THE HARRIET HOLLAND SOCIAL CLUB PRESENTS THE 84TH ANNUAL STAR-BURST COTILLION IN THE GRAND BALLROOM OF THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL to be Presented In New York
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Dec. 10, 2019
New Georges (Susan Bernfield, Artistic Director/Producer; Jaynie Saunders Tiller, Managing Director/Producer) and The Movement Theatre Company (David Mendizábal, Deadria Harrington, Eric Lockley, and Taylor Reynolds - Producing Artistic Leadership Team) will present The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in the Grand Ballroom of The Renaissance Hotel, written and directed by Colette Robert (Behind the Sheet) with music and lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney (The Movie Star and The Mammy). The Cotillion will occur in two parts in 2020; a studio production will be held May 8-10, 2020 in the Mezzanine Theater at A.R.T./New York (502 W 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019), with a full production running October 1-18, 2020 in a venue to be announced.
The Cotillion, a play with music, is experienced as a black debutante ball in a large American city in real time. Guided by The Emcee and The Club's esteemed Madam President, as well as three singers and a trove of ingeniously stylish songs, we follow six well-to-do black girls on the night of their Coming Out: from getting ready backstage through the crowning of a bright-and-shiny new Miss Star-Burst. By re-creating a ball as an immersive theatrical event, it explores the history and language of "presenting" black female bodies.
Originally generated by Colette Robert in New Georges' Audrey Residency program, The Cotillion is an inaugural recipient of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment's NYC Women's Fund grant and the recipient of The Drama League's 2018 Beatrice Terry Residency for Women Writer/Directors. Additional developmental support includes residencies at Fuller Road and Mabou Mines.
"Reading The Cotillion as an NYC Women's Fund panelist, loving the play and the idea of these two great companies collaborating, got me so excited I've kept in touch with New Georges and TMTC about the project ever since," said actress Daphne Rubin-Vega. "I really look forward to seeing the piece come to fruition at last!"
Full casting, creative team, ticket pricing and performance schedule for The Cotillion will be announced at a later date.
On December 7, 2019, at its annual meeting, New Georges received the 2019 Outstanding Theatre Award from The National Theatre Conference, joining prior recipients such as Playwrights Horizons, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theater and The Acting Company. Deadria Harrington, member of the producing artistic leadership team at The Movement Theatre Company and Associate Director of New Georges, was selected by New Georges to receive the NTC Emerging Professional Award at the same ceremony.
Founded in 1925, The National Theatre Conference is a not-for-profit organization made up of distinguished members of the American Theatre Community, connecting, supporting and advocating for America's theatres. Limited to 150 leaders nationwide in commercial, nonprofit, and university fields, NTC is made up of playwrights, directors, actors, producers, designers, dramaturgs, technicians, critics, fight directors, choreographers, historians, and teachers.
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