New Musicals From Chilina Kennedy, Eric Holmes & More to be Featured in NYTB's New Works Series

The 15th season of New York Theatre Barn's award-winning New Works Series continues on Monday, April 11th, 2022 at 7PM ET at Theaterlab (357 W 36th St, NYC). The live and in-person presentation will feature excerpts from the new musicals With(out) Her and Black-Eyed Susan as well as a conversation with the writers. The presentation will also be streamed live and the company will continue to provide ASL interpreters for the presentation.

With(out) Her has music and lyrics by Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Paradise Square), a book by Eric Holmes (NBC's "Smash", Fly More Than You Fall), and direction by Kate Siahaan-Rigg (The Vagina Monologues). Olivia wakes up in a hospital bed unsure of how she got there or even really who she is. As memories of past loves and painful betrayals start to hazily appear, three defining relationships come into focus, along with the various ways she has feared commitment, questioned her sexuality and numbed her restless heart with pills and avoidance. Ten years later, Olivia's son, Billy, now a troubled young man with his own addictions and struggles, stumbles upon a box of letters, artifacts, and clues to Olivia's past. By piecing together the fragments of his mother's unfinished life, Billy searches for his own path with(out) the spirit of his mother by his side, guiding him towards the beautiful, imperfect redemption that she never reached.

Black-Eyed Susan has music and lyrics by Matthew McCollum, a book by McCollum and Crystal Skillman (Mary and Max, Rain and Zoe Save the World), and direction by Jen Wineman (Dog Man: The Musical). Set in the late 1800s, Black-Eyed Susan tells the dark tale of a young town in the mountains of West Virginia. A town ruled by two households, both alike in dignity -- had none. A town that Rosie MacAleese was determined to change for the better...and then she met Jason. Weaving the musical traditions of Bluegrass, Americana, and Celtic Balladry, Black-Eyed Susan is a turn-of-the-century Romeo and Juliet meets Deadwood-a campfire ghost story about those who inherit broken legacies, those who pass them down, and those stuck in between.

Black-Eyed Susan (formerly known as The Ballad of Brightwater) has been developed through the ASCAP DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop, and was a finalist for the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program. With(out) Her (formerly known as Call It Love) was developed through the generous support of Eclipse Theatre Company, Straighten Your Crown Productions, and Sylvia Soyka.

Casting will be announced soon. Patrons will need to provide proof of a complete COVID-19 vaccination AND proof of a booster dose (for those eligible in accordance with CDC guidelines), along with a government-issued photo ID. New York Theatre Barn staff and artists are subject to mandatory vaccination and booster policy in addition to testing protocols. Additionally, all audience members must wear a KN95 mask at all times. A limited amount of tickets for the in-person audience are $25, and tickets to live stream the presentation are $15, and can be purchased here. The New Works Series is produced and hosted by Artistic Director Joe Barros and Associate Artistic Director Jen Sandler, and Kimberly Lara is the line producer. For more information, visit New York Theatre Barn's website: www.nytheatrebarn.org.

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