The play will run September 6-28.
Theater Accident (with co-producers Rose Colored Productions and Moira Stone) will present the World Premiere of The Ask by Matthew Freeman (New Dramatists alum; Kesselring Prize from the National Arts Club), directed by Jessi D. Hill (SMALL with Penguin Rep Theatre, nominated for 2024 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards) at wild project, September 6-28.
What does it cost to get what we need? With comedic precision, The Ask dissects a tense visit between a struggling young fundraiser and an affluent liberal donor, as they navigate the treacherous power dynamics at the heart of charitable giving.
The Ask, a new play about the growing generational divide among idealistic progressives, was inspired by playwright Matthew Freeman’s 13 years of experience as a fundraiser for the ACLU.
Performances are scheduled on Friday, September 6 at 7:30pm, Saturday, September 7 at 7:30pm, Sunday, September 8 at 2pm & 7:30pm, Wednesday, September 11 at 7:30pm, Thursday, September 12 at 7:30pm, Friday, September 13 at 7:30pm, Saturday, September 14 at 7:30pm, Sunday, September 15 at 2pm & 7:30pm, Wednesday, September 18 at 7:30pm, Thursday, September 19 at 7:30pm, Friday, September 20 at 7:30pm, Saturday, September 21 at 7:30pm, Sunday, September 22 at 2pm & 7:30pm, Wednesday, September 25 at 7:30pm, Thursday, September 26 at 7:30pm, Friday, September 27 at 7:30pm, and Saturday, September 28 at 2pm & 7:30pm. Tickets are available for advance purchase at https://thewildproject.org/performances/the-ask/. The performance will run approximately 80 minutes, with no intermission.
(Playwright) (he/him) is a New Dramatists alum, where he proudly received the Joe A. Callaway Award, and a MacDowell Colony Fellow. He was awarded the 2021 Kesselring Prize by the National Arts Club. His plays and monologues have been published by Concord Theatricals, Applause, Smith & Kraus, and Playscripts. Plays include Silver Spring(2021 Kesselring Prize), That Which Isn't, Steve Burns Alive (co-writer), Bluebeard, When is a Clock, The Listeners (Nominee: Best Production - Performance Art: New York Innovative Theatre Awards 2015), Why We Left Brooklyn, The Most Wonderful Love, Glee Club, The Death of King Arthur, and Brandywine Distillery Fire. His audio pieces have been a part of the HearNow Festival, New Dramatists Active Listening, Atlanta Fringe Radio. Freeman is a graduate of Emerson College. He divides his time between the Western Catskills and Brooklyn with his wife, the magical author Pam Grossman. www.matthewfreemanwriter.com
(Director) (she/her) Director of SMALL - 2024 Nominations for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award. New York Theatre includes: New York Theatre Workshop, Public Theater/Joe’s Pub, Playwrights Horizons, Primary Stages, LAByrinth Theater Company, Rattlestick, The Women’s Project, 59E59 Theaters, P73, The New Group, Keen Company, Clubbed Thumb, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Musical Theatre Factory, The Acting Company, The Barrow Group, New Dramatists, Playwrights Realm, New Georges. Regional Theatre includes: A.R.T, Old Globe, People’s Light, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Diversionary, TheatreSquared, Orlando Shakes and others. Her work has been seen internationally in Edinburgh, London, New Zealand, Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels, Ukraine and Rome. She currently teaches directing at Fordham and Barnard/Columbia University. MFA Directing: Yale. Website: www.jessidhill.com
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