THE DEMOCRACY PROJECT by Michael R. Jackson, Larissa FastHorse, Bruce Norris & More to Premiere at Federal Hall

Federal Hall Conservancy and National Park Service will present their production of The Democracy Project, a new site-specific play at Federal Hall National Memorial (15 Pine Street).

Directed by Tamilla Woodard (Weightless; Chair, Acting Program, Yale's David Geffen School of Drama) and Tai Thompson (Dark Star from Harlem), The Democracy Project begins previews on Thursday June 22 at Federal Hall. All performances are free and open to the public and tickets can be reserved in advance by visiting federalhall.org.

The Democracy Project is written by six of America's most celebrated playwrights: WGA Award winner Tanya Barfield (Hulu's "Mrs. America"), Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D'Amour (Detroit), MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Larissa FastHorse (The Thanksgiving Play), Obie Award winner Melissa James Gibson ("House of Cards"), Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop), and Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Bruce Norris (Clybourne Park).

The Democracy Project is a journey through the first of the 527 momentous days when New York City was the first capital of the revolutionary United States government. The presidency was new, the slave trade was in debate, and the Constitution - and the rights of all this land's inhabitants - hung in the balance. George Washington struggles to define his presidency; James Madison presents the Bill of Rights; Muscogee (Creek) Chief Alexander McGillivray maneuvers to preserve the nation's land by signing the first international treaty with the United States; and Ona Judge, a woman enslaved by Martha Washington, sees through the Quaker petitions to end the slave trade. Featuring original songs, The Democracy Project follows a modern-day narrator through the history of Federal Hall on Wall Street, the site of our nation's first government, and the early days of this country, probing the choices of our Founders and how their actions still reverberate through America, many years after "We the People."

The cast of The Democracy Project includes Kate Hamill (Sense and Sensibility), Jake Hart (Jesus Hopped The A Train), Nathan Hinton (Where The Mountain Meets the Sea), Tom Nelis (Girl From the North Country), and Tatiana Williams (Confederates).

The Democracy Project features scenic and costume design by Deb O, lighting design by Lucrecia Briceno, and sound design by Mark Van Hare.

The production team includes Production Stage Manager E. Sara Barnes, Assistant Stage Manager Julie Gottfried, Music Direction by Sean Cameron, Casting by Calleri Jensen Davis, Associate General Manager Greg Kamp, and General Manager Joey Monda.

The Democracy Project is produced by Federal Hall Conservancy (Tonio Burgos, Chairman; Marie Salerno, Founding President) and Lynn Goldner, in partnership with Federal Hall National Memorial (Shirley McKinney, Superintendent Manhattan Sites). Adam Greenfield (Artistic Director, Playwrights Horizons) is the script consultant. Major funding was received from the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the National Park Service.

The performance schedule for The Democracy Project is Tuesdays through Fridays at 11am, Tuesdays through Saturdays at 2pm, and Saturdays at 6pm.

For more information, please visit federalhall.org.

ABOUT FEDERAL HALL CONSERVANCY

Federal Hall Conservancy, in partnership with the National Park Service, is transforming Federal Hall National Memorial and seeking funding to support its restoration, activation, and operations for America's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. The organization is a 501 (c) 3, headquartered on the historic site, where American government was established in 1789.