the timeless redemption story of Ebenezer Scrooge, told with beautiful live music and an all-star cast.  Join the Alliance Theatre for one of Atlanta’s most treasured holiday traditions.  For tickets and info, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/carol. 

DOCTOR DE SOTO (World Premiere)

January 18 – March 2, 2025

Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

By Idris Goodwin

Based on the book by William Steig

Produced in partnership with Seattle Children’s Theatre

A world premiere stage adaptation of the beloved, Newberry Award-winning picture book DOCTOR DE SOTO. 

Award-winning playwright Idris Goodwin brings William Steig's tale of wit, wisdom, and whimsy to the stage with an eye-popping blend of live-action, puppetry, music, and rhyme. Despite the sign outside stating that they do not treat predators, Doctor De Soto and Mrs. De Soto take pity on a suffering fox with a rotten tooth. But once he opens his jaws and they must step inside, they begin to rethink their decision. Full of excitement and laughter, this modern-day fable proves that even the smallest creatures can make a big difference with kindness and a little quick thinking. 

BERNHARDT THEATRE FOR THE VERY YOUNG

THE CURIOUS CARDIINAL

September 21 – October 27, 2024

Sifly Piazza

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Created by Olivia Aston Bosworth in partnership with Fly on a Wall

Based on the animated short and book The Curious Cardinal by Mark Valdez and illustrated by Nicole Kang Ahn, with music composed by Eugene H. Russell, IV

As the seasons come and go in this Georgia forest, so too do all the varied wildlife. Except, of course, for the curious cardinal, “CC”, who stays put the entire year, curiously exploring all the changes that the seasons bring. Join CC on their adventure beyond the city and soar to new heights in the spring, bid a fond farewell to the friendly otters in the summer, bicker and befriend squirrels in the fall, and explore the crisp, cool air in the winter. This show celebrates the majesty of the natural habitats of GA and the daily adventures of an ever-changing world.

KNOCK, KNOCK

November 15 – December 22, 2024

Selig Family Black Box at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Created by Olivia Aston Bosworth & Samantha Provenzano 

Come in from out of the cold and celebrate community, family, and warmth this holiday season! Welcome to The Apartment Building. Below us, above us, and beside us, the residents are preparing for the holidays and trying to stay warm. Join us on a floor-to-floor adventure, meeting and celebrating with a variety of friends who all call The Apartment Building home. Surprises hide behind each door — all you need to do is (Knock, Knock). For tickets and information, visit www.alliancetheatre.org/knock.

GIMME PLEASE!

January 16 – February 16, 2025

Selig Family Black Box at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Created and Original Direction by Megan Alrutz & Samantha Provenzano

Remount Directed by Samantha Provenzano

Conceived & Commissioned in partnership with The PaperBoats

A play about the evolving nature of friendship, GIMME PLEASE follows the journey of two friends—from initial meeting to lasting connection. Audiences are invited to watch and explore as the two friends pretend, provoke, and persist in getting what they want and need from the world and each other. Through the use of live music, light, and magic, this story draws audiences in with its deep sense of play and honest exploration of growing up and finding your path. 

DINOSAUR

March 19 – May 4, 2025

Selig Family Black Box at Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Created by Olivia Aston Bosworth & Samantha Provenzano

When you love dinosaurs, they pop up everywhere— at the grocery store, at preschool, and even when your grown-ups are hosting a fancy dinner party! But how can you focus on folding your napkin and chewing with your mouth closed when there's an apatosaurus munching on your salad and pterodactyls swarming your soup? You can't! Get ready to find out how even the simplest day-to-day task can turn into an epic dino-tastic adventure that will leave little ones laughing and roaring for more.