George C. Wolfe to Join John Benjamin Hickey in Conversation for THIS IS NEW YORK

Symphony Space will present a special conversation between Tony Award-winning director, playwright, and producer George C. Wolfe and Tony Award-winning stage, film, and television actor John Benjamin Hickey, on Wednesday, April 28, at 7pm EST. The hour-long virtual event is part of This Is New York, the Symphony Space series in which some of the world's greatest writers, actors, comedians, chefs, politicians, activists, and others discuss their work and the ways our city inspires it. It premieres at symphonyspace.org and will be available on-demand through May 12. Tickets are $15 ($12 for Symphony Space members) and can be purchased here.

This Is New York exemplifies Symphony Space's unique role in the cultural landscape-as a convener of wide-ranging artists in memorable one-time-only events. In it, a series of luminaries host multiple revealing, one-on-one conversations for the public. This Is New York launched in Fall 2020 with actress-comedian Jane Curtin in live-streamed dialogues with illustrator Maira Kalman (October 15), chef Marcus Samuelsson (November 18), and author and journalist Molly Jong-Fast (December 8). John Benjamin Hickey is the interlocutor for the Spring 2021 installment, which kicked off March 18 with Mark Harris discussing his acclaimed new biography Mike Nichols, A Life.

The April 28 event reunites Hickey with Wolfe, who co-directed his Tony-winning performance in the 2011 Broadway premiere of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart. They will speak about how New York City feeds Wolfe's creative soul, and about Wolfe's extraordinary oeuvre. Hickey says, "I have known George, and been a huge fan of his work, for many years. Being directed by him in his Tony Award-winning revival of The Normal Heart was one of the greatest thrills of my career, I am excited to talk to him about his extraordinary life in the theatre, and more recently, his stunning work in film, from his Academy Award-nominated version of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to his upcoming adaptation of Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. George is also one of the funnest, funniest New Yorkers I know, so it should be a great, fun hour, talking about our great city. Please join us, and bring your questions."

George C. Wolfe was born on September 23, 1954 in Frankfort, Kentucky. He wrote and directed his first play, Up for Grabs, in 1975. The following year, he premiered Block Party. In 1979, Wolfe moved from Los Angeles to New York, , where he graduated with his M.F.A. in 1983 from New York University School of the Arts. He premiered Paradise! in 1985 and The Colored Museum in 1986, which garnered the attention of New York Shakespeare Festival founder Joseph Papp. Following the premiere of Spunk in 1989, Papp named him a resident director in 1990. Wolfe made his Broadway debut with Jelly's Last Jam at the Virginia Theatre in 1992 and achieved widespread recognition when he directed the Broadway premiere of Tony Kushner's Angels in America in 1993. That year he was named producer of the New York Shakespeare Festival, which he produced for ten seasons. Wolfe also directed the 1997 world premiere of Amistad at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. He staged Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed at the Music Box Theatre in New York City in 2016. Wolfe directed the films The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (HBO, 2017) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Netflix, 2020).

John Benjamin Hickey last appeared on Broadway in The Inheritance, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play. His other Broadway credits include Six Degrees of Separation, The Normal Heart, for which he received the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Mary Stuart, Cabaret, The Crucible, and Love! Valour! Compassion! He is making his Broadway directorial debut with Neil Simon's Plaza Suite, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, whenever Broadway reopens. His TV and film appearances include The Big C, for which he received an Emmy nomination, The Good Wife, Manh(a)ttan, Pitch Perfect, Flags of Our Fathers, and the upcoming Sublet. Hickey is appearing this spring in the HBO limited series In Treatment.

For more information, visit symphonyspace.org or call 212-864-5400. Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street.

To post a comment, you must register and login.