THE WORDS WILL COME, Presented as Part of HB Studio Residency, Begins This Week

The Words Will Come, a new work created by Melody Erfani and written by Sarah Miles, SMW, Sasha Hawkins, and Melody Erfani will be presented by LES Shakespeare Company as part of the HB Studio Residency at HB Playwrights Theatre (124 Bank St, New York, NY 10014) starting February 8th. Melody Erfani, Artistic Director of LES Shakespeare Company directs.

THE WORDS WILL COME, is a new play about a young Iranian-American girl struggling in school and is helped by an artist and Albert Einstein. This piece explores dyslexia with movement, flipping cognitive perception, and storytelling. As part of the 2024 HB Residency, this work-in-progress includes a short talkback after each show to spur continuous development. Director and Creator Melody Erfani shares, "My early school years having dyslexia made it seem as though the world spoke a language I couldn't decipher - like holding a key that didn't quite fit. Astonishingly, 1 in 5 individuals have it, yet numerous children go undiagnosed and unsupported, resulting in a significant percentage not completing their high school education. This piece explores the struggle and strengths of dyslexia." This workshop production integrates multimedia and movement to provide an intimate glimpse into the dyslexic mind. The project aims to raise awareness about dyslexia and its impact on students' self-esteem, offering support and engagement to teachers, children, and young adults who may feel isolated. The ultimate goal is to take this project on tour and offer creative workshops for teachers and students, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for individuals with dyslexia.

LES Shakespeare Company has produced multiple shows in NYC. Using Shakespeare as their impetus, they produce new works that are timely, provocative, and eloquent. Their focus is to shake up Shakespeare, CREATE like Shakespeare, and reach out to the community. They have developed one new work a year since 2017 and their mission is to feature BIPOC voices. In every project they undertake they commit to engaging the community in conversation using art to provide a common language and shared experience to open dialogue about difficult or unheard about topics.

Melody Erfani is a theatre creator and director. She specializes in creating with an ensemble, new works, and classical adaptations. She has a deep passion for writing and devising based on true stories from marginalized communities. She founded Lower East Side Shakespeare Co., a non-profit theatre company in 2014. She has a M.F.A in Directing from The Actors Studio Drama School and was a participant of 2013 Lincoln Center Director's Lab. She graduated with a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts during which she procured an internship with Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. Favorite credits: Dear Elizabeth (Enlightened Theatrics), Brick and Maz (Corrib Theatre), Bee زﻧﺑور (Creator/Director at HB Playwrits), Ironbound, You Got Older (Directed Reading with Third Rail Rep), Antigone, R+J (Adapted/Directed with LES Shakespeare), 97 Orchard St. (Creator/Director), All an Act (The Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Dying City, Raised in Captivity (ASDS Repertory), Our Town, The Importance of Being Earnest, (Stagedoor Manor, NY).

Sarah Miles is a comedian, actress, and writer hailing from the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. Currently, she is the host of the monthly storytelling show "One Time," a featured performer in "Pretty Women, A Real Housewives Musical Revue," and a lifetime member of The Actors Studio. Sarah's solo show, "Your Red Hair Will Fade and Other Compliments Received in Aisle Four," premiered at the Written in Brooklyn Solo Show Festival in 2023. Beyond the stage, she shares her musings on life through her blog, "Nobody's Favorite."

HB Studio was founded by Viennese actor/director Herbert Berghof in 1945, HB Studio is one of the original New York acting studios, providing training and practice in the performing arts. They are a nonprofit organization that supports vigorous, lifelong practice in the theater, based on a solid foundation of practical training. Their Residency program is dedicated to training and practice for the theater, and seeks to provide a commerce-free environment for the nurturing and growth of theater artists. In pursuit of this goal, HB offers five one-week Rehearsal Space Residencies each year for the development of creative projects. The HB Rehearsal Space Residency is an opportunity for practicing theater artists to collaborate on experimental projects, develop new work, and share workshop presentations among peers and colleagues, for constructive critical feedback and mutual growth.

The cast features Getchie Argetsinger*, Cerra Cardwell*, and Sivan Raz. The production team also includes Cassandra Gutterman-Johns (Stage Manager), Kim Kim (Co-Set Design), Kyle Artone (Costume & Co-Set Design), Ben Wolfe (Lighting Design), Seth Tyler Black (Projection Design), Ash (Sound Design), and Mae Frankeberger (Production Manager & Associate Producer).

THE WORDS WILL COME will be performed at HB Studio Theater (124 Bank Street between Greenwich and Washington Streets-1 or 2 Train to Christopher Street--Sheridan Square) this February 8-11th Thursday - Saturday at 7.30 PM, and Sunday at 2.00pm at the HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank St, New York, NY 10014. Tickets are priced at $10 with an option of a no-barrier FREE admission. Visit the button below, www.lesshakespeareco.org, or at the door 30-minutes before the performance.

TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

What: The Words Will Come

Who: LES Shakespeare Co. & HB Studio Residency

When: February 8-10 Thurs to Sat, 7.30PM & Feb 11 Sun at 2.00pm

Where: HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank St, New York, NY 10014

Tickets $10 (with a no-barrier FREE option).