Huntington Theatre Company has announced the creative team for We All Fall Down, a new comedy about a family trying out tradition for the first time, written by Boston area local playwright and Huntington Playwriting Fellow Lila Rose Kaplan. Directed by Obie Award winner and artistic director of Hartford Stage Melia Bensussen, We All Fall Down will begin performances at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont Street, Boston) on Friday, January 10, 2020 and run through Sunday, February 9, 2020. The official press opening night will be Wednesday, January 22, 2020. Tickets are on sale now.
The Huntington Theatre Company invites audiences to experience Lila Rose Kaplan's new comedy about family, tradition, and the hang-ups and surprises that seem to sneak into all of our family gatherings no matter who you are or where you come from.
Linda and Saul Stein still live in the Westchester home where they raised their two beautiful daughters. But when Saul unexpectedly retires, Linda summons the family to celebrate Passover for the first time in decades. Linda tends slightly toward the theatrical (okay, a lot), and their family has never been particularly religious (okay, not at all). So, their comic attempts to bring the Seder to life go from riotous to heart-wrenching in this dramatic comedy. Can this family come together, or will an age-old tradition tear them apart?
"The Huntington was my first artistic home when I moved to Boston. As a Huntington Playwriting Fellow, I discovered my community and a fertile place to grow my plays," says playwright Lila Rose Kaplan. "I've traveled all over the country with my plays. What a joy to come home to the Huntington with We All Fall Down, a play about family."
Kaplan became a Huntington Playwriting Fellow in 2012. Through the Huntington Playwriting Fellows program, the Huntington fosters ongoing, artistic relationships with local playwrights at all stages of their careers, from emerging talents to established experts. We All Fall Down was developed at the Huntington through both in-house, private readings and a public reading at the Huntington's 2018 Breaking Ground Festival; its developmental process will culminate in this world premiere at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA.
"When I heard Lila Rose Kaplan's play, I immediately knew it was a play for our audience," says Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois, "the way she paints a contemporary Jewish family on Passover can relate to anyone who has ever had that unforgettable, out of control, family get together. The play is a rich symphony of humor, pathos, and real insight into how faith can both sustain a family and surprise them. I'm excited that we'll bring this great new play by a Boston writer to our stage."
We All Fall Down will include scenic design by Judy Gailen (Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Wolf Trap Opera, Asolo Repertory Theatre), costume design by film and stage designer Karen Perry (The Public Theater, NBC's "Saturday Night Live," HBO's "Strapped"), sound design by David Remedios (Invisible Man, Now or Later, and Ryan Landry's 'M' at the Huntington) and lighting design by Russell H. Champa (Romeo and Juliet, A Guide for the Homesick, Now or Later at the Huntington). Kevin Schlagle is the stage manager and Jamie Carty is the assistant stage manager. A casting announcement will be forthcoming.
