Cherry Lane Theatre Announces Playwrights Award-Winning Mentor Project

Cherry Lane Theatre is proud to announce that this year's Mentor Project playwrights include Kareem M. Lucas, Matthew Paul Olmos, and C.A. Johnson, who will join the previously announced mentors, Craig muMs Grant, Taylor Mac and Martyna Majok as part of the 21st season of the Obie Award-winning Mentor Project. Mentor Project will culminate in three fully-staged productions presented between February 20 to April 13, 2019.

This year's mentors include Craig muMs Grant (celebrated poet, playwright and performer known best for his performance in the HBO hit series "Oz." Plays include Paradox of the Urban Cliché, A Sucker Emcee) who will mentor Kareem M. Lucas, Taylor Mac (Upcoming Broadway: Gary, A Sequel to Titus Andronicus. Numerous awards include MacArthur Fellow, Kennedy Prize for Drama, NY Drama Critics Award, Obie Award, Guggenheim Award. NYC: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Hir received LAMDA Literary Award and Drama League Award nomination) will mentor Matthew Paul Olmos and Martyna Majok (Cost of Living, 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama) will mentor C.A. Johnson.

The Maturation of an Inconvenient Negro (February 20 - March 2, 2019)

Written by Kareem M. Lucas, mentored by Craig muMs Grant

The Maturation of an Inconvenient Negro is a solo show of heightened poetry and raw self-reflection that takes the audience on the subversive journey of a young Black man coming into himself, as he struggles to break free of what he holds onto most tightly. No one is safe. Nothing is sacred.

three girls never learnt the way home (March 13 - 23, 2019)

Written by Matthew Paul Olmos, mentored by Taylor Mac

After being bussed into a newly integrated school, three friends find themselves in the center of a mysterious encounter which ignites a panic throughout the area. Using elements of magical realism and visceral theatricality, three girls never learnt the way home explores the question of what happens to children caught in the middle of complicated adult fears.

The Climb (April 3 - 13, 2019)

Written by C.A. Johnson, mentored by Martyna Majok

Tiffany is 30, directionless, and the sole subject of her wife's photography career. So when she absconds on a month-long hiking trip to think, both women find themselves questioning everything from the future of their marriage to the true meaning of a moment captured in time.

The Mentor Project - winner of an Obie Award for its dedication to helping early-career playwrights develop new work - each year partners an emerging author with a seasoned professional for a year of script work, rewrites, casting, rehearsals and a full production at Cherry Lane. Mentor Project is also the recipient of the James Kirkwood Award for American Playwrights. The Mentor Project is general managed by Mott/Fischer Productions, with casting by Eisenberg/Beans Casting, Daryl Eisenberg, CSA, Ally Beans, CSA.

Tickets for the Mentor Project are $20*/$25 (single show) / $50*/$60 (three- show membership) will go on sale December 3rd, 2019 and can be purchased by visiting www.cherrylanetheatre.org or call OvationTix at 866 811 4111

PHOTO: Top: Matthew Paul Olmos, Martyna Majok, Craig muMs Grant, Kareem M. Lucas

Bottom: Taylor Mac, C.A. Johnson

Photo by Monique Carboni.

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