MCC Theater Unveils Public Engagement Programming for Fall 2024

MCC Theater revealed programming for their Fall 2024 public engagement season.

MCC Theater will start their Fall 2024 season with a Public Engagement Season Kickoff on Thursday August 22 at 5:30pm which will be a community forum with Douglas Lyons (MCC’s Table 17), Robert O’Hara (MCC’s Shit. Meet. Fan.), and Zhailon Levingston (MCC’s Table 17) who will discuss their upcoming plays, working Off-Broadway, and their roles in the industry.

 MCC is expanding their public engagement offerings to include workshops throughout the year that will be open to the public. MCC was founded by a group of young theater artists interested in creating peer-based learning opportunities and these workshops offer a return to the organization's roots and further the vision of activating the theater into a creative artist hub in the heart of Hell's Kitchen. Space for workshops is limited and requires registration. These are fee based with accessible pricing available, ages 14 and up. The first two workshops are:

• Devising Workshop – Saturday September 21 & Sunday September 22 from 12-4pm. Want to make experimental theater in collaboration with others? This workshop will dig into the elements of image, sound, text and more where participants will get a taste of what it's like to be in MCC’s Youth Company Performance Lab and create new pieces of micro-theater. This two-day workshop will be led by MCC's Director of Public Engagement & Education Meggan Gomez.
• Queer Horror Writing Workshop – Saturday October 26 at 1pm. Feeling spooky? Stop by this Halloween weekend workshop “What’s Hiding in the Closet.” Prepare for some exercises that may or may not lead to an exorcism on the page.

There will also be a number of free events open to the public tied to both fall productions.

For Table 17:

• Thursday August 29: MCC will host a new version of their Audience Conversations—Late Night Lobby will be an opportunity to stay after the performance to get on your feet, talk to new folks, and make connections. MCC’s lobby will remain open with light refreshments to keep the conversation going.
• Thursday September 5 at 5:30pm: Community Forum on Disappearance of the Black Rom-Com. This guest facilitated forum will discuss the importance of Black love in media and the disappearance of the Black rom-com.
• Sunday September 8 at 3pm: This performance will be staffed by Broadway Babysitters, providing free childcare, in partnership with their Childcare Matinee Program partners PAAL (Parent Artists Advocacy League). 
• Thursday September 12: Community Night. Following that evening’s performance, head over to one of the neighborhood bars to continue the conversation.

For Shit. Meet. Fan.:

• Thursday October 10 and Saturday October 12: Voter Registration. The last day to register to vote in November is October 26. Stop by the MCC lobby to register to vote.
• Thursday November 14 at 5:30pm: Shit. Meet. Fan. Game Night. Think you know someone well? Come prove your knowledge at game night. Bring a friend, partner, parent, or plus one and answer trivia questions that only they know the answer to. Prizes will be awarded to top players.

 For more information on these public engagement events and to register for the workshops, please visitmcctheater.org/public-engagement.