Musical Theatre Factory Announces A Concert In Honor Of Founding Artistic Director Shakina Nayfack

Musical Theatre Factory announces Get the 'Fack Out, a concert in honor or Founding Artistic Director Shakina Nayfack on Monday, June 25, 2018 at 7pm at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC.

Shakina Nayfack concludes her time at Musical Theatre Factory as Founding Artistic Director this summer. Musical Theatre Factory is producing a Joe's Pub concert commemorating her years at MTF. The benefit concert is the final event in MTF's fourth season, the third year of a Factory concert series at Joe's Pub.

The evening will feature a retrospective in form of song from special guests such Joe Iconis, Jenna Rubaii, Mark Sonnenblick, as well as a special reunion of Boys Who Tricked Me! Additionally, to preserve years of memories, a photo album will be created for Shakina. For MTF, Shakina has been recognized with the Theatre Resources Unlimited TRU Humanitarian Award and a Lilly Award for Working Miracles.

Tickets to the benefit are $25-$500 ($25 General Admission; $50 Preferred Seating; $300 Table for Six in "Shakina's Section" with a bottle of champagne; $500 Single Seat at Shakina's table with champagne service), and can be purchased at https://www.publictheater.org/Tickets/Calendar/PlayDetailsCollection/Joes-Pub/2018/M/Musical-Theatre-Factory-Get-The-Fack-Out/?SiteTheme=JoesPub. To make a donation, please visit mtf.nyc/donate or email dmm@mtf.nyc.

"During Shakina's tenure, MTF has supported the development of more than 165 new musicals," said Aaron Glick, Chair of the Board of Directors of Musical Theatre Factory. "She created this amazing organization, and will remain in an advisory role in the years to come; we look forward to the next steps in the relationship, as MTF continues to grow."

This year marks the company's second year as a Resident Company of Playwrights Horizons. Since it's founding, MTF's Representation Roundtables for writers of color and women and trans writers have showcased the work of dozens of marginalized musical theatre artists. Several new musicals developed at MTF have been optioned for further development and/or production by commercial producers and nonprofit resident theaters, and Shakina's autobiographical rock musicals One Woman Show, Post-Op, and Manifest Pussy detail the journey of her gender transition and feature original scores with contributions from founding MTF members. All three shows premiered at Joe's Pub.

Most known for her work as Lola on the Hulu Original Comedy Series Difficult People, Shakina Nayfack can also be seen as Frankie on Marvel's Jessica Jones (Netflix) and The Detour (TBS). On Broadway: 24-Hour Plays and Gypsy of the Year. Off-Broadway: Masculinity Max at The Public Theater, Manuel Versus the Statue of Liberty (as Lady Liberty). Founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory (www.mtf.nyc), Shakina has supported the development of over 165 new musicals including an autobiographical rock musical about her gender confirmation, Manifest Pussy, which premiered at Joe's Pub in 2016, and the rock opera JUNK with the Swedish pop band Brainpool. Also at Joe's Pub: One Woman Show (2013), Post-Op (2015).

Shakina is a proud recipient of a Lilly Award (2015) recognizing the remarkable contributions to the American Theatre made by women, the Theatre Resources Unlimited Humanitarian Award (2016), The Drama League Directors Project Musical Directing Fellowship (2011) and Beatrice Terry Fellowship for women playwright/directors (2017) for her new play Chonburi International Hotel and Butterfly Club. Other Directing highlights include MTF productions of Ben Bonnema's BOYS WHO TRICKED ME, Jahn Sood's THE DISAPPEARING MAN, the world premiere of Dan LeFranc's THE POOR PLAYERS, and the US Premiere of BASHIR LAZHAR at Barrington Stage Company, where she served as Associate Producer (2012-2013). Shakina is also a third generation Butoh teacher trained beneath Diego Piñón, founder of Body Ritual Movement.

With an MFA in Experimental Choreography and a PhD in Critical Dance Studies (both from the University of California at Riverside), Shakina's Butoh for the Actor method has been developed through master classes at the University of California at Santa Cruz, the Chicago Cultural Center, Casa del Teatro in Mexico City, Barrington Stage Company, The Drama League, and most recently as adjunct faculty at NYU Tisch Drama. Butoh choreography/performances include Ragesties (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Auto-Refutation/Re-Fusing Self (Performance Studies International), Arena y Sangre (Blood and Sand), a site specific performance protest in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. BA and Graduate Certificate: UC Santa Cruz. MFA/PHD UC Riverside. More at www.Shakina.nyc and @shakeenz.

Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) was launched by Founding Artistic Director Shakina Nayfack in January 2014 as a collective for early-career musical theatre makers interested in changing the way new musicals are developed in New York City. Through a series of community brainstorms, MTF developed a series of unique programs known today as the Assembly Line; a process that includes readings, concerts, workshops, and public performances - all at no cost to the artists. With an 18-month gift of subsidized space, founding MTF artists built a 780 square-foot blackbox theater in the heart of midtown Manhattan. The original Musical Theatre Factory opened its doors to the public on May 31, 2014. Since then, our administrative staff - comprised of three full-time directors and a handful of part-time volunteers - has worked to keep every gear of the factory turning. In our first three years of programming, MTF has assisted with the development of over 110 new musicals with more than 900 volunteers contributing over 15,000 combined hours of service.

Today, the organization has outgrown that 60-seat blackbox and has partnered with a number of host organizations throughout NYC, including Joe's Pub, The People's Improv Theatre, and Playwrights Horizons. In the summer of 2016, Playwrights Horizons offered MTF the opportunity to become a resident company, only the Second Company to gain this distinction. With the support of office, rehearsal, and performance space at Playwrights Downtown, Musical Theatre Factory will be able to expand our rapidly growing programs and continue filling the demand for artist-driven development. The The Musical Theatre Factory was selected as the Second Company to join Playwrights Horizons' Company Residency Program. The residency provides office, rehearsal, and performance space for theatre companies which, like Playwrights Horizons, are dedicated to creating new works. MTF's volunteer staff will also have the opportunity to be mentored by the staff at Playwrights Horizons. The residency will run through the summer 2019 at Playwrights Horizons' downtown location-440 Lafayette Street, which currently houses the Playwrights Theatre School.