In an ideal world, maturity nurtures faith and confidence to withstand life's greatest tests. Or does it? BELIEVERS by Ken Jaworowski, a haunting drama, tests that assumption with the generational tale of a couple who marry in a state of faith but find their belief undone twenty years later when life tests them more severely than people ought to be. WorkShop Theater, 312 West 36th Street, will present the play's world premiere run tonight, September 25 to October 17, directed by Alex Dmitriev.
The play contains two stories of one marriage, 20 years apart. It begins with a gorgeous romance between Donna and Chris as they meet at a Christian college and are irresistibly attracted to each other. He is a fine art major with impressive talent, idealistic toward his fine art career. She is a high-spirited theology major of passionate religious temperament. They are both people of faith, even though hers is religious and his is toward his art. Twenty years later, the progress of their lives brings insurmountable challenges to their ideals. Chris is drawn gradually into Madison Avenue, forsaking his own painting for a career in advertising. Donna's dedication to God is shaken after their first (and only) child is born with a disability that proves, over time, to be irremediable. Both of them dread and secretly desire an end to their long journey with their frail son. The play examines the love and sacrifice that brings people together, the nihilism that can rip them apart, and the phenomenon of faith that may or may not sustain them.
Donna and Chris at different ages are played by two pair of actors. Ben Sumrall and Allison Linker play the younger couple; Tony Travostino and
Mary Lauren play the older couple. The play is structured in intertwining scenes, so the audience views the two eras of the marriage in binocular vision.
Playwright Ken Jaworowski is a staff editor for The New York Times. His plays have been performed in New York, London and elsewhere. His "Acts of Redemption" was featured in the 2015 Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. His WorkShop Theater productions include "Never Missed a Day," a drama influenced by Eugene O'Neill and
Arthur Miller; "Certain Souls," an evening of seven one-person plays and "Interchange," a large cast show that was published by Broadway Play Publishing. Other works include comedies and monologue plays. A comedy, "One to the Head, One to the Heart," foreshadowed this play thematically and was published by the literary magazine A capella Zoo.
Alex Dmitriev (Director) has been Artistic Director of the Toronto Center for the Arts, Associate Artistic Director of Canada's prestigious Manitoba Theatre Centre and Resident Director at the North Carolina State Theatre. He has directed seven productions for
York Theatre Company, including the Drama Desk-nominated production of "Lost in the Stars" and critically acclaimed productions of
Alan Ayckbourn's "Taking Steps" and "How the Other Half Loves." For Abingdon Theatre, he directed the world premieres of "German Games" and "Evangeline and God" by
Berilla Kerr, "Graduation Day" and "God's Daughter" by
Barton Bishop, and "A Happy End" by
Iddo Netanyahu. Other New York productions include "St. Nicholas" by
Conor McPherson for Irish Rep, "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" for
Village Theatre Company, "Mrs. Warren's Profession" for Pearl Theatre and "Bedtime Story" for Actors Studio. Regionally, he has directed at Philadelphia Drama Guild, Virginia Stage Company,
McCarter Theatre Company and Actors Theatre of Louisville among others. In London, he directed "Doonreagan," about Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and his mistress, Assia Wevill, at the Jermyn Street Theatre.
Set design is by
Craig Napoliello. Lighting design is by Diana Duecker. Costume design is by
Catherine Siracusa. Sound design is by
David Lawson.
The WorkShop Theater's mission is the rigorous development and production of new American plays and musicals that transport, challenge and surprise both artists and audiences. Notable successes include "The Man who was Peter Pan" by
Allan Knee (debuted at WorkShop in 2004, the basis for the Academy Award nominated film "Finding Neverland" and last season's Broadway musical of the same name) and "The Navigator" by Eddie Antar (debuted at WorkShop in 2012; recipient of two Drama Desk nominations). Now under the direction of Thomas Coté (Artistic Director), the company maintains a full schedule of writers' nights, readings series and two-week productions of plays-in-progress. It will present two subsequent mainstage productions this season: "The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit" by
Allan Knee (December 3 to 27, 2015) and "Verona Walls" by Laura Hirschberg (March 10 to April 3, 2016). More info:
www.workshoptheater.org.
IF YOU GO:
BELIEVERS
September 25 to October 17, 2015
WorkShop Theater, 312 West 36th Street, 4 fl. East
Presented by WorkShop Theater Company (Thomas Coté, Artistic Director; Joseph Giardina, Managing Director)
Thur at 7:00 PM, Fri and Sat at 8:00 PM, Sun at 3:00 PM; added show Wed, 10/14 at 7:00 PM.
$18 general admission, $15 students and seniors
Box office www.workshoptheater.org or 866.811.4111 (Ovation Tickets)
Runs: 90 minutes. Critics are invited on or after September 25.
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