Keen Company Announces 2nd Season of Audio Theater Hear/Now: LIVE!

Keen Company Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein today announced Hear/Now: LIVE!, the second season of audio drama, a cross between the old and new - commissioned world premieres presented using the traditional tools of radio broadcasts featuring live foley sound effects and live original music.

The Telegram by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen will feature Moe Angelos, Randy Danson, and Cesar Rosado, will be available beginning Friday April 4th at 7pm EST; That Old Perplexity by Deb Margolin will feature Jordan Boatman, Marcia Jean Kurtz, and Lance Coadie Williams will be available beginning Friday April 11th at 7pm EST. All were recorded live during the December 2021 run at Theatre Row.

All of Keen's audio theater is available FREE on your favorite podcasting apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and more; search "Keen Company Hear/Now" wherever you listen!

Hear/Now: LIVE!, Keen's second season of audio theater, is reimagining the classic radio drama. All audio plays are released completely FREE for patrons on Keen Company's website as well as through popular podcast platforms. Look for Hear/Now: LIVE!, on popular podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and TuneIn. Full transcripts will also be available for deaf and hard of hearing patrons.

"I am thrilled to be releasing the 2nd season of Hear/Now, with two joyous audio plays by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen and Deb Margolin, which were recorded live in front of our first in-person audiences in December, 2021. In 2020, Keen first delved into audio theater by commissioning five writers and pairing them with sound designers to create immersive experiences to be enjoyed at home. As Keen's first bridge back to the stage, Deen and Deb worked with foley artist Nick Abeel and composer Salomon Lerner to create a thrilling evening of live theater which can now be enjoyed by patrons around the globe. As more theaters branch out beyond their walls, Keen Company is proud to be creating hybrid works of art that are both traditional and brand new!," said Silverstein

Hear/Now: LIVE!, features two newly commissioned world premiere plays by Keen Playwrights Lab alumni Mashuq Mushtaq Deen and Deb Margolin. Each exciting piece was performed live in front of an audience, with live foley sound effects, and live music. The plays were recorded live during the run and are being released free to the public on the Keen website as well as popular podcast platforms.

The Telegram by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen features Moe Angelos, Randy Danson, and Cesar Rosado. Augie is the consummate cowboy - she's hardened, principled, and quick on the draw. But when the Kid tags along, expecting stagecoach races, shootouts, and barrels of whiskey, he finds himself entirely unprepared for the absurd realities of the Wild West. Sort of your traditional radio Western, sort of not.

That Old Perplexity by Deb Margolin features Jordan Boatman, Marcia Jean Kurtz, and Lance Coadie Williams. While Manhattan is still reeling from the fall of 2001, Mary and Barbara find themselves in the midst of their own private crises. As their morning commute stalls, the beautiful discord of the recovering city is healed in a tiny way through the women's sudden intimate connection, the bizarre grace of a vagrant, and the organic ascendance of kindness. A comedy!

Keen Company is an award-winning Off-Broadway theater creating story driven work that champions identification and connection. In intimate productions of plays and musicals, the company tells stories about the decisive moments that change us. Recently, Keen has brought such acclaimed productions to the stage as Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (NY Premiere, AUDELCO and Antonyo Nom), Surely Goodness and Mercy by Chisa Hutchinson (NY Premiere), Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon (Drama League Nom), Tick, Tick...BOOM! by Jonathan Larson (Drama Desk Nom), Boy by Anna Ziegler (World Premiere, Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award), and Marry Me a Little by Stephen Sondheim (Drama League Nom). Through our educational arm, Keen Teens, we raise the quality of plays written for the high school stage and provide a free professional training program for teens. Through the Keen Playwrights Lab, we bring together three mid-career playwrights to develop new work and facilitate that work's exposure to a greater audience. Keen Company thrives through our welcoming ethos and community commitments. We believe that a good process makes great art, and that we are responsible for our impact both on and off stage.

Up-next at Keen is a starry benefit reading of Light Up the Sky by Moss Hart, a whirlwind comedy and love letter to the theater. The fundraiser event will play one-night only at Theatre Row in Theatre Three, and tickets start at $100. Full casting to be announced shortly.

For more information, visit KeenCompany.org

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