Theatre for a New Audience Announces First and Final Extension of FEFU AND HER FRIENDS

Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA, Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) just announced a first and final extension of Fefu and Her Friends, one of the most beloved plays of the late, nine-time Obie Award-winning Cuban-American playwright and director María Irene Fornés, "arguably the most influential American dramatist whose work hasn't become a staple of the mainstream repertoire" (LA Times).

Lileana Blain-Cruz, winner of two Obie Awards (Suzan-Lori Parks' The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World and Jackie Sibblies Drury's Marys Seacole) stages the play in her TFANA directing debut, the first Off-Broadway revival of Fefu and Her Friends since American Place Theatre's 1978 staging. Fefu now plays on the Samuel H. Scripps Mainstage at TFANA's home, Polonsky Shakespeare Center (262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn), through December 12, 2019, with four performances added Tuesday, December 10 at 7:30pm, Wednesday, December 11 at 2pm and 7:30pm, Thursday, December 12 at 7:30pm.

Fefu and Her Friends tells the story of what happens when a group of articulate, idiosyncratic women gather in Fefu's New England country house in 1935 to rehearse for a charity event. Their conversations evolve and become intimate dialogues commenting on gender, sex, psychology, and class. A modern classic of both feminist and environmental theater, Fefu and Her Friends runs approximately two hours with no intermission. Part I begins with the audience together. In Part II, the audience splits into four groups that move around the auditorium each experiencing the story in a different setting in a different order. In Part III, the audience comes back together. Fornés' play-humor-laced, unsettling, and wrenching-allows the audience to see this fascinatingly enigmatic gathering via multiple perspectives.

Fefu and Her Friends features Brittany Bradford (Bernhardt/Hamlet on Broadway, Merrily We Roll Along with Roundabout/Fiasco) as Julia, Juliana Canfield (He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box at TFANA, "Succession") as Christina, Helen Cespedes (The Cripple of Inishmaan on Broadway, Red Bull Theater's The School for Scandal) as Emma, Ronete Levenson (Lascivious Something with Women's Project, Our Town at Barrow Street Theater) as Sue, Jennifer Lim (Chinglish on Broadway, Usual Girls at Roundabout) as Cindy, Lindsay Rico (Alligator) with Sol Project/New Georges, Song for a Future Generation at Williamstown Theatre Festival) as Paula, Amelia Workman (The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA the Negro Book of the Dead with Signature Theater, Coriolanus with The Public the Delacorte) as Fefu, and Carmen Zilles (Little Women with Primary Stages, Scenes from a Marriage at New York Theatre Workshop) as Cecilia. The creative team includes Adam Rigg (Set Design), Montana Levi Blanco (Costume Design), Jane Cox (Lighting Design), Palmer Hefferan (Sound Design), and Andrew Diaz (Props Supervisor).

Lileana Blain-Cruz says: "María Irene Fornés is a titan of the American theater, and it truly is an honor to be directing Fefu and Her Friends not only because she's influenced so many important artists, but because she revolutionized what theater could be. The depth and complexity of this play requires an exhilarating participation between artist and audience and is one of the most exciting theatrical challenges I've ever encountered."

Jeffrey Horowitz says: "TFANA is dedicated to engaging with and expanding the canon of world drama. María Irene Fornés is one of America's greatest dramatists and we are proud to celebrate her."

Performance Schedule, Ticketing, and Other Information

Remaining performances of Fefu and Her Friends take place through December 12 at 7:30pm on Tuesday-Sundays, and 2:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays, with the addition of a matinee performance Wed, Dec 11 at 2pm.

Theatre for a New Audience is committed to economic access and offers tickets at a wide range of prices.

$20 New Deal: all performances. Age 30 and under or full-time students of any age. May be purchased online, over the phone, or at the box office, in advance or day-of, with valid ID(s) proving eligibility required at pickup. Use code NEWDEAL.

$20 Brooklyn Pass: all performances. Employees of participating Brooklyn non-profit organizations through Brooklyn Pass program.

Special Discounts: TFANA offers special discounts available by joining its mailing list at www.tfana.org.

$70-$100: all performances.

$115 Premium Seats: all performances.