Target Margin Theater Announces 2019-2020 Season

After opening its first permanent home in November 2017 with an inaugural season that began a multi-year focus on The One Thousand and One Nights and then, in October 2018, launching its first curated presenting series, Target Margin Theater is announces its 2019-2020 season, which proudly builds on all of this experimentation and supports even more risk-taking artists and theatrical works in Brooklyn and beyond.

Target Margin's third season in Sunset Park, and 29th since its founding in 1991, focusses on three artistic areas. The centerpiece is a series of extended workshop presentations, led by director David Herskovits, that lay the groundwork for One Night, a massive, twelve-hour retelling of The One Thousand and One Nights. This extravagant durational performance based on the story of Scheherazade and the stories she tells to save her life will premiere next season in Spring 2021. This year, Herskovits and his diverse company of actors and designers will focus on three different sections of the mammoth work with development sessions throughout the year. The company opens the doors to their process for limited showings of the work-in-progress. The company will offer a presentation of The Sea The Sea, on October 23 at The Doxsee; Pussycock Know Nothing, January 23-25, 2020 at Long Island City's The Chocolate Factory; and You Are Not Broken, March 5-14, 2020 at The Doxsee. Closing out this exploration of The One Thousand and One Nights will be Cities of Brass, the June 2020 edition of Target Margin's annual TMT Lab.

The second tentpole of Target Margin's 2019-2020 season is the world premiere of Present Shame and Further Woe, conceived and directed by Target Margin's Associate Artists Director Moe Yousuf. This fantasia in b-flat for bagpipes explores South Asian nostalgia for the former British Empire, its traditions and subcultures, most notably those concerning William Shakespeare. The piece is extension of recent work Yousuf has made exploring South Asian identity through the Great Highland Bagpipes, which he began playing in 2013 specifically to create these works. This April 30-May 16, 2020 premiere marks the first-time Target Margin has committed a significant amount of resources and institutional support to Yousuf, who, since joining the Target Margin in 2012, has become a true partner in fulfilling the company's artistic and cultural vision.

Thirdly and equally ambitious is TMT Presents, Target Margin's curated presentation program which will present David Commander's Fear in the Western World, a digital puppetry performance that examines gun control and fear in contemporary America, and Salesmana??ae??: The (Almost!) True Story of the 1983 Production of Death of a Salesman at the Beijing People's Arts Theatre Directed by Mr. Arthur Miller Himself From a Script Translated By Mr. Ying Ruocheng Who Also Played Willy Loman.

"When we opened our first permanent home in 2017, our dream was to create an alternative performance space where theatrical innovation could thrive and young talent could make work on the cheap," says Target Margin's Founding Artistic Director David Herskovits. "The artistic richness and freedom of a real, local home has far exceeded my wildest expectations. Not only have we been able build an ambitious path towards my complete vision of The One Thousand and One Nights, but I've been able to champion the artistry of my creative partner Moe Yousuf. Equally important, I'm delighted that we are presenting new work by David Commander and everyone involved in Salesmana??ae??."

For 29 years, Target Margin Theater has been praised for its aggressive interpretations of classic texts, lesser-known works, and new plays inspired by existing sources. In addition, Target Margin has served over 1,000 artists through its annual incubator LAB festival and has nurtured the next generation of theater makers via yearlong fellowship and residency programs.

Target Margin Theater's first permanent home is located at 232 52nd Street in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. The modern, industrial space includes two large rehearsal studios, office space, and a column-free, 3,250 sq. ft. performance space with generous 18 ft. ceilings. The theater is named The Doxsee after founding member and resident designer Lenore Doxsee (1965-2017).

All performances take place at The Doxsee (232 52nd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11220) except for Pussycock Know Nothing, which will take place at The Chocolate Factory (5-49 49th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101).

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