Normal Ave's NAPSeries Returns, Featuring Playwrights Mike Nappi, Max Sangerman, Jacqueline Bircher, and More

Normal Ave has announced the lineup for the return of NAPSeries play festival. The festival will feature plays and musicals from James Anthony Tyler, Jacqueline Bircher, Mike Nappi, Sam Durant Hunter, and Max Sangerman. The festival will run for three days at unique community locations across the boroughs from October 20-22, 2023.

All readings will be free and open to the public.

These plays were chosen out of over 550 submissions by our NAPSeries Selection Committee, which consisted of Adam Coy, Danny Marin, Ella Smith, Erin Reynolds, Jake Haven Parisse, Jenna Ng Lowry, Nigel Semaj, and Shannon Molly Flynn.

ENDURING ATLAS by Jacqueline Bircher. In the 1970s, the Atlas space mission upends the lives of three people who work in its proximity, including Grant, the project leader, Nina, a gifted artist, and Amy, the trajectory coordinator. When the mission's scientific potential is discovered to be greater than initially planned, careers begin to skyrocket, but the pressure of success results in betrayal, desperation, and an unraveling of everything their lives were before. An exploration of the costs of exploration, and how looking out at the universe is sometimes just a deeper way to look back at ourselves.

INTO THE SIDE OF A HILL by James Anthony Tyler, directed by Ken-Matt Martin. In a Historically Black University in 2004, 6 fraternity brothers rehearse for the annual homecoming step show. As they rehearse, mental illness, toxic masculinity, and war bring all of the young men into battle with each other. Is their brotherhood strong enough to keep them united?

THE WORLD'S CASSETTE LIBRARY is a new musical written by Sam Durant Hunter, Mike Nappi, and Max Sangerman, directed by Artistic Director Shannon Molly Flynn. In the wake of their brother Joey's passing, estranged adult siblings Krysti, Michael and Brian uncover a box of dusty cassette tapes upon which Joey recorded countless treasured memories. A journey into their past inevitably rips open old wounds and begs the most difficult of all questions: forgive or forget?

"We're beyond excited for the return of our favorite programming that we do, NAPSeries," said Producing Artistic Director Shannon Molly Flynn, "This weekend gathers our community around these playwright's stories in such an exciting way, and having The World's Cassette Library be the first musical featured in NAPSeries is just an extra layer of excitement!"

Normal Ave will be partnering with local restaurants and bars to cross promote engagement within our communities. More information about NAPSeries can be found at normalave.org.

Normal Ave believes in redefining normal by nurturing an inclusive community of fresh, diverse voices and inviting collaborative freedom at every stage of the artistic process.

Our accessible programming of new and existing works spark curiosity, challenge perception, and welcome our artists and audiences to think, listen and respond in radical ways.

For more information, visit: www.normalave.org/napseries