Adaptation Of Banned Dystopian Novel WE To Have World Premiere At The Mark O'Donnell Theater In October

KEVIN RAY | WORKS will present eleven performances of "WE", a theatrical adaptation of the banned dystopian novel by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin at The Mark O'Donnell Theater, 160 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, from October 11 to 20, 2024.

Live acting, shadow puppetry and video projections collide in this expressive production that vividly brings Zamyatin's dystopian allegory to life on stage.

Embark on a thrilling adventure with Yevgeny Zamyatin's ground-breaking 1920 novel that pioneered the dystopian genre and sparked iconic works like Orwell's "1984" and Huxley's "Brave New World." Despite being banned by the Soviets, it was smuggled out of Russia and made its debut in the U.S. in 1924.

Journey 1,000 years into the future to the "One State", a society governed by technological efficiency, mathematical logic, and the suppression of individuality. "WE" is the story of the chief engineer of a new space shuttle with a mission to spread the One State's authoritarian regime across the universe. The engineer's plans, perception of himself and the "mathematically perfect" state he reveres unravel when he meets a woman who dares to question the status quo.

Critical Acclaim for KEVIN RAY | WORKS 2023 adaptation of "The Machine Stops":

"A Space Mountain roller coaster ride, an intellectual white-water rafting expedition, a production that will have you talking about it for hours and days to come." - The Front Row Center

"Outstanding use of projections, puppetry, and silhouette work...inventively maintaining a sense of immersion and scale." - Thinking Theatre

"WE" is made possible by grant funding from the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) in the Arts, the Puffin Foundation Ltd., and NYSCA-A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund (A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program). Production design support provided by the Edith Lutyens and Norman Bel Geddes Design Enhancement Fund, a program of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York).

Kevin Ray is a Brooklyn based Generative Theater Artist, producing & directing original work in collaboration with actors & designers through KEVIN RAY | WORKS. He produced and directed "Unearthly Visitants" (2021), a devised play based on ghost stories by Edith Wharton and "The Machine Stops" (2023), a devised play based on the short story of the same name by E.M Forster. He has received grants to support his work from New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Brooklyn Arts Council, The Puffin Foundation and Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) in the Arts. Kevin's work has been written about in Greenpointers and The New Yorker and has been described as "A Space Mountain roller coaster ride, an intellectual white water rafting expedition, a production that will have you talking about it for hours and days to come."

Kevin holds an MFA in theater directing from Brooklyn college and he writes about producing and directing independent theater on his Substack publication "Modern Drama"

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