New Light Theater Project to Present MYSTIC CONVERSATIONS at Theatre Row

What if your child saw what you couldn't? With "Mystic Conversations," a play based on real events, playwright Julia Barry Bell hopes to spark discussions on faith, family, and the need for understanding the phenomenon of psychic children. The play is a mystery exploring spirituality and family dynamics with humor and insight, promising a fresh perspective on life's deeper meanings while taking the audience on a paranormal journey. New Light Theater Project Spotlight Series will present the suspenseful new work April 26 to May 17 at Theatre Row's Theatre One, 410 West 42nd Street, directed by Joey Brenneman.
 
Juggling home life, freelance work, and a yearning for deeper conversation, the leading character of this play – The Mom – meets a mystic at her hair salon who observes that a deceased relative is following her. The Mom initially dismisses this due to her religious upbringing and logical thinking, but when her 10 year-old child recounts seeing someone unknown on their bed, she returns to The Mystic to verify it. This sets off paranormal events revealing more truths – her child sees spirits; she is “haunted” by the guilt of a miscarriage; and intuitive gifts may run in her family. Through these experiences, The Mom realizes that religion, science and spirituality can coexist. Her search for answers increases tensions within the family as they struggle to reconcile their conflicting beliefs. Caught between truth and illusion, they must choose whether to embrace a family member’s identity as a psychic or deny it.
 
"I've written 'Mystic Conversations' with the intention of blending the mystical with everyday life, because that's how it is,” Bell says. “By sharing this story, I hope to spark discussions on faith, family, and a need for understanding highly intuitive people, especially the children." What unfolds is a haunting play that explores spirituality and family dynamics with humor and insight, promising a fresh perspective on life's deeper meanings.
 
The actors are Jenny Strassburg ("Kowalski" at The Duke on 42nd Street, "Sideways" at Peccadillo Theatre) as The Mom, Tony nominee and Grammy winner Brenda Braxton ("Smokey Joe's Cafe" & "Dreamgirls" on Broadway) as The Mystic, Lincoln Cohen ("Appropriate" on Broadway) as The Boy, Brandon Jones (CSC Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Capitol Rep) as The Dad, Frenie Acoba ("Matilda the Musical" on Broadway, "Runaways" Encores! at City Center) as The Sister, and Nicky Torchia ( "The King and I" and "Kinky Boots" on Broadway) as the Spirit Child.
 
Scenic and Prop Designer is Dana Weintraub. Costume Designer is Ghislaine Sabiti. Lighting Designer is Bobbi Reneé Fullerton. Sound Designer is The Roly Polys (Janet Bentley + Andy Evan Cohen). Casting is by Stephanie Klapper. Production Stage Manager is Caroline Ragland. Assistant Stage Manager is Allison Hohman. Wardrobe Supervisor is Cat Copeland.
 
Julia Barry Bell (playwright) is a writer who delves into themes of family, identity and the unseen forces that shape our lives. She has a multifaceted background in illustration, graphic design and journalism, having been a news artist and stringer for the AP, the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, Gwinnett Daily News (Lawrenceville, GA) and Courier Journal (Louisville, KY). She developed her literary voice as The Mom in a blog and book series which sprang from sharing the experience of discovering her 10 yr-old child could see dead people ("yes," she comments, "I did just write that."). Much more was revealed to her by a mystic who had similar faculties. She has since researched a wide spectrum of intuitive abilities; her reflections evolved into a novel before taking their current form as a play. Now her aim is to normalize conversations on psychic phenomena for broader understanding. Her writing resonates with readers looking for connection, understanding, and a fresh perspective.
 
Joey Brenneman (director) staged "A Burial Place" for New Light Theater Project in 2016. Her NY directing credits also include "Vestments of the Gods" and "The Timing of a Day" by Owen Panettieri, "Truth Values" by Gioia DiCari, "Two Girls" by Gabrielle Maisels and "Better Left Unsaid" which Brenneman also wrote, along with three other plays. For over two decades, she has been artistic director of the award-winning STAR Theater, a company that uses theater to educate, mostly about urgent health issues. Her film, "Taking a Step Back," was selected by the Urban Visionaries Festival and won the Best of Specials award from Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Currently, she is a playwright/director in residence at The Shoreline Theater Academy in Connecticut, where she is writing a play with adolescents about mental health which has been accepted into the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025. She is also an actor and co-host/lead writer of a podcast, "Before We Die." (joeybrenneman.com)