Atlantic Theater Co Extends THE GREAT LEAP

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) announces a one-week extension of the New York premiere production of The Great Leap, written by Lauren Yee and directed by Taibi Magar. The production, which opens on Monday, June 4th, will now play through Sunday, June 24th, 2018 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company's Stage 2 (330 West 16th Street).

The Great Leap, which begins performances on Wednesday, May 23rd, will feature Ali Ahn ("The Path" on Hulu), Ned Eisenberg (Six Degrees of Separation), Tony Aidan Vo (Pan Asian Rep's NoNo Boy), and Tony Award winner and Emmy Award nominee BD Wong ("Mr. Robot," "Law & Order: SVU," M. Butterfly).

San Francisco, spring 1989. Manford Lum, locally renowned on the sidewalk basketball courts of Chinatown, talks his way onto a college team, just before they travel to Beijing for a "friendship" game. When they arrive, China is in the throes of the post-Cultural Revolution era, and Manford must juggle international politics and his own personal history.

Inspired by events from her father's life and (short-lived) basketball career, playwright Lauren Yee (The Hatmaker's Wife) makes her Atlantic debut with this tender and fearless play. Yee's play King of the Yees is enjoying its premiere this season at The Goodman Theatre and Center Theatre Group, followed by productions at ACT Theatre and Canada's National Arts Centre. Taibi Magar recently directed the critically acclaimed Master at the Foundry Theatre and the Obie Award-winning production of Underground Railroad Game at Ars Nova, both New York Times Critic's Picks. Her work was seen on stage this year in Aleshea Harris' Is God Is at Soho Rep.

The Great Leap will feature scenic design by Takeshi Kata, costume design by Tilly Grimes, lighting design by Eric Southern, sound design and original music by Palmer Hefferan, projection design by David Bengali, movement direction by Jesse Perez, and casting by Caparelliotis Casting: David Caparelliotis, CSA; Lauren Port, CSA; and Joseph Gery.

The Great Leap was originally developed and produced by Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company, Chris Coleman, Artistic Director.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is an award-winning Off-Broadway theater dedicated to producing great plays simply and truthfully while utilizing an artistic ensemble. At Atlantic, we believe that the story of a play and the intent of its playwright are at the core of the creative process. The plays in our repertory, from both new and established playwrights, are boldly interpreted by today's finest theater artists and resonate with contemporary audiences. Alongside being an award-winning producing organization, we've also been teaching theater since our inception. The internationally-acclaimed Atlantic Acting School has the only conservatory program in the world that offers in-depth training in co-Founders David Mamet and William H. Macy's unique and influential approach to acting: Practical Aesthetics, the Atlantic Technique. Our school's mission is to ensure that each graduate masters the essential analytical and physical disciplines of acting and to empower every student with skills necessary for success in the profession. We also bring theater into the classroom through robust arts education initiatives that serve a record 4,200 public school students each year. Since its inception, Atlantic has produced more than 150 plays including Tony Award-winning productions of Spring Awakening (Steven Sater, Duncan Sheik) and The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Martin McDonagh); Pulitzer Prize recipient Between Riverside and Crazy (Stephen Adly Guirgis); New York Drama Critics' Circle winner for Best New Play The Night Alive (Conor McPherson); the New York Premiere of Hangmen (Martin McDonagh); and Lucille Lortel, Obie, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award-winning The Band's Visit (David Yazbek, Itamar Moses), now playing on Broadway; among many others! Atlantic has garnered 12 Tony Awards, 24 Obie Awards, 21 Lucille Lortel Awards, 10 Drama Desk Awards, 8 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 4 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, 3 Drama League Awards, 3 Theater World Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Schedule:

Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm

Sunday 7:30pm performances on 5/27, 6/10, 6/17, 6/24

Monday 7:30pm performance on 6/11

No Tuesday performances on 6/5, 6/12

Tickets:

Tickets for The Great Leap are now on sale. Regular tickets begin at $50. Order online at atlantictheater.org, by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111, or in person at the Linda Gross Theater box office (336 West 20th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues).

atlantictheater.org

Photo Credit: Ahron R. Foster